2 lovely reviews from the last week
First one from Sunday 11th September. A guided tour in the rain. It did not stop these lovely people from attending the free tour.
A highly recommended tour which was well worth getting a bit wet for! Anna is lively and engaging and makes the history of Penzance come truly alive. I would loved to have booked for her two tour of Chapel Street but alas no more time. I learnt a lot…from pirates raiding the coast for slaves to how Penzance was a literary centre.
And last Thursday 8th September 2022 a lovely hiking group from Austria
Dear Anna
Letzte Woche durften mein Mann und ich eine Gruppe in Cornwall begleiten. Wir kamen in den Genuss Ihrer Stadtführung.
Ihre Art zu erklären hat mich sehr angesprochen. Ihre Begeisterung war ansteckend und Ihre Hinführung zu einem Thema hat neugierig gemacht. Nochmals ein herzliches Danke dafür.
Ich habe selber als Museumsführerin in Österreich gearbeitet und muss sagen, dass ich diesbezüglich etwas anspruchsvoll bin. Ich habe Ihre Ausführungen sehr genossen.
Best regards
Gerlinde
Away down to Lamorna
The only thing you can do during a heatwave is head down to Lamorna Cove for a swim. Join the mermaids already enjoying the calm sea.
I walked along the shady lane towards the cove and spotted the Scillonian heading out to the IOS. A perfect day for it with unlimited sunshine and the sea like a mirror.
Down to the small beach. There was a surprisingly amount of sand covering up the rocks. Such a pity about the quay itself. Washed away during a storm a few years ago.
The sea was cool, clear with small waves. Just right to wash away any stress or tension
The cafe was still closed and doesn’t open until 11 am. So I wandered home for coffee and cake
Parking charges are bearable and the notice is more polite than the previous one
Lamorna cove is also a good starting point to walk along the SWCP back to Penzance or onwards to Penberth, Porthcurnow and Land’s End
Away down to Lamorna by the amazing Brenda Wootton
No tour Sunday — LitFest Tours
There will be NO free guided tour of Penzance Town this Sunday 10th July 10 am
I am running LitFest Tours for the Penzance Literary Festival this weekend. Friday and Saturday. There are still a few tickets available for Saturday morning. For the LitFest tours we walk through Penzance and I will tell you about famous and some obscure writers who lived in Penzance or just passed through. From 1600 onwards there have been writers who thought it worthwhile to visit Penzance and write about it.
And on Monday morning I am heading to Falmouth docks again to guide
cruisers through West Penwith.
So I will make Sunday a grandboys day and spent it with my family
Don’t forget you can book tours for any time that suits you. £7.50 pp and they last 2 hours
pzlitfest.co.uk
Quay Fair Day 2022
I am sorry to tell you because of Quay Fair Day on Sunday 26th June, there will be no guided tour of Penzance. Enjoy the Quay Fair which is part of Penzance’s rich history
Quay Fair is an essential part of Golowan – the feast of St. John – Midsummer and dates back to roughly 1750 when it was first mentioned.
From time immemorial a custom has been observed in Penzance which probably will astonish a stranger. On the eve of St.John and St.Peter, as soon as the sun has set, bonfires and tar-barrels are lighted in the principal thoroughfares and blazing torches, as much as one person can conviniently lift , are swung through the streets. Ornamental fireworks are not wanting -sky-rockets, Roman-candles, balloons etc . Hand-rockets, squibs and crackers make up the fun of the evening . A combination of lurid flames, smoke, music, screams of the timid, sparks, fun, frolic and good humour is seldom met with elsewhere. But this fiery carnival, which continues far into the small hours of the following morning must be seen to be appreciated.
It still continues to this day. Not quite so dramatic, because it was seen as too dangerous as early as mid 1850s. H&S wouldn’t allow it neither nowadays.
(Official Guide to Penzance 1876 re-released 1975)
Free Guided Tour
19th June 2022 10 am
FREE GUIDED WALKING TOUR OF PENZANCE TOWN
We meet outside the railway station and explore the history of our ancient town. Tours last about 2 hrs and finish at the statue of our famous scientist. Come along and discover.
Busy Jubilee Weekend
Jubilee Weekend was busy and the party is over. The Queen did the most sensible thing, stayed at home and put her feet up. I will do the same over the next few days
.It started on Thursday night watching the beacon being lit in West Penwith. The weather was perfect for spending it on a hill top looking out to sea.
Friday night was bell ringing night at St.Buryan Church. Climbing 33 steps to the ringing room and ringing ‘Queens’ and some ‘firing’. It was great fun and we celebrated with Prosesco (?) and cake .
