£4.00 / £2.50 December 2010

the outsideCELEBRITY DINING

COMES TO CORNWALL

HOW STUDENTS ARE FIGHTING THE CRISIS

JEWELS IN THE HEART OF CORNWALL

The Christmas Issue

Seeing Cornwall from...

Words by Polly O’Gorman.

This year, Falmouth town will be lit up by 50,000 new LED lights.

The lights will hang across the high street, from The Moor to Events Square, and will be lit from the 10th December until the end of the festive season.

Across the county people are getting ready for Christmas as many decorations are fast appearing on streets around Cornwall; the county has a full diary of events in December for everybody’s involvement.

Falmouth town is hosting the ‘Santa Fun Run’ on December 11, in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care.

The participants can run either 1.5 or 3 miles through Falmouth wearing a full santa costume.

Every Wednesday night throughout December, Truro are holding a street market on Boscawen Street

Words by Francesca Geary.

For the first time in 10 years a British cheese had been crowned the World Cheese Champion.

Held at the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham in November 2010, the Cornish Cheese Company won the World Cheese Award for their Cornish Blue cheese.

Following the win Cornish blue cheese sales shot up in delicatessens and supermarkets, making it the most popular cheese this Christmas.

“I’m completely overwhelmed. It’s an honour to win an award for such a prestigious competition,” said Philip Stansfield, who created the Cornish Blue cheese to diversifiy his farm’s produce.

Over the years the Cornish Blue has won many awards, including the Gold award at the British Cheese Awards in 2004, the Best Blue and Best English Cheese in 2007, and most recently the Royal Bath and West Supreme Champion Cheese, won earlier this year.

However while the Cornish Blue may hold the World Cheese Champoin title, students who tried the blue cheese were not convinced.

“I’m not too keen on blue cheese,” said Iman Effendi, a 20-year-old student at Oxford University.

“When you take a bite, you can’t really taste it at all until you swallow, after that it’s your own judgement. Personally I find it too strong, but that’s just how I like my cheese - mild and bearable in smell.”

At the Good Food Show this year there were 201 judges from 19 countries, judging 2,629 types of cheese from 26 countries.

the big cheese a bigger sofaWords by Sarah Louise Stevenson

Graduates often leave Cornwall make their fame and fortune in big cities. The Outside meets

Small Sofa, an events management company run by and for Cornish students, focusing primarily on nights out. The Falmouth-based business is run by young entrepreneurs Jake Wright, Ollie Ramsey, Sam Lynas, Simon O’Neill and Tom Bull.

Their first event, held at University College Falmouth in 2009, was a NASA themed party. “At the time there wasn’t anything else like this. We knew a lot of people who would attend events,” says Jake. The company also found success managing Halloween 2010 at the same location.

Their success doesn’t end there: “In October we DJ-ed at a charity event at Mango Tango’s for Alzheimer’s called Memories Matter, and in November we held a free event at Underground,” says Simon.

“We’re a good bunch of mates and that’s the atmosphere we’re trying to achieve with Small Sofa. Everyone has a part to play,“ adds Tom. Their ethos is student-based, aimed at people they feel they can identify, collaborate, and have fun with: “So many nights are orientated around a culture and a style,” says Simon. “We want to bring people with similar interests together with music, who appreciate what we’re trying to achieve,” adds Tom.

In addition to the events’ quality, the men have business minds too: “We need to generate turnover. The money that we generate goes into Small Sofa’s bank account, which goes towards the next DJ, event, flyers, t-shirts, or whatever we need,” says Simon.

The Small Sofa team are also looking to the future: “If we could bring it to a bigger city, we wouldn’t go in half-heartedly,” says Jake. “We’re just seeing how it goes because we’re still very new. In the future we’ll look back on these years and just be glad that we did something like this.”

Hopefully Small Sofa can serve as inspiration for those Cornish citizens who are considering remaining in the county.

Cornish Christmas

news in Brief

which will have a wide range of seasonal food and gifts to buy.

The evening will include live music and performances, including local carol singers.

Redruth town are hosting a Christmas street market on the pedestrian area of Fore Street and Market Way every Saturday between November 27 and December 18.

News 3

Lifestyle

➤ Future in Cornwall for Students 4-5 ➤ Cities of Light 6-7

➤ All Abroad! 8-9 ➤ The Big Squeeze 10-14

Travel

➤ Cornwall’s Hidden Gem 15-17 ➤ Mousehole for Christmas 18-19

➤ Flushing to Helford Passage 20-23

Review

➤ Falmouth to Italy in Minutes 24-25

➤ Cod Envy: Battle of the Celebrity Chefs 26-27

➤ Everything Burns @ Threemilestone, Truro 28

➤ Yann Tiersen’s Dust Lane: Perfect for your Travel Playlistbout 29

➤ Editorial Team

Editor:Tiffany Naylor

Assistant Editor:Francesca Geary

Production Editor:Sarah Louise Stevenson

ContentsDecember – what a fantastic month to publish

our first issue. Cornwall is ablaze of lights and decoration, fireplaces are burning in every pub and house, and the Christmas cheer is everywhere.

There’s a myth that Cornwall is quiet and uneventful Winter but, as The Outside will prove, it’s the best place to be. It’s cosy, creative, and colourful.

The Outside is here to show you all that there is to see and do in Cornwall; from unusual day outs to traditional coastal walks.

We hope you enjoy reading and being involved with The Outside as much as we enjoyed making it.

Merry Christmas!

