Eating Apples From an Apple Tree Grown From A Pip

In early June I published a post Growing An Apple Tree From A Pip. At the time my wife was excited because 'her' apple tree had flowers and then small apples.

Okay, many people have apple trees but this one was different as it was grown from an apple pip. 

It had taken eight years to get to this stage but no one we knew seemed to believe this could be done and, yes, I was a bit of a sceptic too. But this year my wife has been proven right.

The tree has about thirty apples and this morning we picked the first one. I've probably seen better looking apples but, as is often said, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

We devoured the first apple from our garden and have lived to tell the tale.

To think that at the beginning of the year I had threatened to dig up the apple tree.

Such is life: with belief all things are possible - well probably!

So what is the secret of growing an apple tree from a pip? Erm, well all my wife did was to pop one pip into a small pot of compost. When it started to grow, and was a fair size, this was planted in the garden in a flower bed and, well, that was it. Eight years later - apples!

Walking the Streets and Memories of Playing Conkers and Other Things

The weather hasn't been too good recently - rain, wind etc - so haven't been very far with my camera. 

I have walked the streets locally though and usually find something of interest - in one instance conkers! They brought back memories from childhood when we played the game of conkers.

Where I lived, as a child in west London, there weren't any horse-chestnut trees so my dad would take me on a short bus ride to collect conkers. I remember one occasion when he told me to take a bag with me.

I soon filled the bag so we got on the bus to return home. Trouble was I had brought an old paper bag and when we got on the bus the bag burst and the conkers went everywhere!

Luckily the bus conductor thought this was funny and gave me a selection of money bags to hold the conkers. This was, of course, a long time ago when there were conductors to collect the fares.

Times change, and it appears, according to the media, that playing conkers is now banned in many schools on 'health and safety' grounds. 

Strange really as I can't remember any of my friends ever being hurt, a rap on the hand perhaps but nothing more serious. But I was lucky and grew up at a time when we climbed trees and had lots of freedom to roam.

Regarding conkers there was an article in the Daily Mail newspaper asking, "Is this the end of the conker tree?" They claim that the horse chestnut tree may become extinct in Europe. It seems that there has been a decline of the trees because of an invasive moth.

As for the game of conkers it was seemingly first mentioned way back in 1821. I'm not sure if other countries play the game so here's what happens:

Conkers is played by two players who each have a conker threaded onto a piece of string or sometimes a shoe lace. They then take turns to hit the other player's conker with their own until one breaks. The winner is the conker still whole.

Cunning players would try to harden their conker by soaking them with vinegar or perhaps baking them.

But enough of conkers, here are a few other photos I snapped on my walk.

I passed by the 500 year old bridge I mentioned in a previous post. Sadly I noticed someone had made their temporary home under one of the arches.

On a brighter note we have palm trees in Cornwall and ...

… there is still some colour about to brighten the breezy days ...

… and something tasty.

More colour, despite the rain and wind.

Going back to the game of conkers I have just remembered that conkers had a score. If the conker survived the game it became known as a one-er. If it won two games a two-er and so on. But, if say you were to beat a six-er, you added six to the value of your score. 

So it was possible to create a high conker value. I can remember once having a twenty-six-er for example.

I think that exhausts my knowledge of conkers!

A Quiet Stroll Around Charlestown Harbour, Cornwall and Poldark's Sailing Ship

I recently published a post Charlestown, Cornwall With Sailing Ships In The Harbour but the harbour isn't always full of ships, as can be seen in today's post.
The photo above shows just one sailing ship - but it is a popular one, as it has featured in the popular Poldark television series.

Below is the narrow bridge across the narrowest part of Charlestown Harbour.

The next photo shows some of the old cottages looking down on the harbour. Several of them are now rented out to holiday makers.

All quiet, other than the Charlestown Rowing Club returning.

Only one boat moored temporarily in the harbour.

More cottages and the flags are out, though the Union Flag has got into a bit of a tangle.

And a row of terraced cottages - this time with Cornwall's St.Piran's flags on display.

Finally some movement as a small craft returns to the harbour.

I like Charlestown at any time of year. I have no doubt mentioned this before, but we chose to visit here on the first morning of the new millennium. It was foggy and damp but, looking back from the harbour wall, with no one else about, it was like stepping back in time to the late 1700s. Who says time travel isn't possible!

Walking From Duporth Beach to Charlestown, Cornwall.

Above is Duporth beach, which can only be accessed from Cornwall's coastal path - this entails a walk, either from Porthpean or Charlestown.

The photos are in sequence from the beach and heading towards Charlestown.

The beach itself is gently sloping and a mixture of sand and shingle. The name Duporth means two coves in the Cornish language. On some maps it is shown as 'Du Porth.'

Probably needless to say, but there are no facilities - toilets etc - on the beach.

The coastal path is quite easy to walk though there are inevitable ups and downs. Backing on to the path, by the beach, are several modern housing estates which have access to the beach.

