By SolihullStyle Aug 15, 2021
So this is it! Another year and another trip to Cornwall! Next year is definitely our last year! With everything that’s happened and still happening around travelling abroad I think we’re just going to, pardon the pun, but “ride the wave!”
I write this blog to showcase a few brands I’ve found and maybe give you some insight into where we visit and why. Hopefully help you find somewhere new to visit or unlock some happy memories of your own. Let’s face it, Cornwall is a popular place to visit and I’m sure most of you have your own favourite destinations.
I’ll start local!
PORTHPEAN BEACH!
This is one of the nearest beaches to our campsite in St.Austell. We visit this local beach every year though this year only the once! For us it has to be a really sunny day with calm sea to enjoy it. There’s no sand for making sandcastles! There’s paddle board hire but be warned they’re not always available to man the beach front shop. At low tide there’s rock pools. At high tide the seaweed from the rock pools can fill part of the sea where you’d swim but if you’re lucky most of it stays at the edges and gives the sea view that picture postcard look of crystal aqua waters and is as good as being abroad!
It’s a small shingle beach frequented by the locals with a field car park up the hill. There’s no lifeguard but there are loos and a cafe.
And what I wore? Well it was the one and only chance to wear my beach dress! It was those few days of THAT heatwave that I think we will all remember for years to come. It was also the first outing for a new beach bag from a brand called Redefined Objects. I’d found this fab new brand on Instagram before we left Please check them out. They’re making clothes and accessories from fabrics that would normally end up in landfill. I was sent this beautiful beach bag to get some nice pictures of whilst on holiday in Cornwall. It’s a real chance for me to get more editorial style images in these stunning locations and help small brands get pictures of their products without the expense of doing it all themselves. So though I’m on holiday a lot of these pictures are work for me so I try to make them as pretty as I can for the brands I’m supporting. So to be completely transparent I was gifted the bag but this isn’t in paid partnership. The best thing about it was how light and easy it was to pack. Usually I only have room for one large beach bag which is invariably the one I’m carrying! Felt very indulgent to be able to have two!
CAERHAYES CASTLE AND BEACH!
We visit this beach because it’s the closest to us. It’s usually got some swell for body boarding for the kids but I’m not sure I’d travel great distances for it? We’re usually there on a bit of a miserable day so maybe I’m not being completely fair to the place? It’s really beautiful and actually when the sun comes out and the tide is up it is stunning with the castle behind.
The clothes? Well…this cotton blouse featured in the pics below was from another amazing brand that I literally contacted as we were leaving! Laura from Maia London posted some clothes to me. Some to the campsite where we were staying. Simply for the same reason I’ve mentioned above. Holiday destinations just provide such wonderful new and beautiful places to photograph products. The colour of the sea, the sky; the sand and even the evening light all help to make an interesting image. So thank you Laura for trusting me with your gorgeous clothes! Xx
HARLYN BAY!
A long windy beach. Great for kids that like waves. Check out Magic Seaweed for information on the swell and wave height. There’s an RNLI lifeguard here and a really great beach café.
This is where I wore more beautifully crafted clothes from Maia London. Honestly have a look at the brand. So lovely to wear, made from hand loomed Khadi cotton. Sustainable and with a passion for fair trade and supporting the communities that work for them. It’s hard to explain what it feels like owning things from brands that care. The fabric is beautiful and so wonderful to wear in the summer. Though saying that, I plan to wear this skirt with knitwear and tall boots in the autumn! The colour has a transitional quality to it and works in the cooler months too. My kinda clothes!
HAYLE!
Another long windy beach with sand dunes and a similar vibe to Harlyn Bay. If you like a leisurely swimming in a sea that’s like a mill pond and the temperature of a bath! This is NOT it! But anyone with kids and teens or with a family member that’s more at home in a wetsuit than a wool suit will understand that this is a pretty cool beach!
