# Cornwall is lush



## sparkling (May 4, 2007)

Just want to say how lovely Cornwall really is especially at this time of year.  


I know you all know its lovely but thought we could celebrate its loveliness all over again.

Stayed at Mousehole which is just how you imagine a proper Cornish village to be but felt sorry for real locals as they seem to be surrounded by holiday cottages (one of which I was staying in myself ) which must really get ont their nerves.  The car park attendant had a pet seagull that he feeds and waters and generally chats to.  Apparently it even brings its chicks down to be fed all whilst keeping off the other gulls.

St Ives was lovely to stroll around looking at the galleries ie expensive shops and why are most shops in Cornwall called galleries and can I now call my local Tesco's a food gallery? 

My aunt and uncle were staying at Sancreed which seemed pretty isolated but beautifully remote and quiet set amidst the lush green countryside.

My favourite beach was Sennen Cove although I've heard that Cape Cornwall is even better and my least favourite bit was Lands End...shame.

Would have loved to have seen a production at the Minack Theatre and gone to St Micheals Mount but its good to know its all still there and will defintely visit to that part of Cornwall again.

Lucky all you Cornish Urbanites having all that on your doorstep everyday.


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## madzone (May 4, 2007)

Where did they stay in Sancreed? 

Yes, it's gorgeous but like you say full of second homes/holiday homes. So, whilst I feel eternally grateful to live here it does come with its 'cons'. It's just been reported that the average houseprice in Truro is £330,000. Way out of the league of the majority of locals. House prices in Mousehole have gone a similar way. Tourism/second home ownership needs to be controlled so that the indigenous population can actually stay here to see to the needs of the people visiting. Go to St Ives or Mousehole in the winter and you'll see that an extremely high percentage of the properties are empty. And yet we have a huge housing crisis. Don't make sense to me  

I flew from Exeter airport recently and there was a huge billboard displaying an advert which said 'Buy a house in Cornwall - where every day's a holiday' Not for us it in't    Glad you had a good time though. Got any pics?


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## sparkling (May 4, 2007)

Its strange being a visitor there.  Strolling around Mousehole felt a bit like being in a huge holiday village as most of the homes seemed to be holiday cottages and looking at the prices and jobs in the area you can just see how really difficult it must be to actually live there.  I don't know how I would I feel bringing up children there because I don't see how they could afford to live in the place they we born.  So as a holiday maker although you really appreciate the place you sort of feel guilty that you might be promoting something that actually makes living there even more difficult for people.

My aunt and uncle live in Antony and brought their children up in Plymouth.  One cousin earns about 15 k a year driving a forklift truck and the other got out and moved inland and earns loads (but we don't talk about how  )  Poor cousin who stayed can barely afford to live although I suppose this is tempered by the thought if you have to be poor surely its better to be in nicer surroundings?

Madzone I really couldn't say where in Sancreed cos we followed them back to their converted barn which was next to some house down some tractor tract.  You could see the resevoir from their window in the distance.  I've got loads of photo's but don't know how to post them.


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## madzone (May 4, 2007)

Some friends of mine rent out a converted barn next to their house in Sancreed - I was just wondering if it was them


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## sparkling (May 4, 2007)

madzone said:
			
		

> Some friends of mine rent out a converted barn next to their house in Sancreed - I was just wondering if it was them



I think the woman's name is Jane.  I'll check with my aunt. I know that they have become friends with the couple and because it was my aunts birthday they even got her a nice plant.   Can you see the resevoir?