Saturday all day guiding the lovely visitors from the Viking Mars. Early start at 8 am and finish 5pm. It is always a joy to tell the history . legends and anecdotes of Cornwall. Not forgetting the parks and garden, flora and fauna, industry and what life was like and is like now
Viking Mars
- Only 930 guests
- Length: 745 feet
- Beam: 94.5 feet
- Class: small ships
- Year built: 2022
On Sunday morning a lovely German couple joined me on my FREE tour . It was just them and I run the tour in German. They loved Penzance and it’s stories. Planning to come back soon
And on Monday for a morning job back to Falmouth Docks to guide German cruisers along the coast to Marazion and through Unesco Heritage Site. Rosamunde Pilcher was mentioned, but only a little. They were more interested in the scenery and what real life is like in Cornwall
Größe: 29.000 BRZ Länge: 193 m Breite: 25 m Decks/Stockwerke: 8
Passagiere: maximal 570, meist deutsche Gäste
I hope you had a lovely weekend too
Ancient Steps
Between the old custom house at the harbour of Penzance
and the Boatshed, formerly known as the Bosun,
are ancient steps overlooked by locals and visitors.
They were named break your back steps in the old days.
Ships were unloading their cargo on the beach, no harbour in those days, and the goods had to be carried up these steps to the warehouse that used to be on the right. Up and down the men went with heavy sacks on their backs.
Look how worn they are.
The buildings are roughly from end of 1600, so the steps are the same age. Granite smoothed down and rounded from 300 years of use.
Go and have a look and walk up them imagining carrying a heavy sack and that 6 days a week.
But take care. They can be slippery
The end of another guiding season is upon us
Yep another summer has gone past and autumn is upon us. The regular tours on Sunday and Wednesday have finished now, but I am still available for private tours until I start again in 2022
There are some changes afoot. Good news and bad news. I cannot keep my guided tours under 2 hours and I feel it is wrong to say 1.5 hrs when I know it will take longer and I am sorry to say that the price for a guided tour goes up to £7.50 from next year. But I will continue with my FREE TOUR on Sundays at 10 am in 2022
I had some lovely feedback from people on my tours. Just go to Tripadvisor to read them . Shows you it is well worth it spending 2 hours with me strolling through Penzance.
St. Antony’s Garden. I will tell you about pirates, social injustice and the old chapel.
There is so much to show and tell during the guided walk through Penzance. Do come along and find out all the bits and pieces you can’t find on apps or maps.
Last Day of Summer 2021? 7th September 2021
Unbroken sunshine from the minute the sun rose until she went down. Temperture rose to 30 degrees C and a warm wind was blowing. It was time to make the most of this day and head to the beach
We chose Portreath and lots of other people had the same idea. Walking past the harbour we were hit by the awful smell coming from it. Oh dear how much can you charge for a holiday beside the harbour? Quickly on to the beach and a short stop to listen to the Jazzband that played at the pub we were passing.
It was low tide and the beach was busy with people and dogs enjoying this gift from the heavens. Lifeguards were still patroling the beach. Some people ignored the flags and the warning of strong currents. Putting the lives of others at risk.
We had a quick dip, but didn’t make the effort to scramble up to the mermaid pool on the right of the beach. Too hot.
The weatherforecast was for rain and thunder during the night making this maybe the last day of summer 2021 .
Dark clouds were gathering at sunset with some amazing cloud formation. Just beautiful
Tour of Britain Penzance
There will be no guided walking tours of Penzance from the 3rd to the 5th September 2021.
And this is the reason why.
Penzance will roll out the red carpet to riders in the country’s largest free spectator sporting event – when the Tour of Britain’s Grand Départ takes place in the town on Sunday 5 September.
A weekend of activities and celebration is planned to coincide with the first-ever Cornwall stage of the modern Tour. There will be a range of events and entertainments, including the Golowan fireworks, BMX and skate displays, an Event Village with local food, drink and crafts, and criterium races for all ages and abilities.
And, to get a great sporting weekend underway, the Cornish Pirates will take on the Royal Navy in their opening pre-season home rugby match.
List of events from Friday to Sunday
Friday 3 September
Rugby – Cornish Pirates v Royal Navy, Mennaye Field Penzance. 7:30pm kick off
Saturday 4 September
Penzance Criterium Cycle Races and Event Village – taking place on Western Prom Avenue from 9am to 5pm (races for all ages and abilities take place throughout the day)
Fun Bike Race – come along in fancy dress or just take part in the race at 2pm (all ages and abilities welcome)
Golowan Fireworks – free event taking place in Penzance Harbour at 9pm
Sunday 5 September
Pre-race presentation begins at 10am, followed by the race start at 11am
Tour of Britain Big Screen – watch all the action from stage one
Event Village – open on Western Prom Avenue from 9am to 5pm
BMX and Skate displays and workshops – running from 11.30am to 4pm
Local food and drinks stalls, and Artisan Craft Market – offering fine local produce
Travel information
For details on road closures, parking and traffic management in place in Penzance during the Grand Départ weekend, please visit lovepenzance.co.uk/tob.
tourguidepenzance 