Showing posts with label cornwall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cornwall. Show all posts

Sunday 14 July 2019

Where would you find an octopus in the heart of London?


Greenwich Maritime Museum, one of the most imposing buildings in the heart of London right on the edge of the Thames...



where The World is moored...


in full view of the beating financial heart across the river on the Isle of Dogs...



 so far from home, Through the Gaps gravitated to the nearest riverside hostelry...


and happened upon this superb Mediterranean octopus proudly worn by a Cornwall lover who served the perfect pint of Punk IPA in the Trafalgar Tavern.


Sunday 23 September 2018

RIP George Payne, King of the fisherman's smock.


Sadly, last week George Payne who made, literally, a hugely unique contribution to Cornish fishing folklore has moved on to that great wheelhouse in the sky. 





George was responsible for keeping the most traditional and iconic of fishermen's garments - the cotton smock...



alive and well (here - left- modelled by his good self) by introducing variations on traditional styles and introducing innovative designs using modern materials (reinforced PVC and nylon) for the sleeves or fronts which keep heavy sweaters underneath dry when handling gear, net and trawls...


until very recently George would often have been found here in what could be Cornwall's smallest retail shop adjacent the Sloop Inn St Ives...




many would agree, especially a huge number of Cornish fishermen...





like young Billy Bunn who says nothing beats a smock for protection from the wind when working on an open deck all day tailing prawns in cold dry weather...



smocks were cut so as to allow plenty of room to wear heavy sweaters underneath...



or, on warmer days, 'Hoss with just a shirt...



smocks were standard wear for both Terry Cougan and Sam Hicks on the Ben My Chree...




and Brian on the Ocean Harvester...




and if you look closely there's plenty of guys wearing smocks in this fish market scene from 1981...



the good news is that the cotton smock and many other traditional cotton and canvas garments and accessories are available...



from the Smock Shop in Gulval near Penzance where they are made  or over in the St Ives shop...




or through their online shop...



of course, the little blue smock logo is also reminiscent of the Guy Cotton 



fisherman logo whose  company George supplies with cotton smocks to supplement their range of oilskin tops...




which the company developed years ago and are worn by fishermen the world over...



even when they are crewing in the Défi des Ports de Pêche - the fisherman's smock in its modern form is still the most durable and serviceable garment to protect yourself with at sea or in extreme weather.

For everyone else these superbly traditional cotton smocks make the perfect 100% Cornish made gift for...



children...



gardeners...




artists




and sailors they won't be beaten for their comfort, durability, colour range, longevity and made entirely by hand in Cornwall - if John le Carré can do his family Christmas shopping at the Smock Shop you know it makes sense to do the same!



Sunday 22 April 2018

Porthleven Food Festival 2018

Now in its 10th year Porthleven Food Festival celebrates everything to do with local food and produce - from beer to bread to fish - there's something for all the family...


as can be seen from the website's menu...


but first you have to get there and like all successful events in Cornwall with its narrow and singular roads in and out of ports - that means get there early!..



the main marquee was full of fishy themes...



and during the day played host to the Chef's Theatre...



with top cheffing tips coming thick and fast from the likes of...



Naomi Devlin – nutritionalist and author of River Cottage showcasing all things gluten free and gut healthy...





followed by fish maestro, Ross Sloan from the kitchens of the Mount Haven in Marazion...



with not a cloud in the sky the place to take time out was looking out over the harbour in front of the giant free music marquee and bar...



or take in any of the dozens of food, craft and other stalls dotted all round the port...



as the afternoon wore on the place to be was the slip...



in front of the Harbour Inn...



or a stroll down the iconic breakwater...



or the Ship Inn...



even the local gulls seemed to be enjoying the day...



there were reminders of how we have become increasingly concerned for the well-being of our seas...



but above all the message, as ever, was simple - Love Food!

Monday 2 April 2018

One year away from the divorce court.




 The referendum caused the country, counties, family, friends and workmates to vote a simple 'Yes' or "No' on an issue with so many facets and so many unknowns that neither Leave or Remain could provide straightforward answers. Like an arranged marriage without the getting to know, date, engagement and then a wedding to tie up the nuptials the UK is now headed off to the divorce court hoping to keep at least 50% of what it had in the marriage. 

Fishing is undoubtedly one of the UK's chattels that on paper could do without.  Looked at purely on the basis of financial value,  many decent sized companies employ more people and produce more wealth than the fishing industry in its entirety.

Look at the industry as a part of the UK's maritime, cultural and national identity and its value - like the legacy of the aristocracy, great buildings and monuments built on the back of an empire - its value is not so easy to calculate.

Margaret Evans from CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) recently paid Nelwyn a visit as the country was only days away from marking the countdown with 365 days to go to the divorce date.

