Jax Trax: PadStorm

Another pretty B&B: Coswarth House, Padstow

What else is there to do in weather like this than sit in a restaurant/café and watch the world go by? An ‘amber’ storm alert was issued (and delivered) especially for the Royal Cornwall Show just down the road.

We checked into another lovely B&B. Russ, our charming tour guide in Penzance had told us there was a better restaurant than Rick Stein’s collection in Padstow – Paul Ainsworth’s Number 6. So as soon as we arrived, we rang and fluked a table for 2 for dinner.

We had told ourselves we would just have a main course each and an early night – oops! The menu was fantastic and we ended up having 3 courses each – we can diet at home.

Then, up in the morning for our first Rick Stein’s breakfast – I mentioned in an earlier blog that our B&B hosts weren’t able to provide breakfast for our stay so had booked us into Rick Stein’s café both mornings – tough but someone’s got to do it.

'Cafe street' in Padstow, Rick Stein and Paul Ainsworth

Paul noticed that there was a masseur at the ‘local’ golf club and ‘convinced’ me that I really needed a massage, and a long one – long enough for a golf round. But, the storm intensified and he had to content himself with the driving range.

Me on the other hand, possibly met a long lost cousin – Gabrielle, the masseur was descended from Olds and Bennetts from St Merryn (where we were, just out of Padstow). Francis Old and Elizabeth Bennett were my 5g grandparents, so pretty far back! Their grandson migrated to Launceston in the 1840s.

Paul wants to take me shopping! Mustn’t get too excited though – it’s because he’s seen a shop called ‘Lazy Jack’s’ and they have logo clothes.

We had dinner at the heritage Old Ship Inn: I had a half lobster and Paul had 2 mains (he says entrees): the fresh crab salad, and the seafood broth with ginger and cider. When we paid the bill we noticed that the tab had been set up by L Spear – my ggg grandmother was Mary Spear from Padstow. Unfortunately by the time we got the bill he had knocked off.

Off next to stay with our friends (and ex-neighbours) in Berkshire.