Editors Letter

contributors

welcome to... The Outside

➤ Staff Writers

Andy BrimsonChristina EndresenFrancesca GearyMari MyhreTiffany NaylorPolly O’GormonGeorge RichardsonSarah Louise Stevenson

➤ Additional

Front Cover Photography:Lena Rodgers

Individual page design by their specifiic writers.

2 The Outside News 3

Tiffany

It can often be assumed by students that in order to become successful they must venture to London

in order to find a career. It now seems that this myth no longer exists due to the talent which has been striving throughout the country.

After graduating from BAJournalism in 2009, Sam Lynas who studied at University College Falmouth realised there was a future for him in Cornwall. Sam had always wanted to work in Public Relations.

“when I saw a job advertised at Barefoot Media PR agency, specialising in things I love like food, tourism and extreme sports I jumped at the chance.”Throughout the years that Sam had studied at University College Falmouth, he had been given lots of opportunities to write and gain as much and as varied work experience as possible. So, approaching a company for a job was not an issue for him.

“I feel really blessed to be paid to do something I’m used to doing for free in a place I love.”

In June 2009, Sam was offered to return back to university to help out with the events for freshers’ week which resulted in him being

a representative for the sports and societies department. Sam got a chance to go ‘back to school’ for a few months and start up his own promotions company, Small Sofa

“I’d probably have to move up to London once I had graduated as that was where all the media jobs were.”

Words by Polly O’GormanPhotograph by David Griffen

which was a nice way to ease into getting use to being a graduate student for the first time.

In January 2010 Sams work for Barefoot Media, the north Cornwall-based PR agency began. Using the skills he had gained at university, Sam helped to restructure the company and

be hands on drafting press releases and pitch ideas to the media.

Sam says, “There’s only a small team at Barefoot so I feel that the good things I do are making a real difference

to the future of the company – something that wouldn’t happen

at a London agency.”Unlocking Cornish Potential

is a Cornish company that provide

A future in Cornwallfor Students

graduates in Cornwall the opportunity to gain work and experiences in and around Cornwall. UCP provide jobs for graduates straight after they graduate which is good for Cornwall’s economic climate and means that these post-graduates are stable in a work place.

The graduates gain different experiences, become part of a professional industry, and receive a competitive salary.

UCP allow the post-graduates to put the skills and information that they have learned over the years on their degree course, into practise when they become part of the teams in their new work place provided by UCP.

Cornwall provides many opportunities for post-graduate students and it is companies such as UCP that encourages students to stay in the county after graduating. Many opportunities

arise after you are let out into the big wide world once

graduating but, it is not all so gloomy when there

are people out there to encourage and help you

to find work.

4

There are plenty of ways to get yourself into the festive

spirit; Some people sing carols, others go on an irresponsible shopping spree, and some get a thrill from wearing the same hideous knitted sweater they wore for the last couple of decades. But if you’re in Cornwall around that time of year, head to towns such as Truro and Falmouth where they are holding huge festivals of lights to celebrate the season. A tradition going back to the 1890’s, one of the oldest festivals are the Golowan and Montol festival in Penzance. Celebrating the midsummer and Nadelik (Cornish Christmas)

respectively, these events are a huge part of Cornish heritage and are still celebrated today. Incorporating dancers and a large band, the festivals have continued to entertain the community and have played a part in the birth of some of the younger events held up and down the county. One of the fastest growing annual festivals held in Cornwall is the ‘City of Lights’ festival held in Truro, a grand light switching ceremony which is also host to a parade of musicians, dancers and hundreds of handmade paper lanterns. Founded in 1996 by a group of artists inspired by the Golowan and Montol festivals, the parade has become tradition for Truro residents.

Chris Nixon is an artist who has been involved in ‘City of Lights’ for eight years. “It absolutely has the potential to become as important to the local community as the Golowan and Montol festivals”, Nixon said of the event. Penryn is also host to a smaller ‘City of Lights’ event, which includes many of the same collaborators who work on the Truro festival. “Last year there was about 20,000 people” Nixon says of the festival’s popularity. “That increase in numbers has brought it’s own issues. When you’ve got that number of people you have to close the roads to ensure people’s safety, so you’re into crowd management in a big way. That’s something that has

CITIES OF LIGHT

changed a lot.” The giant lanterns used in the parades are contributed by nearby universities and colleges, along with a core group of artists who have worked on the festival since its conception. Typically all tied together by an annual theme, the lanterns have been consistently entertaining for the thousands of people who now flood into Truro for the event, and it continues to improve. “This year is going to be the best,” said Nixon of the artistic contribution from UCF. “The other artists had better watch out. There is some amazing talent and the quality is going to absolutely rival some of the core artists, they should be quaking in their boots”.

This year’s theme is ‘Myths and Legends’, and some of the lanterns being designed by students have taken inspiration from literature and film. A fearsome replica of the Jabberwocky from Alice in Wonderland makes an appearance, along with a tremendous Kraken complete with pirate ship wreckage. The showcase of local creative talent is one of the features of this festival that make it the spectacle it has become known to be. Along with the spectacular creations, the parade includes professional musicians and dancers. Bagpipe players, brass bands, drummers and samba groups all march the streets beneath the dazzling Christmas

lights that are strewn across the town. Emma Skilton of Truro School of Samba said: “this year is the first year we have adapted the dance to create much more of a theatrical event around the lantern parade and, with 25 dancers and 20 drum-mers, I’m sure the audience won’t be disappointed.” “We mark the passing of time and the passage of the year by these annual events.” Says Nixon, reflecting on the future of the still young tradition. “‘City of Lights’ now has a well estab-lished history and has become a part of the local community’s calendar of events.” So if you’re not too busy singing carols, head on to one of the dozens of events up and down the country.

