St ives, cornwall, is it hard to park near the sea front ?

[Lardlizard]

I’ve not been before, but someone told me it’s a bit of a bugger to park near the the sea front ?

Yes, well aware, having grown up there. It’s a fact that Cornwall has lower per capita ICU capacity compared to other parts of the country. You have just enough to get by for your population, but any very serious issues get referred on to tertiary centres, e.g. Bristol. If your population booms because of an influx of tourists and covid takes hold, you do not have the infrastructure to cope. Advanced covid falls under what I would term ‘serious illness’ and I would much rather stay near our local hospital which happens to be a tertiary centre and leading respiratory centre (hence we won’t be travelling to Cornwall this year, partly because we don’t want to spread any virus, and partly because we don’t want to overburden local infrastructure)

Brandaris that's my favourite joke. My old boss would always say it tourists who came into our shop to ask for beach recommendations .

But yeh, what everyone else has said. Definitely second the suggestion to park at St Erth and take the train in.

Our in laws had a holiday booked for July in St ives but have been refunded and cancelled by the hotel, I cant see holidays happening here by July.
And no you park at the top of the town and go down many steps for the beach.

Many local MPs and councillors have been campaigning for increased council tax rates on second homes in the county for years

Do you not have this already, then? Because we have a tiny flat on the south coast (not Cornwall) ready for when we retire in 2 years' time. And we effectively DO pay increased council tax. Because the properties are rated, and then locals get discounts for all kinds of things, so essentially the only people paying full council tax are people like us.

And big thanks to all of you making the sensible choice to come back another year. WSM had to shut its A&E and Im sure it wont be long before this kind of thing happens in Cornwall, we are very busy. RNLI has been unable to train its lifeguards due to lock down so only 7 beaches will have lifeguarding, so far its been done by volunteer ex lifeguards etc - lives have been lost in the popular tourist spots this week. Please think of all this stuff when you think about summer holidays. Come back next year when we will be more ready and safer.

Forest Holidays are opening at the end of the month. Don’t know why people think you won’t be able to go anywhere in July.

I wouldn’t go to Cornwall, OP. They hate tourists.

Take the train.

Also, there are less crowded places to go. Cornwall may be stuffed to the sky with tourists but I know for a fact that our little tourist hotspot on the south coast isn't. I can't go at the moment but I can see on the town webcams that it's pretty empty and I've spoken to some of my neighbours who have confirmed that it's very quiet.

I’m not bothered about getting a warm welcome, I mean I wouldn’t stick about on mumsnet If I have a shit about that 🤣🤣

Gave obv

Hideous parking. You might get lucky and get a spot behind The Sloop, but I doubt it. However, I have generally found spaces at The Stennack car park, although it is a private carpark and they are a bunch of crooks issuing dodgy fines. As for locals in St Ives, I doubt there are that many living in town itself - it's wall to wall holiday houses.Maybe go to Gwithian for a beautiful beach or to Sennen - gorgeous. If it's allowed then. I don't live in the UK anymore sadly - I miss Cornwall everyday.

@Lardlizard

We get the train in, first thing to arrive in St.Ives around 08.30 a.m, have a coffee, have a walk on the beach, see a couple of shops, have lunch as early as possible to get a table, then home, for the afternoon.

Ha -yes even 20 years ago when we used to go there was impossible. You can get a little train in but is difficult even to park at the station.

They have a new park and ride car park at St Erth with plenty of parking, it's a beautiful scenic journey around the coastline as you approach St Ives.

We had a car with an EU license plate for a while about 8 years ago (European partner) and it was vandalised several times, window broken etc.

In a different part of town it was assumed we were the ‘dealers’ on the street we lived on and got shouted at, when the actual dealers were caught we got an apology but it wasn’t nice to be targeted for a while.

So locals were targeting people they assumed were tourists before Corona virus? How does that fit into the local economy?
Why would OP be assumed to be a drug dealer?
What relevance does any of this have to someone visiting the beach?

We have an apartment booked from 4 July (with private parking!) and yesterday the owner confirmed that this and all the other apartments that he owns will be opened and available from that date.

I’m from Cornwall and I like tourists I don’t know where all this bizarre tourist hating stuff comes from, none of the people I know think that way either.

If people come on and holiday and are socially distancing, what difference does it make to anyone?

The hotels and bars will still be closed, there are social distancing measures in place for all supermarkets etc. So if people are staying in self contained holiday accommodation, what is the problem?

I feel so lucky that I have been able to take my DC down to the beach and let them play, during this stressful time. I don’t begrudge any other family being able to do the same thing, I don’t own the beaches (and I’d share even if I did own them 😂)

PanamaPattie

Hairdressers won’t even be open until at least July and you think St Ives will be ready? Good luck.

omg 😂🤣 so I need a cut and blow dry for them to 'let me in', will my dog need the groomers also🤔

DH is from Cornwall, we were on a zoom call with his mum (who actually works at Treliske) who told us she has been shouted at twice in the last week while walking the dog on public footpaths she has used for years by people who thought she must be a tourist, and she saw a note on a car in a layby saying "to go home to your primary residence, considering the current situation of covid19". The car belonged to a neighbour who had moved it for a few hours while they cut their hedge.

We usually go down to stay in a holiday cottage close to her every summer, but luckily we hadn't booked for this summer yet and definitely got the message loud and clear - if lockdown permits (and it looks like it will by July/August) she's coming up to us and we're going elsewhere.

Been going to St Ives for 40 years. Parking is a no no, the narrow streets, the lack of parking (many a time we've been on The Island car park queuing for a space).

Sadly it's just so busy these days since it became extremely fashionable. If it wasn't for 1970s childhood nistalgia I wouldn't go every year. I certainly wouldn't go in July, social distancing will be nigh on impossible there.

Parking has always been terrible. I won't be going anywhere this summer though. After months of lockdown everyone will be heading for the beaches and social distancing will be impossible (I am very vulnerable).

I go to St Ives every year, and stay in the cobbled streets bit. Parking is a no no, even dropping off luggage is a swift military operation. Quick park up in narrow street, drop off and then have a designated parking spot a 10 minute walk away. Car has never been vandalised. (Stealth boast, it's a flash one, mention because if there was any attacking going on I would imagine it would get targeted.)

The teeny tiny streets are better suited to smaller cars. We used to have a long car, that was fun trying to reach where we stay.

Should be in St Ives next week. Cancelled obviously. 😞

You won't be welcome with an inch of roots and split ends. Just giving you the heads up.

Parking in St Ives is a nightmare but I imagine social distancing in the streets will be even more impossible

Ditto Padstow

Oh Sarcelle. Been there, done that, every year.

See you at Norway Stores 🙃