The site for the estates was previously a holiday seaside camp and was used during World War 2 as accommodation for American and Indian troops. After the war it became a holiday camp once more - until it was sold for housing.

As you walk along the coastal path towards Charlestown there are some historical remains such as the Crinnis Cliff Battery as described in the notice below. I'll reprint the wording just in case you are using a small screen:

CRINNIS CLIFF BATTERY:
Sometimes known as Charlestown Gun Battery, it was constructed by Charles Raleigh c.1792 to defend the entrance to his new harbour at Charlestown. The estate workers were formed into a Company of artillery volunteers, and held regular gun-drill here until 1896. The armament was four 18-pounder cannon up to 1860 when these were exchanged for 24-pounders. Later 32-pounders with a range of 2 miles were used.

Within these defensive walls remain the gun platforms, the anchor stones for a flagstaff, and the ruins of a gunpowder magazine. The side-arms equipment for working the guns was stored in a lean-to shed against the battery wall.

The mentioned gunpowder magazine is shown below.

The views inland now show the beginnings of Charlestown.

Finally from the cliffs we can see the outer wall of Charlestown Harbour. It's now downhill all the way to Charlestown.

Note: If walking from Porthpean to Charlestown, along the coastal path, the distance is approximately 3 miles.

Charlestown, Cornwall With Sailing Ships In The Harbour

Prior to going on holiday I made a quick visit to Charlestown harbour. I had heard that there were several sailing ships in dock.

I didn't have a lot of time but snapped a few photos as I walked.

There was a stall using the Poldark name to entice people to have a free taster of their various alcoholic drinks - over 18's only, of course. Some of the Poldark scenes were filmed here.

From the harbour wall the masts of the sailing ships looked quite a muddle - but an interesting muddle!

Again, looking from the harbour wall, this time over the small beach. The Charlestown Rowing Club were just returning

One of the rowing boats was also on the harbourside. 

By the harbour was another stall selling items made from sea-glass and other treasures found on the beaches.

The cottages look down on the sailing ships from on high.

And, to finish with, a few more sails. It's always interesting wandering around Charlestown Harbour.

Also see:
A Stroll Around Poldark's Charlestown Harbour, Cornwall - 12 Photos

From Cornwall To The Canary Islands

Apologies that there haven't been any Cornwall posts for a short while. I have been away in Lanzarote, Canary Islands.

I have taken the liberty of a publishing a couple of random photos from the island. 

The photo above is leaving Exeter, England by plane and below is a view of Lanzarote's volcanic countryside - perhaps not everyone's cup of tea!

I quite like the scenery though, certainly very different from Cornwall.

But there are also some pleasant beaches and ...

… also some very busy beaches - the sort that has no appeal to me, but each to their own taste. I like a bit of elbow room on the beach.

And to finish with a couple of Lanzarote birds.

The one below I believe is a Hoopoe, though I called it an upside down bird.

… because from some angles the bird looks to be upside down! 

Anyway, apologies for the lack of Cornwall photos, hopefully normal service will be resumed.

Polridmouth, Menabilly, Cornwall - Daphne du Maurier Country, Cornwall

The author Daphne Du Maurier made her home for many years at a large house on the Cornish Menabilly estate - this was the ancestral seat of the Rashleigh family.

The first line of her book, Rebecca, reads "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive …" Manderley is Menabilly.

Her book The King’s General was inspired by the history of Menabilly during the 1600s.

Unfortunately the house cannot be seen by the public, as it is well hidden.

The only photo I have of the Menabilly House is the black and white photo above, showing Daphne Du Maurier and her children.

 What can be seen, though, is the cottage and boathouse as shown at the top of this post. This is where Rebecca would entertain her guests and where she was supposedly murdered.

So many of Du Maurier's books are based in this part of Cornwall - it is often referred to as 'DuMaurier country'

The lake, as below, was made in the thirties by damming a small stream. This part of the estate can be clearly seen by walkers or people visiting the small beaches.

During World War Two lights were fixed around the lake to confuse any enemy aircraft. Nearby Fowey was a port used for the build up to the D-Day landings. Over 2,000 American troops were based in the area.

Going back to the cottage, this is by the sea and there are small beaches nearby, notably Polridmouth (pronounced Pridmouth). There aren't normally too many people about.

Along the coast Gribbin Head can be seen and the red and white striped beacon.

In her book,Rebecca, Du Maurier writes:
And I thought of the tide, how swift it ran and strong into the little cove. The wind blew down from the headland like a funnel. I got the boat out into the bay. I got her out there beyond the beacon …"

And below a clearer photo of the daymark Gribbin tower.

I have written before that I love this stretch of coastline. 

As for Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989) she moved away from Menabilly in 1965 following her husband's death. She remained in Cornwall, near Par, in a house called Kilmarth - which she used as a setting for her book The House on the Strand.

See more photos of Menabilly:
The Wonderful Coastline At Menabilly - Daphne du Maurier Country