Words and Photographs by Andy Brimson

6 The Outside Lifestyle

All Abroad!

Seventy five students arrived in Falmouth in september to pursue their dream of studying abroad. Mari Myhre talked to some of them about their challenging experience.

There are several reasons why international students are being tempted to study in Cornwall.

The first and probably the biggest one, is because UCF is one of the UK’s premier universities in the creative fields. The college offers a supportive learning environment in brand new facilities. Another reason why it is so popular is because some international students find it easier to study in a small town, compared to a big City. By studying at University College Falmouth they will be a part of a small community where it is easy to get around and meet new people.

However, studying in a foreign country is an achievement but also a challenge. “You’ve got a different climate, different attitudes, a different academic system, you are far away from your mum and dad – all of them added up, it worries you. It is a big thing to do for anyone,” says International Office manager Stuart Westhead.

The first challenge the International students come across is the location of the College. Falmouth is not as easy to reach as the major cities in the UK, which some international students – who come from as far as India, Norway, Singapore and China find difficult. They find it stressful and too hard to travel home, because they have to get to London first then take a flight to get home. This makes the journey longer and more expensive, and some international students are feeling isolated from the rest of the world, and trapped in a foreign country. “That it takes five to six hours with train to get to London is a drag. It takes a whole day for me to go back home. My friends think this is a huge problem because it is not as easy for them to visit me.”- says Henning Tveito, a (MA) TV Production student from Telemark in Norway.

Another challenge is the language, and it is important that the International students are realistic about their English language skills. Students from all over the UK are coming to the University, which means they will study with students who speak quickly and use slang. Speaking in your second or in your third language can be frustrating and tiring because it is often hard to express yourself as well as you would do in your first language. Not only do the students have all of their lectures and seminars in English, but they also have to be able to communicate and speak in daily life as well. This is often an entirely different English that what the International students have been taught in English classes at home.

Some International students find it hard with how the educational system works in the UK. The system is a bit more often ‘self directed’ compared to other countries. It assumes that students will develop independence and individuality. The system encourages students to take responsibility of their own studies.

In total, 137 international students are currently studying at University College Falmouth, and some of them find these challenges too hard to overcome. They find it hard to get used to living in Cornwall and are struggling with depression, homesickness and low self-esteem.

However, The International Office at the University says it is doing everything it can to help the students to get settled into their new life and to make the whole change as easy as possible. For example, Staff arranges events throughout the whole year with help from The International Society at the University.

In general though most of the international students at UCF are doing very well academically. This might have something to do with the location of the College. The environment gets them to be more focused on their studies, more independent and they know what they want to achieve. “I find international students in general to be very focused and motivated and their language skills are excellent,” says Journalism lecturer Anne Taylor.

However it is important that the international students are realistic when they make the decision where they want to study. Studying abroad is a tough life- changing decision and it is not always the right one for everyone.

International student, Henning Tveito.

Photographs by Mari Myhre

The big squeezeStudents were left staying in caravans, tents and cars because of an housing shortage at the start of the year. Christina Endresen finds out what went wrong. ➤

Photographs by Igor Trepeshchenok

The last place Laima Grigone expected to end up living as

a student at Falmouth University College was in a caravan. But three month after the beginning of the academic year, this is where she finds herself. Laima is one of 200 students at University College Falmouth who were left without housing at the beginning of this academic year.

Students have had to stay in bed and breakfast, some have had to borrow a friend’s sofa and others have had to go so far as sleeping in a car, tent or caravan.

That UCF accepted more students than they were able to supply housing for, has brought distress and frustration to the students affected.

“I feel quite annoyed that the University was not prepared for the huge number of new students arriving. It seems like it should have been given some thought before they merged with Dartington,” complains Jessie McKay who is an exchange student from New Zealand for six months at UCF.

Jessie Mckay was one of many

students who had to pay £35 per night on a Bed and Breakfast for over a month until her accommodation came through.

“I feel quite annoyed that the University was not prepared for the huge number of new students arriving”

“I was told to not search for accommodation or sign up anywhere before I arrived, as it would be much easier that way. Then when I was looking for accommodation a lot of people would not take me because I am only here such a short time. I feel like the university should be prepared for people coming to stay for that length of time, as it happens often,” Jessie McKay argues.

Linda Connolly from Townsend residential and student letting points out there are not enough properties on the private market to sustain all the students UCF has taken on this year.

“We have still got students looking for a place to live but all

our properties for students have been let out. There are students crying on the phone telling us that we are their last hope. It’s awful because we really want to help but unfortunately we just can’t when there is nothing available out there”.

“I think UCF needs to take a proper look at how many students they are letting into their courses. Ultimately the fault is theirs. They have to make sure they’ve got enough accommodations in the area for the amount of students coming each year,” she says

To be able to meet UCF´s guarantee of accommodation for all first year students who applied before the deadline of July 31 2010, the accommodation office had to convert about 200 of the rooms at Glasney Parc student village into double rooms. UCF has also rented 60 flats in the View and Montezuma house in Falmouth from the private sector.

“The students who applied after May were allocated bunk bed rooms. When we told the students who were going to be affected - most were ok with it, but we had

about 80 appeals that all were successful,” explains Lucy Black Campus Services Director at UFC

Laila Grigone from Latvia has been living in a caravan in Calamankey Farm Park in Longdowns since September 14. When she could not find a place to live, she decided to buy a caravan.

