Blissful Memories

A Memory of Portreath.

Sat Mar 20th 2021, at 3:22 pm
Peter Tuthill commented:
Yes, thanks for the photo of Smuggler's Cottage. It was criminal,wanton destruction to demolish it and throw up those totally characterless boxes. How planning permission was ever granted will be for ever questionable.
I am am sorry Christopher Rollins, your parents did not sell up Smuggler's Cottage as it was not theirs to sell. They were friends of Kenneth Brown, the son-in-law of Frederick and Amy Tuthill, who were my grandparents and owners. They bought the property after shortly the war. Peter and Gwen stayed there and helped with the work to make the artists studio into a tea shop and the "Little Gem" into a snack bar. Guest accommodation was provided in the annexe on the hillside, which had about nine rooms, if I remember correctly, and the little annex, which had two bedrooms and was next to the main cottage on the edge of the lawn and overlooked the sea. I remember there was a large rectangular pool carved out of the rock face which was like a large bath. There was another similar bath in one of the nearby caves and it was known as Lady Bassett's bath. I remember going out in the early mornings with my Uncle Den and picking field mushrooms and then Den would take them to Redruth to sell to hotels/guest houses. I remember waiting eagerly for the Islesman Collier coming across from South Wales to dock in Portreath and discharge its cargo on the quayside. When it was rough weather it took a lot of skill and steely nerves to steer that vessel safely in to the harbour. I have many very happy memories of holidays spent down at Smuggler's. Thanks for refreshing them for me.
Your photo is fantastic and as I remember it. I have seen the modern monstrosity once and that was more than enough. I never want to seen that blot on a beautiful cove ever again. But I thank you with all my heart for your photograph of how it was and how it still should be.
Very sincerely.
Peter Tuthill

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