Lanreath, Cornwall

Summer Fete

I remember visiting Trelawne House during the annual fete, in what I assume must have been the summer as it was warm and the sun was shining. There were copious amounts of cakes and cream teas with a never-ending supply of tea on tap, served in cups with handles through which you could never fit your finger! I seem to remember spending hours, well at least minutes, in trying to hook ducks out of a paddling pool. I was only 9 at the time and haven't had a chance to revisit the house since I left with my family early in 1989.

Holiday Memory

In the previous two years we'd had our holiday in South Devon, but in 1958, for some reason, my father decided we would stay in Lerryn, & booked himself, mother & I into a B&B (possibly The Old Forge?) by the river. I was 11 at the time, & it was decided that my older brother would stay at home in London & look after the dog & two cats, so I was going to be on holiday for the first time without him to keep me out of trouble!
We had a motorbike & sidecar, and when the long journey was nearly over, (no motorways then!) something went wrong with the bike's electrics, & the lights became very dim. I remember us peering at the old-type fingerboard road-signs in the gloom to see where we ought to be going. Eventually, we arrived in Lerryn at the dead of night, to find that the proprietors of the B&B had assumed we weren't coming, & had locked up & gone to bed. Our knocking sounded to me like the crack of doom, but eventually someone came, and a bit grudgingly let us in & showed us to our room.
After that, I walked around the village & it was amusing to read some of the other posts, because I also, of course, slipped off the stepping-stones, and got my shoes & socks soaked. I squelched back to the B&B & mumbled something about having an accident, but mum didn't seem too put out about it.
We travelled about quite a lot, visiting Mevagissey, Pentewan, Falmouth, Par, St Blazey & Polperro, where someone then had two enormous, white Pyrenean Mountain Dogs named Pola & Perro.
At the B&B, I remember that there was another guest named Richard Wordsworth, who was an actor, & we thought he might have been a descendant of the Poet, William Wordsworth, but we weren't sure. He seemed awfully posh to us!
Somewhere about, I have a small, fading photo of a steam locomotive, no 6911, hauling a train over the level crossing at Lostwithiel.
So that was my very first, but by no means my last, visit to Cornwall. I shall have to come by Lerryn next time we're 'down west'.

Happy Days at Lerryn & St. Veep

As a 10 year old and London evacuee Lerryn became home for a while. First being billeted at a retired naval captain's house by the river near the bridge. His name I believe was Capt. Pippit or similar. He owned a small motor launch moored up the river which was great fun to play on. One day it  disappeared which later in life realised it was taken for Dunkirk. Sad to say it never returned. I can recall whilst playing in the woods nearby meeting two girls and being taken to a large house in the middle and having a drink and biscuits. One girl was Tessa Onslow, the Earl of Onslow's daughter, the other her companion.
Later on I was transferred to another billet in St. Veep with Mr & Mrs Hawkins (Uncle Tom & Aunty Netta) and their son Michael, it was here that my love of Lerryn & St. Veep was established for the whole of my life. Going to school meant a one & threequarter mile walk down a one in eight hill going and up it coming back. The school was run by a Mr. Clegg and his wife but they were replaced at some point. Should we need the cane we had to cut our own from the hedge.
Apart from the bridge you could cross the river by stepping stones near the P.O. and stores. As children we used to turn the stones over and watch the eels swimming about.
There was a bus service between Lerryn & Lostwithiel, arriving 9.30 in the morning and back again about 6.00 in the evening.
At St. Veep I can recall one Sunday lunch when a woman walked in and exclaimed " Tom my b....y cars broken down again - can you have a look at it" This was Angela Du Maurier, Daphne Du Maurier's sister. At some point I believe Daphne turned up with her husband "Boy" Browning but was too young to really take the event in.
There was a flurry of interest when Eric Portman, a relatively well known actor, bought a cottage in Penpol down the hill from St. Veep.  He was very easy to talk to.
I recall bringing the cows from the fields for milking and being amazed at how they knew their own stalls. Helping Farmer Langmaid (?) at harvest time, planting potatoes, hoeing vegetables, hay making etc. etc. etc. Then there was Farmer Hawkins down at Hayes Farm where I was often asked to take a cow, wait, then bring her back. I did catch on later in life why. Cider making at Hayes Farm was quite a social affair.
Some local names I can recall quite easily, Ida Martin, Ruth Martin (not sisters or related) and a Hoskins.

These are some of my very happy memories which have never left me.

Living in Lerryn

I have such fond memories of growing up in Lerryn during the 1960s, the school was such a pleasure to attend, Mr Sillitoe was headmaster. I can also remeber the regatta every year, it was such a treat to have the fair assembled along the riverbank with mud races in the river. I can even remember a dancing horse and other entertainment in the Ethy house gardens. The two shops were owned by Mr Mansell and most of my time was spent working on my freinds(Derek Collins) farm or making go carts from bits we had managed to reclaim from the tip, we were a big family I had 5 sisters and 3 brothers I can remeber 3 of my sisters entering a beauty contest in the village hall. Happy Days