Prelude to nostalgia

A bit of background before beginning our tour around Cornwall, where I spent many happy times as a child in St. Ives, St. Just, the Rectory at Landewednack at the Lizard, Porthleven, Mousehole, Penzance, Bodmin. In another post I will go in to more detail about each one. 

 

I was born in South Africa of British parents. As was common during the time of the British Empire, albeit waning, there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between the colonies and Britain. My family, especially my mother, was no exception to this and we frequently travelled by ship between Cape Town and England, either to Southampton or the Tilbury docks in London. That was the route for the Union Castle lines. My first recollection of a voyage to England was around the age of 7, but I believe I had gone earlier.  2 weeks of fun once we were away from the Bay of Biscay. There was a special area for children where we were entertained by the staff. We had fancy dress-competitions, shuffleboard and other deck games, coca-colas served with a lemon slice! The crossing of the Equator was the most memorable with the visit of Neptune.  

Crossing the Equator certificate on the Capetown Castle, June 4, 1952

 

"Summer" in Fancy dress contest

All sorts of horsing  around and games around the pool. Lots of shaving cream and being thrown in. It was an idyllic time until we arrived in cold, grey London. We would stay with my friend Louise's grandmother Alice, (how life cycles continue, I now stay with Louise not far from where her grandmother lived in South London.) I was always cold, and remember walking in the fog, colored yellow by the street lamps. It was so good to get to the house to warm up with a cup of tea, the beginning of a life-time habit. In North Carolina the situation is reversed, so good to get home out of the heat and enjoy a glass of iced tea! After staying a few days in London, the next part of our exciting journey was to take the train from Paddington to Penzance in Cornwall, the south west tip of the UK. Why Cornwall? I wish I had talked more to Mum about her choices of the places we stayed in, I can only think it was due to, a) finding the warmest spot in the UK, b) economics, c) friends or jobs. 

The train was of course a steam train, and I had many specks in my eyes as I hung out of the window looking at the scenery. Thus began my lifelong passion for trains and train journeys. Everything was so exciting, especially afternoon tea in the dining car. Little tables on either side of the carriage were laid with the train company's crested china and silverware, just like the Orient Express. Tea in silver pots, little sandwiches, cake = bliss! Somehow the other meals didn't make such an impression on me. Perhaps at that age I didn't go in to dinner, as it would have been more formal. Or maybe all the meals are blurred in together, with tea being the most important.   It was a sleeper train and the excitement of a night on the train was  high. Arrival in Penzance was too early in the morning, so the train stopped somewhere and we slept until it was a suitable time to arrive. Breakfast was brought in on a tray.

 In 2002, when on a visit to Cornwall with my older brother John and his wife Betty, we went to visit St. Ives. I remembered the shop on the harbor  owned by  the father of  Daphne, a school friend at St. Christopher's when were around 8.  Robin Nance, her father, was a woodworking craftsman making beautiful furniture and other items. My mother must have met him and started making raffia lampshades to put on wooden lamp bases which were sold in the shop. 

We found it the shop,  of course her parents were long gone, but it was still owned by the family. The shop assistant kindly took a note I wrote and sent it on to Daphne who was living in Exeter, Devon, the county next to Cornwall. Daphne replied and in 2011, we met at her home in Cirencester, I with  3 year old grand-daughter Zoe in tow! In March of 2013, Daphne visited me in North Carolina. She had not been to the USA before, so I was determined to show her the real America after her few days in New York! We drove to the mountains and to the beach and had a grand time. One day when we were chatting, the idea came up about a similar trip around Cornwall visiting all the places where I had  lived. And 3 months later, there I was, with Daphne driving us around.