Stormy Seas

With the nights drawing in and a definite chill in the air over the last few days thoughts are turning to winter. Whilst most people think of Cornwall as a Summer destination I for one actually prefer the rest of the year.

It is a little publicised fact that the summer weather in Cornwall is about the worst in the UK. Sea breezes (or just plain old wind) keep the temperatures down, whilst the Atlantic Ocean brings in more than its fair share of wet weather.

However, the converse is true of Winter. Cornwall then becomes about the warmest place in the UK, again thanks to the Atlantic ocean. And it gets windy – the kind of winds that cause devastation in other parts of the UK are par for the course in Cornwall and I for one love that. There’s nothing better than going out to the coast and watching the seas whipped up by an almighty storm. Huge waves crashing into rugged cliffs sending spray hundreds of feet into the air is not an uncommon site.  A point not wasted on the local surfing population who often benefit from the tail end of such storms.

Lanyon Quoit in the Snow

Whilst snow is pretty rare in Cornwall the Winter landscape does take on a bleak beauty. This is about the only time of year you may get a beach to yourself. It is a romantic’s paradise with the wind howling off the moors and rattling the windows of the granite cottages that dot the countryside. If you’re lucky you’ll be in front of an open fire inside one!

There’s also plenty going on around Christmas and New Year in Cornwall. One of the best known Christmas traditions are the Mousehole Lights whcih draw in thousands of vistors to see the harbour, town and hillside decorated with everything from whales to giant christmas puddings. Not to be outdone neighbouring Newlyn also puts on a pretty good set of Christmas lights with the piers decorated with giant lobsters amongst other things.

Mousehole is also the location of  Tom Bawcock’s Eve on the 23rd December. It is a festival in honour of Tom Bawcock who is said to have lifted the town out of a terrible famine. These days the event centres around a lantern parade through the town, the eating of Star Gazy pie and the consumption of much beer!

A slightly more controversial festival around this time is Mummers Day, or Darkie Days as it was formerly known. Whilst it is unlikely any offence was intended the festival involved the inhabitants of Padstow blacking up and singing songs that certainly appeared to have racist overtones. It seems the traditional folk origins had been corrupted some time in the 1920s and it was after recent pressure (including police gathering evidence) that the festival changed its name.

Another great Cornish Chritmas Day/Boxing Day tradition is the swim in the sea. Hundreds of swimmers descend on beaches up and down the coast to take a dip in the frankly frigid waters of the Atlantic. With water temperatures rarely above 10°c and wetsuits definitely a no-no this is an activity for the insane only! Popular beaches for these festive swims are Sennen and Crooklets beach in Bude.

St Ives

Cornwall also boasts some of the best New Year celebrations in the country. My vote goes to St Ives, although it seems to have got a little rowdier over the years. It attracts revellers from far and wide and by midnight the streets are thronged with the weird, wonderful and very drunk. For the record my last 2 outfits were Noel Coward and a lighthouse keeper!

Looe is also a popular spot for seeing in the New Year as is party town Newquay, although there is little in the way of tradition with the latter.