“After spending about two weeks desperately looking for a private accommodation, I decided to look for other options out there. I had been thinking about a ‘caravan life’ before and I liked the thought of it,” says Laila.

Luckily, the buying a caravan actually turned out to become a positive experience for Laila so she is planning to stay in the caravan for her whole degree in Contemporary Crafts.

“Honestly, I think the university was very irresponsible letting so many students in, but fortunately it worked out so well for me that I’m actually grateful to them. It’s very cheap living here, there are some amazing people in the caravan park and I’m a part of the community. It is a very beautiful place as well,” says Laila.

Jez Appleyard is another student who decided to camp at Calamankey Park.

“Although my tent has been in Calamankey with my belongings for the last six weeks, thankfully I only had to stay there for about three weeks as a friend in Penryn had a spare bed,” says Jez who is studying Radio Production at UCF.

“There are students crying on the phone telling us that we are their last hope”

“The three weeks I spent living in Calamankey were ok. Luckily, the weather was good most of the time and I met some nice people. However, the facilities were not great and the buses between Longdowns and Falmouth were very unreliable. To ease the current unsustainable housing demand, the accommodation office has got some strategies it hopes will help.

“One of UCF’s strategies is to encourage private developers to invest in student-dedicated developments. Because there

are some concerns locally about students living in residential streets, our strategy is to have students located in larger student dedicated developments -rather than taking an increased amount of the private sector,” says Lucy Black.

However, the Campus Services Director pointed out that the student-dedicated developments will not be up running before 2012.

“The biggest strategies for next year to ease the accommodation shortage will be to ensure that the private sector remains healthy in terms of providing student accommodations and to make the best use of what we’ve already got in Glasney Park and the properties that we are renting in Falmouth,” she says.

Despite student housing is being pushed to its limits, Lucy Black informs that there will be about 40 more students next academic year. What is more, about 120 students from Dartington College of Performing Arts will return to Falmouth in January 2011 from their project undertaken aboard. As the rooms on campus

Calamankey Farm

Laima Grigone in her caravan

12 The Outside Lifestyle 13

Calamankey Farm Park

Cornwall’s Hidden GemOn her search for value days out in the heart of Cornwall, Sarah Louise Stevenson discovered a hidden treasure for adventurous and creative visitors alike, situated on one estate ➤

Photographs by Jessica Morris14 The Outside

are fully booked, the students need to find a property on the private market. In attempts to house these students, the accommodation office is desperately seeking landlords or house owners who are willing to let out their rooms. In the beginning of December the accommodation office will run a separate online accommodation list on their website aimed primarily at the returning Dartington students.

“This needs to happen now or else you will

have students coming to Falmouth with nothing built and nowhere to live”

However, the Campus Services Director claims that it has been particularly tight in the private market this year. Adam Pryor at Kimberley’s estate agency also point out that there have been fewer houses rented to students this year because of planning legislation that went in, in April and then out again in October.

“If you had a residential property you had to apply for planning permission to turn it into multiple occupancy - which is a house for people with separated contracts that are not related to each other. This has put off some landlords and new investors from renting out their houses to students,” the Town Clerk explains.

However, Falmouth Town Clerk, Mark Williams informs that councillors want to imply a new policy

to ensure that there can only be a certain number of multiple occupations in a particular road.

“If the numbers properties in a certain road exceed the threshold, they will face more scrutiny through the planning process,” he explains.

UCF is striving to become ‘Arts University Cornwall’ by 2013. However, to achieve this, UCF needs about 800 more students. At the moment, this goal seems unachievable as the private sector is pushed to its limit, there are still students without accommodation and there are even more students coming next year.

However, Town Clerk, Mark Williams, says that the Falmouth Town Council work well with the university to try to accomplish their ambitions. The Town Clerk hopes that UCF will come up with an accommodation strategy where they aim to build large student accommodation for about 100-150 students in Falmouth.

“This needs to happen now or else you will have students coming to Falmouth with nothing built and nowhere to live. It is all very well doing a piece of work saying ‘yes we will accommodate students’ when we physically need to build and have it ready before the students arrive,” says Town Clerk, Mark Williams.

“I think that unless there are sites already in the planning process or already in the pipeline being looked at, then you going to struggle,” he says.

discoverTrelowarren’s vast history, comprising of five main sites, can be discovered by way of the Woodland Walk, which allows time for contemplation, relaxation and exploration.

➤ The four-mile walk takes you towards the mysterious Iron Age Halliggye Fogou, which is said to be the finest example of a fogou in the country. It consists of a long narrow tunnel leading to three sectioned chambers and would have primarily been used as a food storage area. It is possible that it was also used as an underground retreat if the settlement were to be attacked.

➤ The walk takes you around the edge of the estate to Colenso Cottage, 1 mile on from the Fogou. Probably the gamekeeper’s residence, the seemingly uninteresting cottage is highly intriguing as it remains largely unchanged, with no electricity, mains water or telephone line.

➤ From here it’s just a simple mile-long walk to the Grade-I listed Restoration Gates, which were erected in 1660 following the Restoration of the Monarchy. The Vyvyan family were staunch royalist supporters; King Charles II, on horseback, personally gave Sir Richard Vyvyan, the head of the family during the Civil War, a Vandyke painting of King Charles I, which still hangs in the house today.

