Cornwall at the moment

[PeacheyPeach]

Has anyone been to Cornwall these summer holidays? Is it as bad as people have reported? Is it heaving

Oh - maybe it was the day of the week? Or maybe my eyesight . I had to get some work done on my car in Wadebridge and went for a wander. In my defence it was exceptionally busy and I was a bit annoyed because all the independent coffee shops were closed due to lack of staff and I am ideologically opposed to Costa!!

Went the first week of the holidays and it was horrendous

Didn’t go this year, but St Ives is like that every year. Always book our July restaurants in February half term. Which is mental, clearly.

We went on 12th April this year (as well as in August) as soon as accommodation opened up. 25 degrees plus all week. Daymer Bay was glorious.

@FrauleinSchweiger me too re: Costa!

@lilacpants

A bit off topic and I'm not on commission, honest or related to any of these businesses! But anyone near Wadebridge please support the little independent shops in the town centre: a fantastic grocer The Vine with lots of Cornish produce and a freshly squeezed orange machine, two brilliant butchers with great BBQ food and local game, 2 branches of Malcolm Barnecutt amazing bakeries, another independent bakery too, lovely big stationers, bookshop, a fishmonger, a computer shop which fixed an iphone for £10.. oh I'm getting carried away now..... not to mention all the amazing cafés. Caraway is our favourite. Cornwall's economy needs you! And parking usually ok too!

@lilacpants wadebridge is lovely.

Services are really struggling though. Good advice for those coming on holiday.

cioshealthandcare.nhs.uk/cornwall-and-the-isles-of-scilly-health-and-care-briefing/?fbclid=IwAR1eQ1ibcpJgEoR7SThMj6drHVndt1rhfwFxsPIYhvv5JJdt879MFd2efTU

The fact that Newquay now has the highest rates of Covid infections really does not surprise me at all after seeing the sheer number of people and the packed together crowds

@lilacpants

A bit off topic and I'm not on commission, honest or related to any of these businesses! But anyone near Wadebridge please support the little independent shops in the town centre: a fantastic grocer The Vine with lots of Cornish produce and a freshly squeezed orange machine, two brilliant butchers with great BBQ food and local game, 2 branches of Malcolm Barnecutt amazing bakeries, another independent bakery too, lovely big stationers, bookshop, a fishmonger, a computer shop which fixed an iphone for £10.. oh I'm getting carried away now..... not to mention all the amazing cafés. Caraway is our favourite. Cornwall's economy needs you! And parking usually ok too!

We are very lucky here in Wadebridge aren't we?

I work out towards the coast and I've definitely noticed that the roads are so much busier this year. My DB went to Watergate Bay yesterday and apparently it was rammed. I don't think it going to get much quieter in September either. I work in accommodation and we are full to the end of October!

@Happyharry2003 - teen DD reliably informs me that "everyone who went to Boardmasters now has Covid" .

Had another miserable and long car journey this evening taking her to football training as bloody Festival at Wadebridge Showground and apparently there's another one at the weekend...Aaghh - feeling trapped at home at the moment as everywhere I go is endless traffic. Ho hum ...

@Happyharry2003

The fact that Newquay now has the highest rates of Covid infections really does not surprise me at all after seeing the sheer number of people and the packed together crowds

To be fair the numbers were high before Boardmasters festival, which was only last week.

When we arrived in Cornwall, which was before the festival, locals were saying how high their numbers were.

We went last week , was fine . We didn't go to the super busy places though!

[quote FrauleinSchweiger]@Happyharry2003 - teen DD reliably informs me that "everyone who went to Boardmasters now has Covid" .

Had another miserable and long car journey this evening taking her to football training as bloody Festival at Wadebridge Showground and apparently there's another one at the weekend...Aaghh - feeling trapped at home at the moment as everywhere I go is endless traffic. Ho hum ...[/quote]
One of DD's friends who went to Boardmasters, single jabbed, now has covid. They returned home on Monday morning. He tested positive yesterday.

Dd (double jabbed) remains negative as does their other friend (single jab) who was with them. They've done LFTs since getting home, and today, and a PCR yesterday after friend told them- all negative. All three did LFTs on arrival at Boardmasters on the First day and then were told they had to do another on the Friday too. They were given a band to show they have a covid pass.

DD and friend are off to Leeds festival next week (friend who is negative now can't go as he won't be out of isolation) so I guess we see what happens after that.

A number of DD's friends have tested positive this summer - they are blaming nightclubs and/or crowded bars. They were either unvaccinated or have had one jab so far.

A number of under 18s we know tested positive after the Tramlines festival earlier in the summer holidays. None of those were vaccinated at all though.

All are getting jabbed as soon as they are able, but haven't been eligible long enough to have had both.

Dd only had chance to have both because she queued for hours for her first and then queued again at a walk in for her second, getting it earlier than normal - we took the chance of early second jab specifically as she wanted full vaccination before festivals) plus she is likely to be offered the booster because of me, maybe. She's just booked in for a flu jab next month too.

Just got back. Seaton was fine, Looe and Polperro busy, but not a nightmare.

I’m in Fowey now, I’ve never seen it so busy - same with Looe the other day. It’s okay when you get a little out of town but I expected it to be quite busy anyway.

I'm listening to the rain outside my window now. The obvious question is have you booked?

Nobody in their right mind goes to the hotspots in peak season unless they're naive or they don't mind it being busy. There were over 9000 at Polzeath a couple of weeks ago and you couldn't move for Range Rovers, but I went to nearest beach yesterday on the other coast & it was no busier than in May or June. Portholland (impossible to get to unless you like reversing uphill) didn't have a single person on the beach at midday earlier this week. The Lizard has also been no different to normal.

I've been in the New Forest & Hants this summer. It took over 3.5 hours to get from Paulton's Park near Southampton to Exeter (100 mile) but only 90 minutes to do the last 80 miles. You just need to accept that all rural/coastal tourist areas are busy, but nobody anywhere in the country can wave a magic wand, grab a coffee in seconds or get seated instantly if they turn up with a family of 5 at lunchtime and demand a table overlooking St Michael's Mount.

We're here now staying with family, NW coast, they say it's been incredibly busy this summer but we're going to do our best to avoid people, go to quieter beaches and eat in apart from one night when we've booked a table late afternoon.
Our trip usually takes under 6 hours and it took 7, and we set off super early morning to try and avoid too much traffic.
Weather due to be good next week so likely to be busy with day trippers too.

Returned last week. Was expecting far worse tbh. We stayed Falmouth area. Went to Kynance Cove on a sunny afternoon and parked no probs. Spent several hours on Marazion beach after a visit to St Michael's Mount and had enough space for my kids to play football without it going anywhere near anyone else - it was very hot that afternoon too. Same situation on Kennack Sands after a great trip to the Lizard watching a family of seals play on the rocks below. I think the busiest place we went to was Lands End on a really miserable day but still managed to make the most of it and get some bracing fresh air. My kids loved the seal sanctuary in Gweek and I loved mooching about Falmouth, St Mawes and Porthleven. We didn't eat out loads but were generally able to pre-book for next day once we'd decided what we were doing and where we were going after consulting the ever changing weather forecast!

chuffoff sounds similar to our week in Cornwall. The Falmouth and West to Penzance stretch is my favourite part of Cornwall, how I remember the Devon and Cornwall as a child. The whole area is so much quieter than the north coast but really beautiful. I'm worried Porthleven will be discovered soon but hopefully it's too far from the normal tourist traps.