St Piran's Day - a perfect reason/excuse to celebrate! 5 March

If like us, you are pretty fed up with our weather, St Piran's Day, Cornwall's National Day is the perfect time to, book into Sandhill House Country Retreat and then get into a corner of one of our cosy local pubs for a big, cheery, sing-song! For example, The Rising Sun will have in Inner Tube accompanying local Cornish folks sing time honoured, traditional Cornish songs! The Who'd Have Thought, in St Dominic, also has an evening of song, along with the opportunity to sample some of the best Cornish beers! For, sure the Tamar Inn in Calstock will also take the opportunity for a celebration of what makes Cornwall, Cornwall!

St Piran's Day (Cornish: Gool Peran) is the national day of Cornwall, held on 5 March. The day is named after one of the patron saints of Cornwall, Saint Piran, who is also the patron saint of tin miners.

There is little description of specific traditions associated with this day apart from the consumption of large amounts of alcohol and food during 'Perrantide' - sounds perfect! The day following the St Piran's Day was known by many as 'Mazey Day' (guess we might have named it 'Hangover Day these days), a term which has now been adopted by the revived Golowan festival in Penzance

Nowadays, celebration events are held all over Cornwall including at Kit Hill near Callington, just a couple of miles from us.  

 

Legend says that Piran originated from Ireland, cast to sea tied to a millstone on the order of the Irish King who was suspicious of Piran’s miraculous powers. Piran survived stormy seas and arrived at Perranporth where he built an oratory to promote Christianity (his first disciples were said to be a badger, a fox and a bear).

The oratory is now preserved in the sand dunes at Perran Sands. St Piran's Day started as one of the many tinners' holidays observed by the tinminers of Cornwall. Other miners' holidays of a similar nature include Picrous Day and Chewidden Thursday.

Patron Saint of Tinners Piran is famous for his accidental discovery of tin, when a black stone on his fireplace got so hot that a white liquid leaked out; the first tin smelting. It was this discoverey that earned Piran the title ‘Patron Saint of Tinners’, tin mining being the backbone of Cornish industry. This discovery also formed the basis of the Cornish flag, the white hot tin on the black of the ore.

 

"St. Piran's Day was said to be a favourite with the tinners who having a tradition that some secrets regarding the manufacture of tin were communicated to their ancestors by that saint, they leave the manufacture to shift for itself for that day, and keep it as a holiday." 

Fancy a trip back in time? Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre Special Event 28 May 2015

I just have to have a ride on the galloping horses - that will bring back the most amazing memories of visiting the fairground in Woodhatch, Reigate where I grew up and also of visiting a fair ground near my Auntie Myrtle's home, nearer to London, who has sadly recently passed away.

 

 

So how about booking into Sandhill House Country Retreat in Cornwall for an absolutely brilliant step back in time? However, please book early because we only have 3 beautiful rooms available currently. We have to advise TAVATA of our numbers by 20th May so please book ASAP. Discounts apply for booking directly by email or phone.

 

Most of the exhibits are in working order, so you could even have a go on the dodgems! I wasn't too keen when I was little but reckon I'd be everyone's nightmare these days - road rage or what?

 

And there are lots of penny in the slot machines to!

 

The following is the invitation from our local Tamar Valley tourist association which gives you a bit more detail:

TAVATA EVENT FOR MEMBERS, THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS
DINGLES FAIRGROUND HERITAGE CENTRE
ON THURSDAY 28^TH MAY 2015 FROM 2PM TO 5PM
SPECIAL PRICE ENTRY FEE £5.95 PER PERSON/CHILD

Have you ever been to Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre?  If not, here’s your chance to visit for a special price and enjoy a fun afternoon. Dingles is a facility unique in the UK, designed to capture the magic of a bygone age through exhibits, vintage engineering and stunning artwork displays with a 45,000 square foot indoor attraction that provides a unique opportunity to view Fairground Heritage in a beautiful rural location, near Lydford.

Get nostalgic about the arcade games – historic fairground caravans, old penny in the slot machines, Hall of Mirrors, galloping horses, dodgems – it’s all there.  Rides are not included in the entrance fee.  For more information have a look at Dingles website: http://fairground-heritage.org.uk/

We meet in the car park at just before 2pm and then proceed as a party to Reception so that all can gain entrance for the specially reduced price of £5.95 per person/child.  This is a great reduction from normal entrance fees.  Once in, we will hear a talk from Roger Alford about how the Heritage Centre came about and what’s happened since.  Then it will be time for you to explore the Centre, go on the rides, have fun with the slot machines and generally just enjoy yourselves. 

 

Afterwards, if you wish, there is a very pleasant café for you to purchase refreshments, including a cream tea. There is also a gift shop to browse through.

 

 

Create a precious memory for Mother's Day 15th March with the perfect gift

Struggling to think of an unforgetable gift for Mother's Day? Why not create a precious memory for the most special person in your life - your Mother by giving the perfect Mother's Day gift of a night's stay at Sandhill House Country Retreat B&B in the beautiful Tamar Valley, Cornwall. Stunning views, garden flowers, beautiful satin stripped white linen and a delicious breakfast will make her feel very special.  You could then spoil them even more by booking dinner at our local Tourism Awards Silver Award winning restaurant, Langmans (www.langmansrestaurant.co.uk ). Just 5 miles away, Langmans was one of only 3 Cornish restaurants to reach the finals - there were 425 entrants across the South West!!!  We have checked with Gail and Anton and they still have availability for Friday 13 and Saturday 14 March but they are fully booked for Mothering Sunday lunch, so it might be a good idea to book early for this very special gourmet experience.