“The most beautiful place imaginable – a shock of surprise,

a delight, lying indeed like a jewel in the hollow of a hand,” wrote Daphne Du Maurier of the vast Trelowarren Estate in her diaries.

Things certainly haven’t changed since the English author made her home in Cornwall: Trelowarren’s history, spanning over one thousand years, the last 600 of which have been spent in the hands of the Vyvyan family, is representative of a history of people, place, art, and lifestyle. It is one of the oldest estates in the county, and certainly the most expansive, progressed and unique.

“Trelowarren is a living history, not corporate heritage,” says Sir Ferrers Vyvyan, the current Baronet, whose family still resides on the 1000-acre estate.

Trelowarren comprises of pasture and garden stretching down to the Helford River, mysterious ancient sites, galleries, a restaurant, and self-catering cottages, in which Sir Ferrers is heavily involved.

Given Cornwall’s reputation as a centre for arts, inspiration, ideas, and creativity, blended with an ethos of adventure and excitement, and bearing in mind the irrefutable beauty of Cornwall’s landscape, Trelowarren Estate is the perfect site for tourists and locals to discover Cornwall’s formidable culture.

The breathtaking beauty of Trelowarren is undeniable – mist rises from the frosted grass & newly released pheasantsstrut through majestic rhododendron bushes.

Trelowarren’s status as an ambassador for the county is not one that is given lightly; the estate encompasses ancient history, award-winning holidays, the nationally renowned, award-winning New Yard restaurant, and is the South West’s leading green self-catering company.

Trelowarren has two art galleries on the estate, the most recognisable of which is the flagship gallery of The Cornwall Crafts Association, which was set up in 1978. The then Sir John Vyvyan, Sir Ferrers’ father, helped set up the gallery in one of Trelowarren’s Georgian stable blocks, supporting the Cornwall Crafts Association’s core ethic – to support Cornish craft makers and their contemporary design-led crafting through the framework of

Clockwise from left: Picturesque archway; the award-winning New Yard Restuarant; Bird Scultpure in the Cornwall Crafts Association gallery.

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“Trelowarren’s culture of art comprises many areas. The estate has a long history of fine art paintings hung inside the house, in the tradition of the time.,” says Sir Vyvyan, whose family have lived on the estate since 1427.

“Blended with Cornwall’s values in modern contemporary art, the support we give to the Cornwall Crafts Association and the Lizard Art Co-operative [which also has an on-site gallery], and the way Trelowarren’s landscape lends itself to outdoor art, the estate can welcome crafts, sculpture and fine art, all on one site.”

The New Yard restaurant also displays photographers and artists, and is currently housing a Chris Chapman exhibition, featuring black and white farming photography. The restaurant’s simple décor is the perfect showcase for simpler art that one may peruse over whilst eating a highly acclaimed meal

As one leaves through the twisting lanes in the countryside surrounding Trelowarren, and the hidden jewel is left behind in the dipping landscape, a sense of artistic escapism and delight enshrouds you.

16 The Outside Travel 17

A MouseholeChristmas

A serpent bobbing around in the water, a giant teddy bear above the Post Office, a dancing reindeer and

Santa Claus waving at you when you enter the small town. This is not your average string of fairy lights. They’re better. The Mousehole Christmas Lights are well known across the world. In fact, people from as far as Australia travel miles to see these magnificent lights. The lights go all around the town and boats in the harbor making the town appear as if it’s on fire.

The small fishing town in West Cornwall, Mousehole pronounced ‘Maw-zel’ is well known not only for its Christmas lights but for also being one of the most picturesque harbours in England and for its fishing. You might have even heard of the town from the award-winning children’s book, The Mousehole Cat which tells the story of the local fisherman, Tom Bawcock’s cat Mawzer and how they saved the town many years ago from starvation.

The lights were initiated about 40 years ago by

Photograph provided by the Mousehole Lights Commitee

Words by Francesca GearyPhotography by Tiffany Naylor ➤

Joan Gilchrest, a local artist.“She had put up a string of lights along the quay

for Christmas,” says Tony Kendall, a member of the Mousehole Christmas Lights committee.

“The following year someone added something on and soon it just became bigger and bigger.”

The Mousehole town takes great pride in their Christmas lights and makes sure to show the world that their lights are not just about putting up a string of Christmas lights. Starting from late September, the Christmas Lights Committee had already started to set up their masterpiece around the town. As you enter the town you would have already seen Santa waving to you and as you stand along the harbour you won’t miss the giant fish pie. “We start early because there’s always a lot more to go up before Carolaire night, which is the opening ceremony of the lights,” said Mrs Kendall, Tony’s wife.

Carolaire night which is on the December 19 is the

most popular night of the Christmas Lights as it is the first night and the switching ceremony of the lights. Each year a local townsperson will switch on the lights. “It’s always somebody that had something to do with the lights in the past and has got a bit too old now,” Tony jokes over his cup of tea. “Last year it was the life boat crew.”

This year, Angela Keates will be switching on the lights. Her husband Robert “Bob” Keates who was the chairman of the Christmas Lights Committee died recently. When walking around a small town like Mousehole, you’ll notice that it is the sort of town where everybody knows everybody and Bob Keates was well known as “quite an interesting character”.

Christmas Lights aren’t the only thing that Mousehole celebrates. On December 23, a local event takes place. Tom Bawcock’s eve is commemorated in memory of the fisherman Tom Bawcock, a fictitious man who saved the town from hunger, risking his

life and setting out into a sea storm, only to return with seven different types of fish. In celebration of his return and having food, the town made a large fish pie called The Starry Gaze where the seven fish heads appear out of the pie. “It is more of a local holiday but every year it seems to be bigger since the public has begun to know about it. Normally the children will make gifts, a piper and a drummer will go to the old residents home and sing them the Tom Bawcock’s song,” explains Tony Kendall.

