A huge thank you to all our guests over the years for your wonderful support, and to all the fantastic staff who have made and keep making it happen.

1. One more job to be done…

With a new roof, new windows and freshly painted windows, doors and tables, there was one last job to be done outside before the start of the Easter holidays – resurface the tarmac outside The Cook Book and Banjo Cottage.

As it was

Cuttong edge

Craig & his mini digger

Cleared away

Steaming

Job done!

2. February & March News

Staff: Welcome to Amy Glenville who has started working with us, and many many congratulations to Kate Rolls who has been offered a place at the University of East Anglia to study medicine.

We wish all our student staff every success with their GCSE’s, A levels and other exams.

Family: Ellie & Tim fly over from Brisbane at the beginning of May for a three week holiday. It’s Tim’s first visit to the U.K. so we are hoping for brilliant weather to show Cornwall at its very best.

Jake is flat out with some big blacksmithing contracts in Canada. He’s currently advertising for a blacksmith journeyman with a Canadian work permit….check out his website for contact details.

Our grandson, Rowan, aged six, is seriously good at chess. The first week-end in April he has entered the Provincial chess tournaments by grade on Friday all day, immediately followed by the adult Grand Pacific Open Tournament, from Friday night till Monday. As his mother says, “Yikes!!”

We’re taking a week-end off to celebrate Jo and Jamie’s 35th wedding anniversary. When they got married, David was working at sea in a sail-training vessel and had to get from Sheerness to Yarmouth Isle of Wight and back in one day – by train and ferry! Hopefully the journey will be easier this time.

3. Along the coast in February & March

Waves breaking ...

... moon setting over the Brisons

Sea smoking over the Kettle, Wolf Rock behind

Sea Dog at Priest's Cove

Tramways & leats on the side of Cot Valley

March evening

Gone fishing!!!

These photos were taken from the March & April 2009 and May 2009 newsletters.

The new roof looks fantastic.

All-weather team

The Scaffolding is dismantled ...

... to reveal our beautiful new roof and windows

From the Plen an Gwary

Where the damp got in before the roof went back on...

... and a general view of the dining room ready for painting

A good spread

A good time was had by all

Spot the new mobile phone

What a wonderful view

David and Philippa

3. Cape Cornwall Street Christmas Fair Saturday 3rd December

This was our first joint venture with the new St Just Art and Crafts Gallery next door and it was a great success. We both welcomed guests with mulled wine and mince pies. In The Cook Book, those had been baked by Emily Jelbert and they were delicious. We had seven stalls in the dining room selling everything from home-made fudge to bespoke leatherwork, and the steady flow of visitors gave the place a lovely atmosphere.
Emma & Emily had decorated the bar, dining room and scaffolding, and insisted on suitable decorations for the staff as well!

Dressed overall

Emily & Emma

Mulled wine & mince pies

Aggie keeping an eye on proceedings

Tristan's first Christmas at The Cook Book

The gallery, stall-holders, The Cook Book and visitors all hope to make this an annual event.

4. Banjo Cottage

Our lovely 18th Century cottage is again available for holiday lets. Visit Banjo Cottage for full details of availability and how to book.
There is a 10% discount on bookings made before 15 February.

5. Why we live here…

...it's a great place to walk the dog...

...or watch waves

Winter sunset...

...and time to get home before the light goes

The Brisons in half a gale

Lines in the sand

Windsurfers at Long Rock...

...an ebbing tide

St Michaels Mount

Freshly washed

Christmas Fair 3rd December 2011

The brain child of our neighbours in the new and brilliant St Just Art and Crafts Gallery next door to the Cook Book, we look forward to welcoming you to our first Christmas Fair with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie.

In The Cook Book we’ll have a number of stalls offering beautiful work by Bosorne Leatherwork, Helen Jay Pottery, Evocative Cornwall and others, as well as genuine book bargains and Julie Chapple’s scrumptious mini Christmas cakes and rum truffles.