Style note? Well there wasn’t really one but every year I take a long oversized shirt with me. It works as a light jacket over a vest {pictured above with the skirt outfit} and doubles as a beach cover up. I think this white linen one could walk itself to the laundry basket by the time we got home! Bikini? Now over three years old from GOTTEX. I think you get what you pay for with swimwear, well obviously to a point! The bottoms are fully lined and though getting on a bit in bikini years it’s as good as new! When this bikini finally goes to bikini heaven and if my budget allows I will 100% buy from this brands again.
CARBIS BAY!
Well what can I say? This bay really needs no introduction. It’s our favourite beach. We make sand sculptures on its sands every year and we chase the sun and visit as many times as Mr.W can face the drive!
I was back in my Maia London shirt which I adore. Various combinations of linen shorts and suitable layers. This stripped Zara cotton jumper that was a fiver on EBay served me well! Really fairly basic beach holiday attire and a fabulous hat that was totally useless in the wind but made for some great photos!!!! Doh! Ha ha!
TRURO!
A day in the city! Full of all the shops you’d expect in a seaside city. Sea Salt, Joules, white Stuff, The White Company, Fat Face….and so on. In amongst the obvious are a few lovely little boutiques and independents. Lots of places to eat, loads of coffee shops and a fun day out if the weather lacks lustre. Hmmmm actually can’t remember what I wore??? Ahhh yes…. Levi’s and my Maia London shirt! Perfecto!
TINTANGEL CASTLE!
This was our first visit and I want to go next year on a sunny day! The boys both now have full face snorkels and I think they’d love using them here. It’s rather busy with visitors for the bridge and the castle so not sure I’d want to sit in a bikini on the beach? But then, who cares right? It’s an English Heritage site so you have to book tickets to cross the bridge and visit the castle but the beach below and the rocks and Merlin’s Cave all have public access without tickets. The kids enjoyed the caves and taking panoramic pictures of the bay. Gosh I’d love to see that sea in the sunshine! Oh and in the town there’s a “She Sells” crepe shop for amazing crepes and a great coffee!
GORRAN HAVEN!
I’m not 100% sure how we ended up here? It was a dull day and we decided to just have a drive around and check out some beaches. This became a walk along a pretty coastal path down to the beach. Walking on rocks and skimming stones!
MEVAGISSEY!
This is where we go in the evening. Great fish and chips, some cute shops though a lot of the independents close early, another She Sells crepe café and the boys go fishing with dad here until it gets dark. There’s some nice restaurants too but we’ve always just sat in the harbour with fish and chips on our laps! It’s just the sort of place where time slows down.
The evenings weren’t that cold this year and I made good use of an old poncho I pulled out when I did my holiday packing. I haven’t worn a poncho in years. Don’t know about you but I felt like ponchos had had their day but for some reason this year it felt like the perfect layer to pack to wear over a linen shirt.
I think I’ve possibly covered everywhere we went this year? Ahhh no just Charlestown left! The weather was challenging camping for 14 nights. We started in a heatwave, somewhere in the middle was a storm with 70 mile an hour winds whilst sleeping under canvas and there were lots of days when the sun only shone in the evening. Despite the hurdles we had a blast! As usual….Cornwall we had fun and see you next year!
CHARLESTOWN!
Last but by no means least. Charlestown is a great place to visit for an evening stroll or a bite to eat. The picturesque location where Poldark was filmed. If you want to go posh nosh there’s The Longstore which has to be booked to avoid disappointment. Or there’s the Smoking Harbour BBQ that’s exactly what it says on the tin! Sit outside on picnic tables or on the ship that’s moored in the harbour for drinks or seafood served straight from the BBQ.
FEATURED BRANDS
MAIA LONDON – rust stripe skirt and ochre stripe blouse
REDEFINED OBJECTS – frill tote bag
SISTERS BY CRAFT – hand crochet shopper
TOAST – large straw hat
Thank you for reading the blog. I hope you enjoyed it. As the summer draws to an end I have everything crossed for a bit more sun coming our way! For those struggling to balance work and child care I hear you! For those enjoying their summer hols I hope you have fun. Until the next blog! XX V
Thank you for reading! XXX