If you’re keen to do some shopping while in Mousehole, they have these great, small tourist shops which sell unique souvenirs that you might not find elsewhere. And if you’re feeling quite peckish, you can head to the pub, The Ships Inn where they’ll serve you home-made dishes and your local fish and chips. Or if you’re on a really tight budget Pam’s Pantry on Mill Lane has an offer on tea cakes and a cup of coffee for only a couple of quid.

18 The Outside Travel 19

FlushingTo

Helford Passage

Much as we love Gyllyngvase Beach, there is a life

beyond it.If you catch a ferry, or even just

walk to Flushing, you get another perspective, another angle of Falmouth. It’s very pretty. Flushing is the perfect place for a picnic but that’s about it. You can watch the boats go by, ogle at the expensive houses and admire how old everyone is around you, but there’s only so much of a different angle you can get until you remember that you’re still looking at the same thing.

Most people go to Cornwall with that glamorous image of surfing everyday, sun, sand and general beach going. Unfortunately, the reality is somewhat colder, and gravely damper than what we’d like to imagine. However, the area is still just as stunning in the cold. It just takes more willpower to go out and enjoy it...

The ferry across to Flushing from the pier costs £7.50 return, pretty steep for a boat trip to the same place. There are a few pubs to visit though, not exactly student friendly, and there are a few other beaches, one or two. You could easily have a just as much of a good time sticking to what you know on the other side of the estuary, at least when you’ve had enough you don’t have to contemplate swimming home.

It’s not fair to say that that the grass isn’t greener on the other side. At least the sand is yellower on the Flushing side, being real sand! It makes a change from Gyllyngvase, except without the essential beach bar. You could make a day of it though, if you really wanted to. You could pack up lots of food, a load of drinks, bring a few instruments and a bunch of your mates, sit around on the beaches on the other side for a change... but you’d have to really want to.

If you fancy another walk in the other direction then you might tread the sands of Swanpool. It’s another beach in a sheltered cove, not that much different to where you’ve already been, but it’s definitely worth a look. Real sand is again, a bonus. The restaurant at the top specializes in local seafood, particularly shellfish. If you’re hungry, then check out the surf and turf, if you have a spare £56.15. With that sort of price tag, you’d have to be starving and have the money to spare. Definitely not student friendly. Indaba and the Gyllyngvase Beach Cafe shouldn’t be compared, they are not restaurants for the same function, although it should be said, the cafe is at least easier for a budget.

Local Cornwall is not limited to what’s across the water or what’s around the next cove. If you’re lucky enough to know someone with a car around here, and cheeky enough to ask, then plague them for a short road trip to Helford Passage for a chilled afternoon. This place genuinely does grant another perspective. The beaches here are popular with locals in the summer, to get away from crowds at Gylly, and if you get at chance to have a look, you’ll see why.

There is in fact, a coastal path that runs all the way from Gyllyngvase to Helford. The path takes you past Swanpool, past the golf course of Falmouth Golf Club, past Maenporth beach, and then onto Helford Passage. It might Helford River

Words and photographs by George Richardson

take a while, but if you’re wrapped up this winter, and want to stretch you legs, or rather if you need to as you’ve flinched at the thought of doing anything in the cold, then this would be an adventurous change.

Helford Passage’s passage is a narrow squeeze down some steep steps around the back of a pub. At the right time of day, you might emerge with your eyes squinting from light bouncing off golden water as you step onto a patio of The Ferryboat Inn. Let your eyes adjust and try absorb the details of a waterscape that is nothing like Falmouth.

The best way to enjoy the view is from the beer garden on the front. Grab yourself a pint and sit outside. After you’ve finished your drink, there is a footpath that trails the edges of the water. You might get the impression that the footpath you’re walking on is someone’s drive... that’s because it is to a certain extent, but keep walking and the path continues past those grand gates and yew lined drives. Lavish homes are peppered over the valley and you wonder ‘who would live here.’ Apparently Roger Taylor and Joanna Lumley have their humble abodes there, but these are just rumours...

If the tide is in, then the beaches are just narrow causeways that link pebbles to pebbles with slipways in between. It seems to just keep going as you look into the sunset. Let the sun go down and skim a few stones over water as flat as a mirror.

Helford Passage is a panoramic experience. Looking over the water you’ll notice that almost everything is pleasing to the eye. This is serene Cornwall. This is the Cornwall you see on boxes or Cornish fudge, on the bottles of Cornish ale, or perhaps on those flyers that say ‘Visit Cornwall!’ This is the image that the Cornish are proud of.

Falmouth to Italy in minutes

You don’t have to travel as far as Italy to experience Italian cuisine. Come down south to

Falmouth and you can taste the rich flavours of herbs and spices without having to get onboard a plane!

In the small Cornish town of Falmouth, the Italian themed restaurant Pizza Express is situated metres away from the English Channel but, hosts many dishes inspired by Italian chefs!

Pizza Express in Falmouth is the perfect restaurant not only to fill you up with some good grub but, because of its location in the Maritime you can watch the ships come and go from the busy harbour.

There are many monthly offers at Pizza Express which you can easily find online and are perfect for those empty pockets you may have at times of the month. Each week, the phone company Orange have a Orange Wednesday 2 for 1 pizza deal with, ‘free garlic bread, or some of those legendary dough balls.’ So, for the price of one pizza you get another one free plus garlic bread!