Tea, coffee and cakes will also be on sale.

2. Morrab Library Book Fair

Philippa really loved her first Book Fair. Once again John Lewis shared our stand and was a huge help in setting up and striking down, as well as on the stand throughout the day. The Book Fair is the only one we attend and is a great shop-window for us, as well as, of course, being another place where we sell books – and buy them too. It’s good to report that we always sell more than we buy!!

Setting up – it’s an early start

John Lewis & Philippa unpacking boxes

3. Family News

Out in Canada
Rowan, aged six, is a serious chess player. He went to two ‘Chess Camps’ during the summer holidays and recently took part in a championship match where he came third, beating young people at least twice his age.

Third Prize

Chess champs – first & second prize winners are at least twice Rowan’s age!!!

He regularly competes all over the world online on Chess.com. He’s been beating Ellie. Now it’s my turn! “Don’t worry, Grandpa, you’ll learn from your mistakes.”

October is the month for birthday parties out there, with Miranda, Jake and Liv all celebrating within a couple of weeks of each other, as well as Jake and Miranda’s seventh wediing anniversary. Happy times.

Down Under
Ellie and Tim have bought a fabulous house together on the edge of a 52 acre nature reserve, yet really close to the centre of Brisbane. From the photos we’ve seen it looks palatial – and right now they are entertaining my sister Jo and her husband Jamie, who are having the holiday of a lifetime visiting friends and family all over Australia.

Ellie’s heavily into gardening. We keep forgetting it’s spring out there and continue to be amazed at the speed with which her various plants are shooting up. So is Ellie!!

4. Back at The Cook Book

Nine years after the surveyor told us the roof should be replaced, we’ve finally plucked up enough courage to get on with it. Actually, we didn’t have a choice as it had got to the point where it couldn’t be patched up any longer.
A big thank you to Cornwall’s Conservation officer, Penny Stokes, who advised us that we didn’t have to replace it with a wet-laid roof, providing planning permission was granted. This would enable us to make savings of at least 1/3rd of what that would cost.

Farewell ancient roof. You did us proud!

South Shore Scaffolders build our tent

Starting at the front

Encased in steel

And tented over

Slates come off

Going...

...Going

...Gone!

Timbers go on

But first this must go...

...so the roof looks like it did in about 1790

Lunch-break

Insulated by recycled plastic bottles, felt & battens going on

Reminds me of building a ship – the sweet lines of our new roof

The next stage is leadwork and then the slates!!!

5. Down to Earth

Autumn visitors

Great-nephew Jesse, over from Madrid

Jamie waiting for a mug of Latte

Becky Watson...

...and her new son Sam, just a few weeks old

We put our best foot forward....

...for Feast Monday

Why we live here

Surf on Trafalgar Day

Evening light on the silver sea

The Cook Book will be closing daily at 4.00pm from Monday 5th September.

1. This summer

A mixed bag of weather, with some brilliant days and others with cloud as thick as a bag and down to about 200 feet, which isn’t so good for people on holiday – St Just is over 300 feet above sea level. But it’s great for cafe-bookshops, so is rain and we’ve had several damp and dreary days outside, while inside there’s been a terrific atmosphere, lots of people, conversation flowing, laughter echoing and our lovely staff keeping the food and drinks flowing smoothly, at the same time there’s been a steady stream of people up and down the stairs for books.

Friendly dogs with their owners!

Many hands...making red onion jam

The two Ems + glasses to stop onions from making them cry. (It worked!)

Lafrowda Day came and went. The Cook Book was super busy Becca’s tried and tested system for running the place when we’re flat out worked brilliantly, our guests were happy and so were our excellent staff, though none of us had time even to take a photograph!

Philippa’s really enjoying running the book side of The Cook Book, from buying books to keeping the shelves stocked and tidy. This last part of the job is difficult at times, especially when the place is full and we’re really flying with food orders. However, it is so important, and so is managing to get books put back on the right shelves after some browsers have been visiting – or a lot of children have been upstairs!