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## Meltingpot (May 4, 2007)

madzone said:
			
		

> Where did they stay in Sancreed?
> 
> Yes, it's gorgeous but like you say full of second homes/holiday homes. So, whilst I feel eternally grateful to live here it does come with its 'cons'. It's just been reported that the average houseprice in Truro is £330,000. Way out of the league of the majority of locals. House prices in Mousehole have gone a similar way. Tourism/second home ownership needs to be controlled so that the indigenous population can actually stay here to see to the needs of the people visiting. Go to St Ives or Mousehole in the winter and you'll see that an extremely high percentage of the properties are empty. And yet we have a huge housing crisis. Don't make sense to me



Mousehole's one of my absolute favourite places so it's sad if locals can't afford to live there any more because of rich Londoners buying up all the houses. The trouble is we have a very London-centric political culture, and politicians and others want to have their own holiday homes.




			
				madzone said:
			
		

> I flew from Exeter airport recently and there was a huge billboard displaying an advert which said 'Buy a house in Cornwall - where every day's a holiday'



Trust me it isn't; as the late and great Peter Ustinov once said, life goes on much the same everywhere.


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## madzone (May 4, 2007)

sparkling said:
			
		

> I think the woman's name is Jane.  I'll check with my aunt. I know that they have become friends with the couple and because it was my aunts birthday they even got her a nice plant.   Can you see the resevoir?


That's probably them  Jane and Simon. I don't know if you can see the reservoir from the barn but I would think it points towards Drift so probably, yes


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## sparkling (May 4, 2007)

madzone said:
			
		

> That's probably them  Jane and Simon. I don't know if you can see the reservoir from the barn but I would think it points towards Drift so probably, yes



Simon was definetely the mans name...cool    another Urban coincidence.  My aunt and uncle love it there and have been back about 5/6 times now.


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## Mr_Nice (May 4, 2007)

I went to school in Liskeard Cornwall near Loo and then to Plymouth College of Further Education.  It was like a revelation to move to the South East opend my eyes a bit


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## madzone (May 4, 2007)

sparkling said:
			
		

> Simon was definetely the mans name...cool    another Urban coincidence.  My aunt and uncle love it there and have been back about 5/6 times now.


 

I've known Simon over 30 years - I love the bones of him. He's one of my dad's best mates - don't tell him I said that though cos it'll make him feel old


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## Meltingpot (May 4, 2007)

Mr_Nice said:
			
		

> I went to school in Liskeard Cornwall near Loo and then to Plymouth College of Further Education.  It was like a revelation to move to the South East opend my eyes a bit



Hey I used to live in Liskeard, got moved out to Pensilva where I still live - beautiful and quiet place but a bit remote. What's it like in the South East?


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## Paulie Tandoori (May 4, 2007)

madzone said:
			
		

> That's probably them  Jane and Simon. I don't know if you can see the reservoir from the barn but I would think it points towards Drift so probably, yes



Drift Dam is great innit...we used to drive up there sometimes just to walk about a bit in my youth.

I can't afford to live down there atm, house prices are bonkers, salaries are rubbish, what's to do?


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## Mr_Nice (May 4, 2007)

Meltingpot said:
			
		

> Hey I used to live in Liskeard, got moved out to Pensilva where I still live - beautiful and quiet place but a bit remote. What's it like in the South East?



Yep I have a few mates in Pensilva used to drink at the Sun Inn Darite  
Spent Septembers on the moor collecting my Magic Mushrooms


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## sparkling (May 4, 2007)

madzone said:
			
		

> I've known Simon over 30 years - I love the bones of him. He's one of my dad's best mates - don't tell him I said that though cos it'll make him feel old




You'll have to pm me your real life name so I can tell my aunt and uncle...unless Simon and Jane know you as Madzone that is?


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## toggle (May 4, 2007)

sparkling said:
			
		

> You'll have to pm me your real life name so I can tell my aunt and uncle...unless Simon and Jane know you as Madzone that is?



I doubt anyone who knows her would be surprised at hearing her referred to as madzone


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## madzone (May 4, 2007)

toggle said:
			
		

> I doubt anyone who knows her would be surprised at hearing her referred to as madzone


Moi??  

I'm cut to the quick 

Anyway - you probably met Simon and Jane at the party.


