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Stand-up Mark Steel is travelling around Britain at the moment for a new series of his comedy show ‘Mark Steel’s in Town’.
Taking six British towns in turn, he lovingly celebrates their quirks and individuality, but much more importantly for the purposes of comedy, he rips the piss out of them on home turf in front hundreds of locals.
Last night he was in Penzance (it’s not hard to see how it made the shortlist) – and I was lucky enough to have tickets to witness the Steel spectacle.
Without wanting to give too much away, highlights included a portrait of Humphry Davy as a caner, using chemistry experiments as an elaborate excuse to get high Read the rest of this entry »
Check out pasties and cream’s new design*sponge guide to Cornwall, out this week.
For those of you not familiar with the site, design*sponge – written by Grace Bonney and her team of design detectives – feeds readers with a constant supply of art-craft-design ideas, images and general loveliness from across the pond. It’s addictive stuff.
OK, it’s not my car. The shiny new racing-blue Morgan +4 convertible in question belongs to the Morgan Garage in Perranwell.
In fact, worse than that, it’s not even my rental car – it’s my Dad’s. But that didn’t stop me from immersing myself fully in the classic car dream for fifteen minutes as we spun from Penzance, past Newlyn harbour, and over to Mousehole along the coastal road – before he headed further west to Sennen, Zennor and St Ives.
I’m hardly what you could call a car geek but, with the breeze in my hair, blue skies above, Mount’s Bay glistening in the foreground – and the walnut dashboard, cream leather seats and long, shiny bonnet reaching out in front – it was all too much.
Back at my desk, and suddenly intrigued by the concept of owning such a vehicle, I had a quick fantasy google: ‘prices from £29,369 to £34,902’. Ah. Read the rest of this entry »
This month I will be mainly eating Warrens’ saffron cake-hot cross bun outcross. Much softer and fluffier than orthodox Cornish saffron cake – one part of the holy trinity of Cornish delicacies* – and more vivid in colour and flavour than standard-issue hot cross buns. Easter only. 80p for a four-pack!
*The other two parts of the trinity being, of course,
my namesake pasties and cream.
I clicked my way around Penzance the other day with Google Street View, which was pretty exciting, but this morning I stumbled across some even more compulsive footage: a video of Penzance on a sunny day in 1964.
Probably only long-standing locals will make it to the end of the six minutes, lovely though they are, but it’s worth a look if only for the chirpy Beatles soundtrack, the cool old cars, bobbies on bikes, and to marvel at how little, essentially, PZ has changed.
I did, however, note one key difference: no one in Penzance dresses that smartly anymore. Men in suits and braces? Women in dresses and heels (all sporting a fetching pastel-cardie-over-the-shoulder look)? I feel so underdressed in my Hager vor hoodie.
still from FLOW the film
After watching the excellent – if inevitably depressing – docu-film The End of the Line about the excesses of the global fishing industry a few weeks back, I remembered just how rewarding and effective a well-made documentary can be, and vowed to watch more. Read the rest of this entry »
mm, maybe i'll stop for a virtual pint at the sloop
I just took an enjoyable stroll along the front in St Ives on Google Street View, which as of today documents with freaky clarity, and 360-degree views, virtually all houses and streets in the British Isles – including Cornwall. Just whack in a postcode here, and comes up with a picture your house/street/recycling box/favourite restaurant.
The experience is as unnerving as it is thrilling – around every corner you can’t help but wonder if you’re going to pop up on a bad hair day or with a mouth full of pasty. Needless to say, privacy campaigners are less than amused. Faces are vaguely blurred out and car registrations aren’t visible but it’s no great barrier to recognition.
(They appear to have shot Penwith on the only sunny day of last summer – everyone’s in shorts and shades and there’s not a cloud in the sky.)
'ramp towards newlyn' by artist jason walker
It’s not often that you get to see such prosaic sights as your local skate ramp rendered on canvas by a successful artist but that is exactly what I found when I opened a link to the subtly affecting paintings of Penzance-based artist Jason Walker. Read the rest of this entry »
sir humphry davy taking the cornish colours very seriously
mount's bay
…Winter is over!
OK, I know there are lows of 1º C forecast for Sunday night but it’s the deep blue sky and daffodils that count. Read the rest of this entry »
hens at higher trenowin farm
As keen as I am to buy local produce – not just in a novelty, let’s-all-buy-Cornish-Sea-Salt-and-Tregothnan-tea-once-a-year kind of way, but as part of the weekly shop – I haven’t always felt it was especially viable, financially or practically.
Boutique farm shops have sprung up all over Cornwall as part of the foodie revolution sweeping the region, selling premium organic and super-freerange meat and veg, but I always leave them torn over how many 50p tomatoes I can realistically buy in one year.
Which is why I was so excited when I discovered the Higher Trenowin Farm shop the other week – located on the B3311 between Penzance and St Ives. Devoid of cool Cornwall trappings, it is a low-key, friendly farm shop Read the rest of this entry »
bordelais by vicky's bread
Is it just me or is there a micro trend going on in Cornwall for artisanal bread? There’s Baker Tom, Baker Steve, Baker Bob, Barbara…
OK I made the last two up. But the one I am obsessing about is Vicky’s Bread from the Lizard, to the extent that when I found out she had gone on holiday and production had temporarily ceased, I must have been visibly distressed – Lavenders suggested I reserve a loaf for the morning of her first day back to avoid disappointment!
Since chancing upon one of her round Bordelais loaves – crispy topped, chewy inside – in Archie Browns last year, I have been buying the stuff religiously. All the loaves are baked in traditional French style – slow-risen in willow baskets – but the Bordelais is still my favourite.
Vicky sells in Lavenders (6a Alverton Street) and Archie Brown’s in Penzance, as well as Fore Street Deli in St Ives, and other outlets throughout west Cornwall – all independents.
ismay atkins
pasties & cream cornwall blog 