Here’s a ‘fact’, recently reported in the press: three out of every ten households do not possess a book. Quite how this is established is a bit of a mystery, but if it’s true that is so awful for the children of those households.

No books = no sitting on a parent’s knee to look at the pictures, no stories read aloud, no curling up in a chair to escape to another world, no reading in bed, no atlas, no dictionary, no reference books.

No Books = no stretching of the imagination, no knowledge, no poetry, no curiosity, no comfort, no escape. How sad is that?

2. Family News

Ellie and Tim have bought a house together on the outskirts of Brisbane. It’s got four bedrooms and looks over a 52 acre nature reserve. It’s such exciting news and we wish them great good fortune in their new home.

Jake has unveiled his public art statue in Port Alberni, up on the West coast of Vancouver Island. It reflects the heritage of the lumber and coal industry, combined with the present and future tourist industry. He’s also had a great radio interview on Canadian Broadcasting: Radio interview with Jake. OK, proud parent writing, but it really is an excellent interview which simply and clearly defines the work of an artistic blacksmith.

3. Forthcoming Events

Saturday 24th September: Morrab Library Bookfair at St John’s Hall Penzance. From 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.
Bosorne Books will have it’s usual stall at this excellent bookfair and we look forward to meeting old friends and making new ones.

Saturday 24th September: Poetry at the Equinox at The Cook Book. From 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm.
The Poetry School’s annual presentation of new work by local poets who have attended seminars run by Alice Kavounas Taylor. Tickets from The Cook Book £3 to cover the cost of finger food. Pre-booking essential as seating is limited. You are welcome to bring your own wine or beer.

4. New Roof on The Cook Book

We are having to put a new roof on the building as the existing roof cannot be patched any more with any degree of certainty that it will survive another winter! That’s a lot of cream teas!!!!

We have applied for planning permission, requesting that we may replace the wet-laid slate with a dry-laid slate roof as this will save us a significant sum. That saving will enable us to remove the modern gable and casement window upstairs and the modern shop window of the dining room downstairs, replacing them with windows much more in keeping with the character of this late Eighteenth Century building. Fingers crossed for a favourable decision.

As soon as we know the date we’re starting we’ll post it in a special newsletter. At the moment, it looks as if we’ll only be closed for the time it takes to strip off the old roof. Renewing the roof will be taking place under a scaffolding tent so that work can carry on regardless of the weather.

These pictures show what we’d like to replace, if we could afford to…

....this modern gable window

...and this redundant door and modern window & the resin-mix block work below it

...and this modern window over the front door

5. Staff Party

Almost at the end of another great summer, and already some of the young staff are leaving, a bit like the swallows, so we had a party at home to thank them for all their dedicated hard work that keeps The Cook Book going; some food, a glass or two to toast health and happiness, another glass or two to toast our thanks, great conversation, a lot of laughter and a bonfire beneath a canopy of stars, where we burnt eight wrecked cafe chairs!!

Round the dining room table...

...but not on these chairs!

The Cook Book Team 2011, Emma’s taking the photo, Natalie’s on holiday

A Little Piece of Heaven

Mine stack smoking at sunrise

Grass dancing in the wind

Aggie in new-mown hay

Penanwell on a grey summer’s day

Pendeen Watch from the South

Tidelines at the Crown Mines

Flumps digging to Australia

In....

...and still alive!

Sweet pea scent of summer

A bindweed bugle

Penanwell

Walking down to Cot Valley

Cliff edge flowers

Above Progo

Above Church Rock looking to the Brisons

Nanquidno, out of the wind

Aggie, in the wind!

It has been a busy month

Half term, a lot of walkers, sunshine, showers, prolonged rain, too much wind – and so many old friends and new coming into The Cook Book. It is always good when we’re busy, such a buzz of conversation out front and well-organised action from the moment your order is taken until it is placed in front of you.

Spilling the beans!!!

