1. Family News
Great excitement! Ellie will be home from Australia for a month, arriving in the UK on the same day that she set off on her travels exactly two years ago. It will be lovely to see her again after so long.
Over on the other side of the Atlantic, Jake is working flat out on two sculptures he has been commissioned to make for a park in Sydney B.C., having won a Public Art competition. He also has other work in hand, so there is plenty to do. The family is happy and well. We miss them all.
Here in Cornwall we have had Jake’s best man, Davy Luscombe, staying for several weeks. He’s a great house guest and, having taken Aggie for many long walks, is definitely her favourite man! Davy was in between Costa Rica and Australia, where he finally arrived a couple of weeks ago. He’s already met up with Ellie in Brisbane, though he’s spending most of his time in New South Wales. He had a Bosorne farewell when Philippa took him to the station.
Davy Luscombe
Bosorne Farewell
Farewell to Bosorne
2. Café News
This summer has been the busiest since we started, even busier than last summer, which we didn’t think would be possible. The weather has been indifferent, not as wet as last year, not as windy, but not the best weather for families with small children. It’s such a shame as we know how fantastic Cornwall is when the sun shines, winter or summer.
At Cape Cornwall
No Fishing Today
Priest’s Cove in a Bit of a Blow
Brisons in Rough Seas
We would be lost without Becca Vosper. She organises the staffing, looks after the ordering of victuals and stores and runs a smooth and happy ship with great efficiency.
Over the years we have got to know many people who come down here for their holidays, and for whom the Cook Book has become a special place to visit. It is always so warming to see them again and to hear how much they love the community in which we are lucky enough to live and work.
One very special and regular guest is Harry Glasson, perhaps better know as Harry Safari. He has become a good friend over the years that he has been bringing people to the Cook Book. We send him our very best wishes for a speedy and full recovery from his operation and look forward to seeing him and his wife Ann in St Just again soon.
A very big thank you to our guests who support the Cook Book, and to the staff who look after them so well.
The Cook Book is closed for the day on Monday 14th September.
3. Book Shop News
Book sales in August were the best ever! It was quite amazing and we’re still scratching our heads and wondering why.
We have been fortunate with the quality of books that we have been offered and make a big effort to present them well on the shelves. One of us will try to keep the shelves looking tidy, though after a really hectic day they sometimes look a bit ruffled. Whenever there’s a spare moment, and if there is space at the bar, we’ll cover dust-jackets in protective sleeves. It keeps them from getting torn and makes a big difference to how they look.
If pages are loose, or the spine is split on books we buy, or if this happens when they are on the shelves, we’ll take them away so Becca can mend them.
Her book repairs and restoration work is going really well. It is lovely to hear the comments of people when they come to collect a favourite book that has been carefully restored or rebound.
Of course, the best thing about buying books is reading them!
4. Book Review
Books can do strange things. They entrance, amuse, bore, instruct and horrify. Sometimes they do much more – sometimes they want you to tell the world about them. One such is “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin.
It is the story of an American climber, Mortenson, who was taken in and cared for by the inhabitants of a remote village in the Karakoram range after a failed attempt on K2. The care he received made him want to do something in return. “Three Cups of Tea” is that story.
Mortenson has built dozens of schools in the cut-off villages of the area. He has achieved a unique understanding of its people and has made friendships with members of the tough, wild tribes who survive in the borderlands of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
He believes passionately that education is the road to peace.
After reading this book, so will you.
Philippa James
Three Cups of Tea.
Authors: Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin.
Published by Penguin Books 2007
ISBN 978-0-14-303825-2
5. Recipes of the Month
Here are three that we have tested and they really work!!
Wasp Stings
Rub the sting with half a raw onion.
I put on a cap that had been hanging on a hook over winter and was abruptly introduced to the queen wasp who was sleeping there. I might have looked odd wandering around rubbing an onion on my bald head but it quickly took away the pain and the swelling.
Night Cramp
Sleep with a magnet in the bed.
When we started The Cook Book we’d get cramp in muscles we didn’t know we had – behind the knee cap was the most painful. After a long day on our feet cramp still bites, or rather it did. Someone told us in the café about putting a magnet in your bed to banish night cramps. We did. It does. I found a small magnet used for adjusting a wet-and-dry thermometer, tied it in a sock so it wouldn’t get lost and put it on the sheet towards the foot of the bed. I believe that any magnet will do the trick.
Sore Throat
This also works well for that run-down pre-cold feeling!
Put the following into a glass or mug:
1 teaspoon of vinegar
1 teaspoon of honey
Juice of half a lemon
Mix thoroughly with about half a glass/mug of hot water and sip slowly
