A visit to the Minack theatre

The Minack theatre at Porthcurno, a few miles from Lands End and a 25 minute car journey from Boscrowan is one of those places that you’ll always remember visiting. Built into the breathtaking cliffside by Rowena Cade in 1932 it is described as one of the world’s top 10 open air experiences.

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Performances change weekly and can be seen monday – friday in the season with other  events sometimes at weekends, afternoon and evening performances. Check out the website www.minack.com

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Often there are programme sellers on the way down.

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Some shows have elaborate scenery – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in early June

Others have few props, the breath taking backdrop of the sea is more than enough

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Take a picnic to eat before the performance or take a tip from us and bake a frozen pasty (which we supply in abundance in the cottage freezers) before you go and eat from a paper bag in true Cornish style – it warms the cockles on those chillier evenings. We can lend you thick blankets and cushions to take too – the seats are granite or you may be sitting on grass.

Certainly well worth a visit, it never ceases to fill me with wonder and I have been many times over the years – my earliest visit was whilst doing Shakespeare for O level – a very long time ago!!!

Trengwainton Gardens

Trengwainton Gardens and tearooms are but  a 20 minute walk from here or a 5 minute drive by car or 10 minute cycle ride or for myself a 10 minute ride on a horse. If I’m riding past, Gem is always very keen to pop into the back entrance for a carrot whilst I enjoy  a latte astride! The contrasts of colours at the moment in the gardens is just amazing!

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A beech tree in its Spring colours.

 

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A Mexican firebush

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One of the many azaleas

 

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Not sure what this one is Hibiscus? Cistus? Walking stick tree? But it’s lovely and about 3m high

The candelabra primulas along the stream beside the main drive are truly a picture

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The bluebells in the woodland are perfection

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And then there’s the tearooms………………..never to be missed!

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between the ears

and this is Gem and I on the way home after a carrot and coffee ride!

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Life is good!

 

Tulipomania

This Autumn I decided to grow more tulips for  Spring colour so spent ages poring over the Peter Nyssen website www.peternyssen.com having been pointed in this direction by some cottage guests. The bulbs arrived, finally I planted the last one and then forgot about them until my tiny iris  reticulata burst into flower a couple of months ago, a precursor to the tulips (pots were planted in the lasagne method!).

Now my tulips are  in fine colour. Just before they burst into splendour I had the opportunity to visit the great Keukenhof gardens in Holland. www.keukenhof.nl/en  What an experience!

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Even the Heamoor daffodil was in display in one of the greenhouses!

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This was a typical landscape just outside the gardens in that area of Holland.

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Time for a bit of sightseeing too

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and I have never seen so many bicycles!

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And then arriving back home my tulips were just beginning their colourful display……………………

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rococo tulips

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Inspired to plant more next year! And the Keukenhof Gardens are well worth a visit – 7 million bulbs are planted  every year by 26 full time gardeners for an opening period of just 2 months in April and May. I learnt a few tips too!

And one last picture – this is my favourite tulip that I have grown of all the 350 bulbs that I planted.

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La Belle Epoque – and isn’t she just!