A Tiny Hamlet Lost In Time

A Memory of Trelights.

The year was 1970. Myself and a friend were typical 15 year old youths of the time, well, typical for our type of neighborhood. We had long hair, pierced ears, denim jeans and jackets and owned but a couple of shillings and a pack of Park Drive cigarettes. We had quit school and decided to hitch-hike from our home town (Leicester) to Trelights, to visit mates who were part of a school class (Bosworth community college, Desford) on holiday and staying on a farm in the village. Well, after many rides we finally reached Boscastle. We were walking aimlessly about when we spotted a cute girl going into a gift store which sold trinkets and such to tourists. We went in and talked with her. We had no money, and were going to sleep on the beach that night, but the girl told us she lived in Trelights, and that we could stay with her and her sister. Naturally we took her up on the offer and stayed with the girls, who lived in a converted barn in the village, which in those days was but a few scattered houses in the woods. The following morning we said goodbye (actually we got up early and left without saying anything) and then visited the farm house and our mates. After this we walked along a narrow winding lane and came to the top of a hill overlooking a small fishing village (Port Isaac). At the side of the road was a pile of wooden crates filled with oranges. I suppose in those days the delivery trucks were too big to drive down into the Port and so they dropped things off at the top of the hill. Whatever the case, My friend and I, for whatever reason decided it would be cool to roll the oranges down the hill. We had emptied about two or three of the cases and were watching the orange 'balls' racing down toward the village when a pair of hands grabbed our collars from behind. It was the local bobby, who made us walk down the hill and pick up all the oranges and take them back to the top. Then, when we told him we were hitch hiking around Cornwall, and that we had no money, he took us into the Port and bought us lunch. It was at the small restaurant on the quay. I have not been back to Port Isaac since that day, because I now live in America, but I recently saw it on the TV program 'Doc Martin.' Oh, what fond memories came back to me. I only wish I had taken photos back then.

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