The Atlantic House Hotel

A Memory of Polzeath.

Back in 1971, I joined a friend from London on a surfing trip to Polzeath. I'm from America, and was in the middle of a year-long jaunt around Europe and North Africa. I hadn't gone surfing in several months and was looking forward to the trip. My friend had a surfing buddy who was the chef at the Atlantic House Hotel and when we were at the beach he asked me if I wanted a job, since one of the dish washers had left and they needed a new one. I believe the pay was about 10 pounds a week plus room and board, and there was plenty of down time to go surfing. It was fabulous. The Atlantic House was lovely, and so was the rest of Polzeath. My stay lasted about three weeks, and I did return for a week in 1973, but in my mind I am still in Polzeath, and hope that before it is too late, I will return again, perhaps renting a small house and staying for a while.