She found herself exploring the irony that despite being in a region that has received grants amounting to 10% of the entire EU budget many wanted a divorce that would cut themselves off from that financial support in the future.

"More than two decades later, with Britain's official exit date from the European Union now just under a year away, Cornish fishermen are on the verge of escaping what many of them call the ill-founded and tyrannical rule of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)."
"Not by our local boats, but because we're being given scraps by Brussels, and we've seen the boats from France and Belgium come and take what they can take out of our own waters."
The EU's complicated manner of deciding fish quotas for its members sees nearly 60 per cent of the fish caught in the waters around Britain being landed by boats from other EU countries. 
Cornish fishermen, for example, are limited to eight per cent of the cod quota in their own waters, while the French can catch 73 per cent."



ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Margaret Evans
Europe correspondent
Margaret Evans is a correspondent based in the CBC News London bureau. A veteran conflict reporter, Evans has covered civil wars and strife in Angola, Chad and Sudan, as well as the myriad battlefields of the Middle East.

Friday 29 September 2017

Bluefin tuna off Devon and Cornwall








Reports have again been received of bluefin tuna appearing in UK waters. 
bluefin tuna rules UK

The UK has no specific quota to catch bluefin tuna.

Countries which are able to fish for bluefin tuna commercially are listed on the EC websiteIn normal circumstances bluefin tuna is a prohibited species for UK fishing vessels.
Commercial
Vessels must not target bluefin tuna and if caught accidentally they must be returned to the sea, alive and unharmed to the greatest extent possible.

Recreational

Sea anglers must not target bluefin tuna, any caught as a by-catch when targeting other species must be released immediately and not landed or brought onto the boat. This applies unless recreational catches are part of an ICCAT tagging projectIf you find a bluefin tuna you should report this to the nearest MMO office. Sightings of shoals of the species at sea can also be reported to the ICCAT.
Further guidance on bluefin tuna regulations applicable to UK vessels can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Posted on: - Categories:marine conservation

Thursday 7 September 2017

Left school and want to fish for a living? Sign up for your free fishing course now!

Our next 3 week Introduction to Commercial Fishing course will take place from 25 September to 13 October 2017. I would be very grateful if you can do anything in your power to bring this to the attention of the commercial fishing skippers and crews using your port. There will be an opportunity to meet the instructors and find out about the course at a taster session on Wednesday 13 September 2017.




This free course is aimed at new entrants to the fishing industry who are at least 16 years old. The course consists of two weeks shore-based training (covering safety, gear and catch handling, net mending, rope work, navigation and boat handling) followed by one week of mandatory basic safety courses for fishermen (Sea Survival, Fire Fighting, First Aid, Health and Safety) as well as the Seafish Basic Fishing Vessel Stability course.

This introductory level course will suit both young people looking for a career at sea in the fishing industry as well as those looking for a change of career. The course aims to equip candidates with the basic skills and knowledge to commence work at sea in a safe and useful manner. It will be provided free of charge in Cornwall for a limited number of candidates via Seafood Cornwall Training Ltd.

If you can help get to fishermen then please get in touch with us at the office on 01736 364324 or call my mobile.



Clare Leverton
Acting Manager
07964 373708

Seafood Cornwall Training
Admiralty Boathouse
23 The Strand
Newlyn Cornwall
TR18 5HL
01736 364324
www.seafoodcornwalltraining.co.uk

Saturday 26 August 2017

Newlyn Fish Festival is on Monday!


Don't forget - it's the biggest day of the year for the port of Newlyn on Monday - bring your friends and enjoy everything the fish festival has to offer!

For more information head over to the Fish Festival website.

Friday 30 June 2017

Your chance to experience a truly superb dining extravaganza!






These are just some of the red mullet on Newlyn fish market this morning that will be served up later at tonight's, Five at Senara charity meal at Penwith College - there are still a handful of tickets left to enjoy a five course meal that would be the equivalent of dining out on a fish starter from chef @GuyOwen from the Idle Rocks in St Mawes followed by a fish starter from Porthleven chef @JudeKereama at Kota  then sipping some superb wines and taking time to enjoy a classic Lobster Thermidor from Rick Steins' head Padstow chef, @Stephane Delourme followed by a Lamb & Cockle roast from @cheftombrown at Nathan Outlaw's Capital in London followed by a stunning Coffe and Chocolate Opera dessert from Stein's Seafood Restaurant, Stuart Pate - just one dish would be the equivalent cost of the entire meal! - so to enjoy some of the finest cuisine the west can offer grab a last minute table for two or four and phone 01736 335114 or email in your booking! - a meal to savour and remember!..and a big thanks to FalFish and the Real Cornish Crab Company for supplying some of the finest local fish for the night!