Alex fixes it for The Chough Bakery

Our favourite Padstow pasty shop The Chough Bakery got the TV treatment when it called on the services of BBC Two’s The Fixer Alex Polizzi.

Alex has turned her no-nonsense approach to struggling family businesses and wanted boss Elaine, daughter Luisa and the rest of The Chough team to put bickering and rivalry aside to concentrate on making their bakery successful all year round.

After delivering some slightly painful home truths, Alex helped the family pull together and the programme ended on a high – with Rick Stein and Port Isaac singers Fisherman’s Friends joining in the celebrations.

It made for riveting viewing and more importantly has given The Chough a shop window nationwide. If watching made you feel hungry, you’ll be pleased to know that the award-winning Cornish pasties can be ordered online for home delivery. You can also get a delicious Cornish cream tea delivered to your door.

Well done to the Chough for being brave enough to let Alex and the cameras in and wishing you every success in 2012.

Celebrity Cornwall, Food and Drink, Our favourites

February 13, 2012 at 1:44 pm | No comment

Great Days Out – Bodmin steam railway

North Cornwall is famed for its fabulous surfing beaches and renowned restaurants but there are plenty of other activities to tempt you all year round.

The Bodmin & Wenford Railway starts services in February just in time for half term, with trains running to Bodmin Parkway and Boscarne Junction on the popular Camel Trail.

Most trains are operated by steam locomotives, and you can discover the nostalgia of steam travel on a leisurely 13 mile round trip through beautiful countryside, taking in the sights, sound and smells of a bygone age.

For romantics, there’s a Valentine’s dining train and other special events throughout the year include an Easter Egg-travaganza, Real Ale gala and even Murder Mystery evenings.

Most visitors to our holiday cottages in Padstow will pass Bodmin General station on their journey.  Just follow the brown tourist steam train signs or why not cycle along the Camel Trail from Padstow and travel to Bodmin from Boscarne Junction?

News and FAQ, Our Cottages, People and places

February 7, 2012 at 12:18 pm | No comment

Olympic torch relay kicks off in Cornwall

The eyes of the world will be on Cornwall when it welcomes the arrival of the Olympic flame to the UK ahead of the nationwide torch relay to herald in the 2012 Olympic Games.

The flame will be lit in Greece using the sun’s rays on 10 May in a traditional ceremony among the historic ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia.

Following an eight-day relay around Greece and handover ceremony in Athens, it will travel on board a special gold-liveried aircraft – flight BA2012 - to the UK on 18 May.

That evening, it will arrive at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, near Helston in Cornwall.  The venue has been chosen to acknowledge the vital contribution that maritime and coastal search and rescue services undertake for our island nation.

The relay itself begins the following day at Lands End, when the torch will set off on its 8,000 mile journey across the UK – carried by 8,000 ‘inspirational people’ and travelling to within 10 miles of 95% of the population.

Sadly, Padstow itself is not on the route, but visitors to our self-catering holiday cottages don’t have far to go to see the relay as it passes by Indian Queens and Bodmin on its epic journey.

News and FAQ, Our Cottages

February 4, 2012 at 2:43 pm | No comment