Black is gold.

Just what the Brixham boys have been waiting for, signs that the cuttlefish season is upon us.......

just the one beamer landed to the market this morning......

so there's not much call for the grader.......

after yesterday's Spring like morning a wet, warm and westerly wind washes over the quay.......

and whistles through the market.

Food for thought.........?

There's a growing number of food festivals taking place around the country these days. The latest finished in Dartmouth at the weekend with fish supplied by nearby Brixham top of the menu and cooked by chefs like Mark Hix and Valentine Warner (who starred at Falmouth oyster Festival recenlty) with top food writer Tom Parker-Bowles in attendance to spice up the culinary cook-in and oversee all the live action around the stoves of the Seahorse Restaurant.

Given the  diversity of quality fish and the growing number of specialist food producers in the area, maybe its time for the far reaches of the Cornish peninsula to get cooking on a similar project?

Included on the ingredients list today - mackerel, cuttlefish and pollack!

The Cornishman - this time the newspaper not the flagship of the WS&S fleet.

Hopefully, what looks like a regular new section has appeared in the local newspaper, The Cornishman this week.

An entire page devoted to news from the industry - and in this edition the range was pretty diverse - from a slightly tongue-in-cheek 'letter' to all those dog owners who seem to think its perfectly OK to let their charges 'do what dogs do' all over the gear, fixtures and fittings of the port - although the threat of rabies is negligible these days - the port is still a working fishing port landing fresh fish - a food commodity. Of course, harbour staff might find they have difficulty in exerting their authority over unthinking dog-owners - though if all hands down the quay make their feelings known in a loud voice the chances are said dog owners will exit the premises pretty damn quick.

Next up comes observations from newly appointed harbour commissioner and senior boat owner David Stevens of Crystal Sea II fame. With the majority of his crew now not local, shore skipper David cites the lack of young entrants as the main issue to address for the future and to encourage them to invest - so just what are schools and colleges doing to foster an interest in a career that can sill provide wages well above the Cornish average?

Lastly, fish merchants in Newlyn are being asked to pay a 0.5% levy of their dealings with the harbour as a contribution to overhead in the port - this idea has been around for many years and never quite made it into the rule book.

Do you have something to contribute to future editions of the The Cornishman? If so, email Ellie Evans, the new senior reporter at the paper who will be only too delighted to receive your thoughts, ideas and comments!

Early birds.

 With the full moon still in the  sky Wherry Town Co-Op gets the first of its deliveries.....

 inside the fish market on a raw and rare Monday morning with not more than a dozen boxes of fish for sale, the fridge is given an airing.......

 outside, the port is greeted with another stunning dawn display.......

 making it the ideal backdrop for a group of visiting art and photography students from St Peter's School, Bournemouth.......

 as they make their way down the quay to capture the best of the morning light......

 making use of the props to hand.......

 but finding time to gather for a group shot to say, "we were there", this, the hardcore group, were unlike their remaining twenty classmates who still languished in their pits unable to face such an early start......

after that it was time for hot chocolate in the Mission. With a team of dedicated staff prepared to put together this kind of varied trip to explore the arts and working life in St Ives, Penzance and Newlyn no wonder the school was awarded Arts College status in 2000

Rope walk & ghost walk.

A four mile round walk from the Coach & Horses taking in the coastal path, Praa Sands, Pengersick Castle and the tiny village of Germoe.


View Praa Sands to Germoe in a larger map

 Looking back towards Prussia Cove.......

just before hitting the beach there's a chance to check on the old Bodelva rope barometer, you know, if the rope is still there's no wind, if the rope's wet it's raining and if the rope's missing it's a hurricane.....

 even at this time of year on Praa Sands there's plenty of action in the water, enough to keep a full team of beach lifeguards in action all day.......

 further inland can be found the most haunted property in Cornwall at Pengerisck Castle.....

 not far from which is an abundant supply of sweet chestnuts ready for the hot coal treatment......

 so that's where PZ 2 has been hiding.

Squid in black bean sauce.

Passing showers and a sinking sun mean that the light changes rapidly over the Mount......

providing a dramatic backdrop........

back in the kitchen, take some onion, pepper, spring onion, chili to taste, sliced ginger and a tablespoon of rinsed and crushed black beans......

score one side of the squid.......

blanch the squid for 30 seconds in boiling water.......

and stir fry.

Cool blue nights.

Lunatics lookout.......

more blues.......

aboard the Jacoba as she nears the end of her refit........

whereas Mario's boys are just plain cool......

both sets of gear to go through on the Nellie.......

ice please!..........

last weekend in Newlyn for the Imogen before she heads off to her new home in Mevawizzey.