This festive season, Pizza Express are playing there part in society to help charities! They have teamed up with the charity Oxfam so that when you purchase

a full priced main course, £1 is donated to the charity. “A free* pizza from us when you donate £1 to Oxfam, *just enjoy any other full priced main course.” Alternately , you can get a pizza as well as the Christmas jumper you buy when you shop at Oxfam as you can claim a £5 Pizza Express voucher.

The company NUS is just for students and Pizza Express have also teamed up with them which means, you can get 20% off your food bill in the restaurant when you produce a valid NUS student card. The deal is a steal so get your NUS cards at the ready and head to Pizza Express between Sunday and Thursday all day.

Pizza Express is also one of the many restaurants that the website, VoucherCodes.co.uk are part of and there company motto is, ‘everyone loves a deal,’ which is very true. To be able to get your offers from them, just type in: www.vouchercodes.co.uk/pizzaexpress.com and those pizzas are all yours!

Pizza express is not only a student friendly but, is also family friendly. So, if you are coming down south with your family you are sure to be welcomed with open arms to the restaurant and if your lucky you may bag yourself a good deal!

Famous for fish, Falmouth serves up Italian cuisineWords and photographs by Polly O’Gorman

Rick Stein and Jamie Oliver have something in common.

They are both professional chefs with the ‘celebrity’ label, but their styles are very different. One is old and uses ‘bouquet’ to describe and encompass specific tastes. The other likes to get political with school dinners and describes his food with grunts and groans.

Another thing they both have in common is that they both have established restaurants in Cornwall. In fact, Rick Stein loves the place so much, he put in six, not to mention his numerous

delicatessens.In Padstow, Rick has created a

culinary empire that has become integral to the town’s identity (and economy). Four out of the six ‘Stein stations’ are actually in Padstow; The Seafood Restaurant, St Petroc’s Bistro, Rick Stein’s Café,

and Stein’s Fish and Chips. Rick began his journey to stardom with his philosophy, “Nothing is more exhilarating than fresh fish simply cooked.” It clearly worked since now, even with six restaurants, three delicatessens, 23 TV series, a divorce, two marriages and an OBE from her majesty for services to West Country tourism; he’s still at it, currently making another television series on food in the

Mediterranean.Jamie Oliver.

Now this man hasn’t been around for as long as old Rick, but he already has a firm footing in Cornwall. In 2002, Jamie set up the ‘Fifteen’ initiative, designed to give young people a ‘second chance.’ This scheme was originally based in London but it was duplicated in Cornwall as the county is one of the most deprived areas in the

UK. The restaurant is situated near Newquay in Watergate Bay, between Padstow and Newquay.

Fifteen has its staff composed of school dropouts, drug rehabilitators, and people who generally fell off the band wagon in life. In an ideal world, this is a highly humanitarian effort. In practice, it’s not quite so easy.

Two very different approaches to fine dining and expert cuisine, but there’s only one way to find out who is the Cornish culinary king… try them both.

The Outside has compared Rick Stein’s, The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, to Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen near Newquay.

Watergate Bay is one of the most stunning locations in all of Cornwall. It’s hard not to enjoy the views, which is brilliant because unfortunately, you’ll be staring out of them for what feels like hours

whilst you’re waiting to be served.Dinner at Fifteen is an odd affair

as you have very little choice, other than to fork out at least £55 per person. You quite literally don’t have the choice. Fifteen offers a ‘tasting menu’ after 8pm, where you can choose what you like from the menu, but the price is the same, no matter what you order. This excludes drinks, so if you also fancy a bottle of wine, you’ll be pushing close to £120 for two.

The taster menu offers 4 courses not including starter nibbles and coffee at the end. The food is the best bit. It is amazing. The staff clearly have their priorities clear. Table service, and time keeping are perhaps lower on their list. If you do find yourself in the money and maybe fancy treating yourself and someone clearly close to you, since £55 is a luxury that most of us would skip in terms of a restaurant bill, then the grilled monkfish is spectacular and well worth recommending.

After your coffee and Amedei chocolate shot, it may take you some time for a bill to arrive. In fact, it might be a while for anyone to pay any attention to you at all. In some cases, that can be a good thing. Not however, if you want to make a similar trip to sample what Rick Stein has to offer...

The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow was first set up in 1975. Oddly, the restaurant has never managed a Michellin star to date, although that’s not to say that Rick doesn’t know what he’s doing. For a start, the staff know what they’re doing. You’ll step into the a room that doesn’t quite reflect a Cornish fishing town, but you probably won’t complain since, after you’ve sat down, you’ll realise that everyone can hear you. The tables are crammed in to capacity, much like you do for car parking, or maybe battery farming, but that shouldn’t put you off too much.

The food is stunning. The fish is genuinely fresh, as if it had swam onto the grill. The grilled Dorset Sea Bass is well worth a try, and

try it you can, since you’re not obliged to invest in shares with the place, you don’t have to have a taster menu.

If you have the chance (and money) to be able to try them both then it’s well worth it, just for the exquisite food. Both restaurants have chef teams that really know how to cook. The staff at the seafood restaurant have less bumps to iron out, however that may be because the establishment has been around for decades, much like Rick himself, and so, they know how to look after you. The guys at Fifteen could perhaps benefit from a lesson or two with old Rick.