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## nightowl (May 6, 2007)

sparkling said:
			
		

> Stayed at Mousehole which is just how you imagine a proper Cornish village to be but felt sorry for real locals as they seem to be surrounded by holiday cottages



when i was last down there it seemed like there were more posh london accents than cornish ones. i think it's something like two thirds holiday homes or second homes now. the local rag occasionally bleats on about the problems facing local people but then is quite happy to take money from estate agents for big adverts saying 'ideal holiday home' etc etc. what can u do though? most of the people complaining would be just as bad if they had their chance. if they were selling, would they take less money from a local or as much as they could get their hands on from an incomer?


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## madzone (May 6, 2007)

nightowl said:
			
		

> would they take less money from a local or as much as they could get their hands on from an incomer?


If I was ever in a position to be selling a house I would definitely do that. My mother had a chance to sell her house for x thousand more to an incomer but sold it to a local for less.

Anyway - it shouldn't be down to the individual to change it - it should be down to legislation making it harder/more espensive to own a second home.


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## Meltingpot (May 6, 2007)

madzone said:
			
		

> If I was ever in a position to be selling a house I would definitely do that. My mother had a chance to sell her house for x thousand more to an incomer but sold it to a local for less.



I did, sold my gran's house to a (young) local woman for £1500 less than I could have got - and what did she do soon after? buy another house in a nearby village to do up as a holiday home  




			
				madzone said:
			
		

> Anyway - it shouldn't be down to the individual to change it - it should be down to legislation making it harder/more espensive to own a second home.



Agreed, but - and call me cynical here - politicians themselves have got holiday homes in many cases and turkeys don't vote for Christmas.


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## madzone (May 7, 2007)

Meltingpot said:
			
		

> I did, sold my gran's house to a (young) local woman for £1500 less than I could have got - and what did she do soon after? buy another house in a nearby village to do up as a holiday home


Yep - try getting through to some of the local population that their actions are contributing to the problem and you get met by blank stares or indignation



> Agreed, but - and call me cynical here - politicians themselves have got holiday homes in many cases and turkeys don't vote for Christmas.



Unfortunately, I think you're right. There's people like Andrew George making a noise about it but I wonder how much of it is tokenism.


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## Orang Utan (May 7, 2007)

I love Cornwall, esp North Cornwall - it's lovely everywhere, but I've only stayed in the one place - Porthcothan I think it's called - near Padstow


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## Fuzzy (May 7, 2007)

the issue of holiday homes isnt one that can be easily solved. the forces of capitalism would have to be severly changed to act as a deterrant for people doing it. even if council tax was raised for the second home most people who own them are probably minted anyway so it wouldnt make much difference. isnt the answer to build more affordable homes in the first place and then restrict the purchase of htese to locals/residents with restrictions on the resale so that they stay available for locals in the future.


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## madzone (May 8, 2007)

Fuzzy said:
			
		

> the issue of holiday homes isnt one that can be easily solved. the forces of capitalism would have to be severly changed to act as a deterrant for people doing it. even if council tax was raised for the second home most people who own them are probably minted anyway so it wouldnt make much difference. isnt the answer to build more affordable homes in the first place and then restrict the purchase of htese to locals/residents with restrictions on the resale so that they stay available for locals in the future.


Hmmm - personally I don't want to see great swathes of development of cheaply built houses. I agree that restricting the sale of houses for second homes is problematic but I believe there are things that can be done. Apart from anything else the limited amount of affordable housing that has been built hasn't actually been that affordable.


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## Fuzzy (May 10, 2007)

madzone said:
			
		

> Hmmm - personally I don't want to see great swathes of development of cheaply built houses.



exactly. its the countryside and greenery that makes cornwall special and to lose bits of it to new housing would be a shame. but where are new houses to go. i know Truro and Newquay are going to take a fair amount but other towns like St Austell, bodmin, Camborne, Redruth, Hayle, St Ives and Penzanze are all going to have contribute to. by allowing expansion of the main settlements it will prevent massive incursions in to the countryside aroudn the smaller villages. 



> Apart from anything else the limited amount of affordable housing that has been built hasn't actually been that affordable



i agreee with this point. in other parts of the country where wages and salary are higher i think the housing that has been built here would be deemed affordable. but there is another question should wages here rise just to make housing affordable?


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