There are the odd exceptions:
(Don’t ask David to move the grinder, especially when the place is full…..)

Weight and Flight

On 9th June Angela Stoner and Claudia Hoffman took their audience on a journey through words and music.

33 people packed into the Cook Book, stripped of tables and converted to a theatre, for a fabulous evening of Angela’s poetry interpreted by Claudia on a range of instruments including the Celtic Harp, violin, tree harp and singing bowl.

Angela, left, and Claudia

Some of the wrapt audience

Tristan, sleeping like a koala bear!

At the end of the day, there is always much else to be done, but it’s not always hard work…. babysitting!

Bosorne Books

Philippa in her usual perch, pricing books, Aggie helping

Bosorne Books is now being managed by Philippa and, as you will notice, she’s got the book shop very well organised.

Philippa is now responsible for the buying as well as the selling. She and David still work together on the more unusual and expensive books, and David does the collecting of books from people’s homes as that is often very heavy work.

The main reason for the change is that Philippa knows a great deal about books and, with David cooking five days a week, he doesn’t have the time he used to.

It just has to be first!!

The Cook Book 'dressed overall'

We hadn’t really thought about Friday 29th until Bronwen Rowland asked us what we were doing to celebrate, about three days before the happy event. Unimpressed with, ‘Nothing,’ she then suggested that we host a ‘street party’ and set about organising people, food and drink, and told me in no uncertain terms to make sure that we had the bunting out …

The staff 'dressed overall': Becca, David and Emma in their wedding kit

The flags are ones I’ve had for years. It was good to fly the Red Duster again, even though we weren’t at sea.

Hat and cook

It was Philippa’s day off so she stayed at home and watched the whole celebration on television. We were moderately busy, but still had time to hear a fair bit on the wireless.

A Union Jack hat appeared just after we opened – not prizes for guessing who had to wear it.

Closing at 4.00pm, we were then taken over by the party team Mel, Bronwen and Megan. Our dining room was transformed into a ‘street,’ tables were decorated, plates of food appeared, closely followed by the wedding guests, all beautifully dressed and in party mood. The youngest was 11 weeks and the oldest 69.

A good time was had by all!

Setting out the feast

A prince

A princess

Prince and princesses

Philippa in one of Ellie's hats

A great place for a party

Bronwen in her tiara

The hat collector

Princesses in the book room & Aggie patrolling for crumbs

The Union Jack hat found a new owner ...

Those of us on duty during the day were able to watch the highlights in the evening, so too did those who had watched it the first time round.

Talking to the milkman the next day, we agreed it was an amazingly happy day and that the pageantry was something that we do so very well in this country.

A warm welcome to the FRIDGID COW!!!

Fridgid Cow: ice-cream parlour in St Just

Claire Stone’s latest venture is to open a wonderful ice-cream parlour in Market Square. It’s exactly what’s needed in St Just and serves the most delicious Roskilly’s ice-cream in tubs and cornets.

Family news

Jake took his family down to the southern part of California for the Californian Blacksmiths’ Association meeting, where he had been invited to run a workshop. It was a great success all round. The family loved their travels and there was an excellent response to Jake’s skills in design and forging. Some of his work is displayed on his website www.jakejames.ca

We do miss seeing our lovely grandchildren growing up.

Way down South, Ellie continues to love her life in Brisbane. Every time we speak to her we realise that she is becoming more and more settled in Australia.

It’s easy to understand why our children have left Cornwall and are making their way overseas and it is so good to know that they are happy where they are. Such has been the lot of Cornish families over the centuries and we are so lucky that we can at least talk and email on a very regular basis. Think what it must have been like when, for example, one of Philippa’s forebears walked out of St Just to seek his fortune:

On the 2nd day of April 1849, I left St. Just, to find my way to far off South America; I was almost the first to leave for a foreign land, so a great many came to see me off, to say “good bye”, for they thought I should never come back again.