In total summary, if you have to choose between trekking it to

Newquay for Fifteen, or travelling all the way to Padstow for the Seafood Restaurant then maybe you should go for neither...

Rick, being the older and craftier of the Cornish celebrity chefs, has his fingers in many pies. One of these pies is just cooling off on the window sill of Falmouth, right on the wharf. If you really want to sample celebrity standard cuisine then you needn’t look any further than down the road.

Again with a slightly weighty price tag, the cod is amazing, the chips are a little dry, but it might just be the best fish and chips you’ll ever have.

cod Envy:Battle of the Celebrity Chefs

26 The Outside Review 27

Words by George Richardson

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EVERYTHING BURNS @THREEMILESTONE, TRUROWords by Andy Brimson

“Why did it take so long to go back home?”

Good question.Tim Kellow’s words from

set opener ‘Home’ echo through the Threemilestone social club, and the crowd are clearly asking the same question, showcasing their unwavering loyalty after the extensive UK tour that has kept Everything Burns from returning to their hometown of Truro.

It’s been a busy few years for the Cornish five-piece. Less than a 12 months following their formation they were signed to UK label Rising Records (Trigger The Bloodshed, Bleed From Within), and in February 2010 they released their debut album, also titled ‘Home’. “It’s all been a blur,” says Tim, vocalist. “The metal scene here wasn’t for us when we started out so we went off and ignored Cornwall for a while. To come back to that sort of reception was amazing.”

The setlist tonight spans the majority of their LP, each song

greeted with appreciative roars from their home-ground audience. From the moment the band take the stage the auditorium is heaving with the sold out crowd, and by the third song, ‘Me vs You’, the idea of propelling your way to the front of the stage seems as likely as stepping into Baghdad without messing up your hair.

But by far the most positive response tonight was reserved for debut single ‘I’d Die’. Tim and Vince’s vocals are barely audible over the 300 strong army of fans, chanting every word right back at them. By the final notes the band are already in danger of letting their mask of Rock and Roll seriousness slip, as the overwhelming reception erases any doubt that they’re not the small-fry anonymous unit they were when they started out.

The raw talent and stage presence that the band effortlessly demonstrate make it easy to forget that this band have only been together for three years. Tim’s commanding of the rowdy

audience; Chinn Lawnor and Vince Finch producing consistently tight guitar harmonies; the immovable presence of bassist Phil W Charles; the controlled ferocity of Jez Marshall on drums. It’s a confidence and precision you rarely see in some of the veterans of the rock music world, let alone the new recruits.

Everything Burns are currently writing new material.

You can purchase their debut album ‘Home’ on Itunes, Amazon or HMV.com.

Yann Tiersen is the kind of composer who can make you

fall in love, reach euphoric highs and want to sprint outside in a thunderstorm, all with a single pluck of his violin and stroke of his piano keys.

His brand new album, Dust Lane, is no exception and provides all the haunting orchestral notes and French essence of the Amélie, Goodbye Lenin! and Dreamlife of Angels soundtracks.

Mostly recorded in Tiersen’s current home, the island Ouessant, his sixth studio album captures the stunning landscape it was inspired by; sweepings of the accordion, rhythm-inducing drumming and the fierce vibrating of the violin all band together to create climatic highs representative of Ouessant’s rugged cliff faces and wide-spreading fields.

Tiersen, who experienced the loss of his mother and close friend during the making of the album, doesn’t seem afraid to draw inspiration from the intimate highs and lows of his private life . From the title track Dust Lane which contemplates “a journey on the dusty lane that leads us to death”, to the politically inclined Palestine, Tiersen explores the complex and simple journeys of life. Although lyrics aren’t a large part of his creation, the combination, pattern and order of instruments are constructed to relay messages from love to death and religion to politics. In a recent interview with Tiersen, he described the song Palestine as a neutral testimony to the land and its history: “It is a sad song, a happy song, a riot song. For me, it’s just memories.”

The album’s finale, F**k Me, is a climax suitable for a collection of songs about intimacy and the circle of life. Gaëlle Kerrien’s silky

voice collaborates with Tiersen’s to gift the listener with an irresistible song that is bound to be a ‘most played’ on many playlists. The unabashed lyrics, “so let’s get undressed, we need to live it. F**k me and make me cum again”, may seem a little unfitting with the delicate music at first but after a moment the banjos, synths and Mellotron all seem to gasp and sigh together orgasmically to form a simple song perfect to celebrate one of life’s equally simple joys. “F**k Me is really first degree. It’s a love song for my girlfriend”

The album’s featured singers are as diverse as its instruments and subjects. The emotive voice of Matt Elliot, of Third Eye Foundation, the sensual singing of Gaëlle Kerrien and Syd Matters’ rocky edge make a combined effort that results to nothing short of a dark, arousing, spiritual soundtrack to life. In Tiersen’s words, “Dust Lane is a liberation. There have been a lot of changes in the world and those changes are all in the album.”

Yann Tiersen’s ‘Dust Lane: perfect for your travel playlist

dust lane: the album➤ Dust Lane is the sixth studio album from Yann Tiersen and can be bought from Amazon (£8.93) and Play (£9.99).

➤ For an interview with Yann Tiersen, vist tiffanynaylor.wordpress.com

Words by Tiffany Naylor.

A beautiful album, suitable whatever the mood.

4/5 rating. 28 The Outside Review 29

everything burns: the setlistHome Don’t Run Me vs You The Burden Of Being A Hero Beautiful Disaster Ghosts and Angels Kill Or Be Killed I’d Die Scars