Become an Otter Spotter - free training course 7 March

Looking for a different way to spend your weekend? Why not book to stay with us as Sandhill House Country Retreat B&B and join experts from the Devon Biological Record Centre to discover more about the world of otters and how to look for evidence of these wonderful creatures near you. Even better, why not book a week in our self-catering Tamar Orchard Barn and put your new skills to the test on the stunning Tamar Valley?

Otters are legally protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, but need our help with habitat improvement, keeping watercourses clean and surveying where they live, so they can continue to thrive without the threat of development destroying their homes.

This FREE training day, is made possible through the Helping Hands for Heritage project (Tamar Valley AONB), on Saturday 7^th March, 10am – 4:30pm, in the stunning location of Lopwell Dam. During the day, learn techniques on how to survey for otters, find out about otter ecology and discover what actually happens with the records at the DBRC.

Following a free lunch at the Old Pump House Café, Lopwell, enjoy an afternoon field session around the River Tavy looking for signs of otters, which may include droppings (spraint) and footprints.

Sam Barnes, Helping Hands for Heritage Project Officer, explains, “Local information will feed back to the DBRC as part of ‘Operation Otter’. It will also be important to the AONB to know where otter populations are, as this indicates good water quality, a healthy ecosystem and good habitat – all positive factors in the special qualities of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

You will need warm clothing, layers, waterproofs, walking boots or wellies, and a walking pole and binoculars if you have them. 

All refreshments & lunch will be provided free of charge.

Booking is essential for this event, so please either book with us and we will enroll you on the course or contact Caroline directly at the Devon Biological Record Centre to secure your place or for further details. Tel: 01392 274128 or email: cjones@devonwildlifetrust.org. For other volunteering opportunities, please visit www.tamarvalley.org.uk/hh4h

St Piran's Day Tasting Menu at Award Winning Langman's Restaurant Callington

St Piran's Day (Cornish: Gool Peran) is the national day of Cornwall, held on 5 March. The day is named after one of the patron saints of Cornwall, Saint Piran, who is also the patron saint of tin miners.

Celebration events are held all over Cornwall including at Kit Hill near Callington but you can now also taste the very best of Cornwall's produce on Friday 6 March in a fabulous 7 course tasting menu at Langman's Restaurant (www.langmansrestaurant.co.uk). The best food I have ever had in a restaurant is just 5 miles away from Sandhill House Country Retreat with B&B and self-catering accommodation.  

Legend says that Piran originated from Ireland, cast to sea tied to a millstone on the order of the Irish King who was suspicious of Piran’s miraculous powers. Piran survived stormy seas and arrived at Perranporth where he built an oratory to promote Christianity (his first disciples were said to be a badger, a fox and a bear).

The oratory is now preserved in the sand dunes at Perran Sands. St Piran's Day started as one of the many tinners' holidays observed by the tinminers of Cornwall. Other miners' holidays of a similar nature include Picrous Day and Chewidden Thursday.

Patron Saint of Tinners Piran is famous for his accidental discover of tin, when a black stone on his fireplace got so hot that a white liquid leaked out; the first tin smelting. It was this discoverey that earned Piran the title ‘Patron Saint of Tinners’, tin mining being the backbone of Cornish industry. This discovery also formed the basis of the Cornish flag, the white hot tin on the black of the ore.

"St. Piran's Day was said to be a favourite with the tinners who having a tradition that some secrets regarding the manufacture of tin were communicated to their ancestors by that saint, they leave the manufacture to shift for itself for that day, and keep it as a holiday." There is little description of specific traditions associated with this day apart from the consumption of large amounts of alcohol and food during 'Perrantide'. The day following the St Piran's Day was known by many as 'Mazey Day', a term which has now been adopted by the revived Golowan festival in Penzance. 

Rosamunde Pilcher and Sandhill House Country Retreat B&B

Following on from my blog last year about Rosamunde Pilcher who is arguably Cornwall’s most enthusiastic literary advocate with her Cornwall-based novels promoting Cornwall worldwide, attracting many thousands of visitors every year, I have made another discovery. If you remember Book 89 of the 103 series, filmed by a German film company, was filmed at Sandhill House Country House Retreat with Bed & Breakfast and self-catering accommodation. At the time I could not find any 'evidence' of this film on line. However, after an excellent article about Rosamunde Pilcher, in Cornwall Today magazine, spurred me on to search again. 

The first evidence I found was this picture, where the actor is standing on the 'ha ha' with the sweeping view of the Tamar Valley behind him. If you look carefully, behind the splendid owl, you can see the infant laurel hedge which was designed, and planted in 2009, to block the view of the house from the road. What excitement!

Even better I have now finally found the actual film of Flugel der Liebe on YouTube. It really is amazing to see our home and gardens on film, though it also feels quite strange. 

Hopefully, this link will take you to the film: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm1dmKq9eAE

You can book Rosamunde Pilcher tours of Cornwall which take in many of the locations referred to in her books, but Sandhill House was not included because I assume, at the time it was not offering accommodation. However, you can now book to stay with us and actually experience what made Rosamunde Pilcher so passionate about Cornwall.   

Valentine's Day in the enchanting Tamar Valley

Treat your loved one to a truly romantic escape at the select Sandhill House B&B where you can relax and enjoy a warm log fire, home made Cornish Chocolate truffles and a really special breakfast. 

We can't make any promises but it looks as if the stunning weather we have been having might continue for Valentine's Day - a day to remember. 

What we can promise is that the snowdrops will be at their best.