Time for a holiday in Cornwall

For ourselves, last year ended with 'Jool's Hootennay' and the new year began on the midnight strokes of Big Ben. We uncorked a bottle of 'fizz', opened the doors onto the garden to watch the fireworks from the beach, in the rain. The festive season is celebrated with lights shimmering and sparkling around the harbour and as the illuminated display of 2011 rolled over to 2012, water dripped into the electrics: splutter, fizzle...oops! The entire village had a power cut!

Added to this, turkey dripping and other gunk, clogged up our sewage system pump, and New Year's Day was a 'joyful' occasion of not being able to use electricity or water! However, thanks to Western Distribution and an emergency call-out to our pump company at emergency prices, we were all back to normal after a few hours, but I did begin to wonder if the Mayan calendar had fast-forwarded itself and we wouldn't reach the end of January, let alone the next winter's solstice.

Christmas was a family affair. We were woken at 5.23 by our little granddaughters who were ready for fun and sent into us by their parents (!) to open their stockings, where we, the dog and the bed, were sprinkled with fairy dust, unwrapped chocolate coins and loved every precious second.

Of course, and I'm not making this up... the highlight, particularly for any woman with a pulse, was the surreal appearance of Russell Brand at the traditional Christmas morning swim in the harbour. It was Russell Brand and not Russell Grant or Jo Brand, unless it was those two, metamorphosed! My understanding is that we, by we, I mean the inhabitants of the village, were ahead of the pararazzi, to be aware that Russell and his wife, Katy Perry, were spending Christmas apart. He was heard shouting a remark to David Baddiel, who was in the sea in a wet suit. By all accounts, he was amenable and charming and staying as a guest of the Baddiel family, who have a house out along the coast path.

Cornwall, apparently, is being 'blessed' with a surfeit of celebs. They all know, and can afford, a good thing when they see it. Caroline Quentin has a house nearby, which, regrettably has led to the TV programme, 'Caroline Quentin's Cornwall'. I appreciate that as far as she is concerned, it's just a 'job' and those who have met her, agree that she's a lovely lady. I watched the first episode and found the slant taken by the programme makers, oddly claustrophobic as it's not the Cornwall I recognise. There's no honesty in such productions, not only do they ignore the sickening differentiation between most who live here and the rich 'second home owners', but gives no reference to the traditional family holidays, which most visitors, who brave the A303, want. The result was 30 minutes of promoting products that the majority can't afford. Champagne, expensive restaurants and stunning letting properties at £3,600 a week...oh, that's OK as it does include a concierge service!

I've worked for enough holiday letting agencies over the years who are trusted and respected, to know that the industry has moved on from being greeted by a farmer's wife, dusty with flour from crimping pasties and guests bringing their own bed linen and sharing bathrooms; of course, there are now delightful home -from-home amenities, but that kind of programme is loaded to a level that is out of touch. Does anyone really care that Demi Moore came to stay? No. Visitors want to know where to find good camp sites and affordable cottages, inexpensive places to take the kids, and free to all, is the stunning scenery and magnificent beaches.

So what if the planet is going to the dogs, and maybe we're in denial, but it's a new year and summer holidays are being planned. We want the tourist industry to be successful as it generates around £2 billion of income to the County. Cornwall has got it's act together with fantastic restaurants to suit all pockets, exceptional tourist attractions and improved roads. We are the custodians to one of the most beautiful places imaginable... and we want to share it!

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