On the top of Treguney, I turned, like the soldier, to take a last fond look of the old place, with a tear in my eye, I shall never forget it, for I was leaving all that was near and dear to me, to seek a strange land, where no familiar face would meet my eye, where a strange language should fall on my ear, not understood.

His parents would have waited anything up to a year or more just to know that he had arrived safely, not drowned off Cape Horn.

April, the driest since records began

What a lovely month. How lucky we are to live in this beautiful place and wake up day after day to clear blue skies, seas gleaming like polished silver, the scent of gorse, spring flowers blooming along hedgerows and foot-paths.

The school holidays and the Easter week-end were busy. So too was the Royal Wedding week-end. Indeed, we continue to be busier and busier as time goes by.

April Gorse

Ayre Point

An empty Gwenvyr

Friendly Long Horn

Aggie and Bluebells

High Tide at Little Sandy

Thrift

It was in November 2002 that Philippa said, ‘Let’s run a book-café,’ and changed our lives dramatically.

We opened The Cook Book on Saturday 5th April 2003. Eight years on and we are still enjoying ourselves, still welcoming old friends, still meeting new ones. Many of our guests come back year after year. Many newcomers are surprised and delighted to find a café-bookshop in the most Westerly town in England.

A huge thank you, one and all, for your wonderful support over the years.

2. Article in Cornwall Today

There’s a great article written by Liz Norbury in the April edition of Cornwall Today. “A Banquet of Books” traces the origins of The Cook Book before focussing on Bosorne Books and the book binding and book repairs that Becca Vosper does. There’s a fine tribute to The Helston Bookworm, where we learned about running a book-shop, and where Becca learned to repair and restore books. Malcolm and Ann are now running The Chester Bookworm in Vermont, so we can’t just pop round for advice and help like we used to!

3. Gold Award Presentation

David and Becca went up to Trelissick to be presented with the CHEFS Gold Award on 23rd March. It was a beautiful day, the gardens were filled with daffodils and blossom and there was a good crowd from all over the Duchy. One fact that amazed us is that there are 8,500 food outlets in Cornwall and fewer than 100 have the CHEFS Award. That makes it very special.

4. Cape Prize Winners Lunch

Cape Prize Winners

Head Teacher Brett Elliot brought the three prize winning “Good Mentors” from Cape Cornwall School to lunch on 4th April.

It was good to see them enjoying themselves and to continue the strong links we have with Cape.

In the very early days, and, of course before David became a school governor, we did enjoy our regular visits from a small group of Year 9 boys. They seemed to be able to wander out of school for an hour or so at about coffee time, would come in, have their espresso or latte, browse the Times and debate current affairs with us before heading back for the next lesson. Their extra-curricular activity didn’t seem to do them any harm!

5. Talking of Cape

Cape Cornwall, misty day, looking down from Carn Gloose

The Western Morning News reported on 19th March that Cape Cornwall is ‘named as the nation’s greatest natural wonder.’

A list of Britain’s seven natural wonders was compiled to celebrate Britain’s Tourism Week and our Cape came top. This is no surprise to anyone who has walked up to the stack and sat in the sun on the bench overlooking the Brisons; or to the families who swim and picnic in Priest’s Cove every year; or to the hundreds of walkers who pass by all in all weathers.

One of the best views of this noble cape is from Carn Gloose.

6. And finally….

….March may have been one of the driest months for a long time, but down here we had our fair share of mist and low cloud. One consequence is the grounding of the Isles of Scilly Sky Bus from Land’s End Aerodrome, but, if they can fly, they do. The low cloud approach from the Scillies comes in over the Brisons and up Cot Valley, sometimes really quite low. They must be great pilots, flying in all weathers on one of the U.K.’s most spectacular routes.

Looking towards Sennen

Bank Square, St Just

The Cook Book

PS

Tristan, aged two weeks

Becca’s nephew, Tristan, has become a regular visitor. He was two weeks old when he first came in.

Now he’s become a dab hand at helping to price books.

Book pricing, the coffee bar

Book pricing, the dining room table at home