The Fantastical Worlds 2015 course kicked off with a welcome tea and the grand opening of the Novel English Dormitory, the first time our converted cowshed had been used! We went on to have a wonderful five days and nights of exciting activities, incorporating themes from Alice in Wonderland, The Earthsea Quartet, Elidor, The Subtle Knife and The Magician’s Nephew. Every day brought new and interesting things to do and places to visit, including acting out scenes from Elidor on our local beach Kennack Sands and in the Poltesco Valley, escaping into imaginary lands through hula hoops with a magic ring, and having a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party on the Trelugga picnic bench. The children were enthralled by their night of storytelling, their midnight feast and the last night extravaganza of baked potatoes by a roaring bonfire. The last day accumulated with a picnic for the parents collecting the children. A wonderful time was had by all involved, as can be seen by the comments we received from our five guests in the Novel English comments book:

“I’ve had the best times ever so I have to say a massive thank you. We have done loads of activities that I’ll never forget.” Wilamena-May

“Thank you so much for having me, Deborah! It was fab in the cow-shed and I throughly enjoyed myself! I hope you will have me again!” Roxanne

“I really liked the drama, it was really fun. I liked being with kids my own age and getting to know them. Thank you Deborah and Nick!” Abby

We would like to say a big thank you to all the children who came and everyone who helped make the course such an outstanding success!

Last week the A level Shakespeare course took place and it was a great success! We managed to go through four plays in as many days, covering Measure for Measure, Othello, The Winter’s Tale and The Taming of the Shrew. The students got a good perspective on Shakespeare’s women, the pastoral and tragic comedy, and thoroughly enjoyed their stay at Trelugga. We received e-mails from their happy parents, and I share a few of their kind words here:

‘Thank you for having the girls. Heather certainly seems to have enjoyed herself. She said that she loved it and now is much more confident taking A level English next year as she now understands Shakespeare. She said she loved your cooking and has now decided that quiche is actually quite nice!’ – Harriet, mother of Heather.

‘Thank you so much for giving Hannah such an enjoyable time. She has been talking non stop about it since she has been home. She is planning on doing an Extended Project in the Lower Sixth and is brimming with ideas about comparing some of Shakespeare’s plays with modern films, or discussing Shakespeare’s portrayal of women in 2 or 3 of his plays. So you have certainly inspired her!’ – Janis, mother of Hannah.

Thank you for coming Hannah and Heather, we enjoyed having you and wish you both good luck in your English Literature studies in the future!

We’ve had many happy guests in Chough Cottage this season and I thought I would share some of the lovely words they have written about their stays in the visitor’s book:

‘We’ve all had a lovely week, love Chough Cottage, such a quiet and peaceful location. Our favourite places were The Lizard, Kynance Cove, Cadgwith, Coverack and Falmouth. Lovely beaches at Coverack (dogs allowed) and Poldhu Cove (no dogs allowed on the beach). If you like walking, try the coast path from Lizard Point to Kynance Cove (approx 2 and a half miles each way). Excellent cafes at both. Thank you Nick and Deborah for your hospitality.’ –Mike, Anne, Amy and Stu from Bournemouth

‘We have throughly enjoyed a fantastic week in a beautiful cottage. Thanks Nick and Deborah for your hospitality. Nick gave us some great tips on places to visit- only wish we were here for longer to visit them all. Horse riding from Mullion was fantastic with a one and a half hour trek to the beach. We also enjoyed the Minack Theatre- with fantastic views and lighting after dark. Our favourite meal was at The Old Cellar in Cadgwith- a great setting and fabulous food. Also the Lightboat House in Coverack was very nice, especially with a table overlooking the sea. We hope to visit again very soon!!’ – Paul, Dawn and Jenna from Nuneaton

‘Everything was perfect; the most beautiful cottage, the beautiful garden around and the fabulous weather all the days. Our first visit to Cornwall is not the last one. We warmly thank you, Deborah and Nick, for the nice stay at your cottage. We felt very welcome and comfortable. Hope to come back soon.’ – Stefan, Lusila and Lea and dog Josy from Cloppenburg, Germany

We would like to thank our guests for their encouraging words and wish them all a happy summer 2015!

We have been busy harvesting our gigantic crop of broad beans over the last day or two! We have never had so many in previous years, it’s quite overwhelming! It means that we’re looking up interesting bean recipes and have lots of exciting new dishes to try!

Yesterday we visited the Stithian’s Show, which is an annual farmer’s event held in the village of Stithians. Despite the damp weather, a good time was had by all, as we enjoyed seeing a variety of animals, including goats, sheep, cows, chickens and ducks. The show also puts on a flower and vegetable display, and it was exciting to see the huge cabbages and perfect sweet peas! Perhaps the highlight of the show though was the dog shows, as we walked through the dog tent admiring the perfect examples of breeds out in all their finery. Stithians is always a good summer day out, even if the weather doesn’t seem too summery! Have a look at the Novel English Facebook page for photos of the animals and displays we saw!

February half-term: Famous Writers Course: The Ways of Love (includes Pride and Prejudice, My Last Duchess, La Belle Dame Sans Merci and The Story of St Valentine)

Easter Holidays: Jane Austen Course (looking into the language of Jane Austen)

October half-term week: Famous Writers Course: Gothic Genre (includes the works of Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe)

Winter Holidays: Ghost Genre (Beside the Fireside with Victorian and Contemporary Novels), Once Upon A Time… (The Brothers Grimm, Philip Pullman, The Nutcracker and E.T.A Hoffman)

Don’t forget to have a look at the Novel English Facebook page, as there you can find lots of photos and further updates on courses and events!

Recently, we’ve noticed a rather large sea-gull lurking on Trelugga’s chimney-pots, waiting for a chance to swoop in and grab some bread from the bird-table; he is a reminder of the sea nearby.

In the evenings the garden is full of bats getting their fill of insects, and in the trees you can hear the hoots of barn owls.