Redruth to London

February 2025

Grey, cold, wet February may not be the best time for visiting but it really doesn't matter when the real reason is to see family and friends. Our son Be and his partner Jessy have recently moved into a splendid new flat which we had yet to see. In South East London they are on the ground floor with a big picture window overlooking the garden. We did not anticipate being greeted by a fox curled up on a bench just outside the window ... Living in the countryside we just don't encounter wild foxes so close up and so apparently at ease in a domestic space. The former tenant used to feed it so the fox is very confident; too confident maybe. Jessy is not keen on leaving the window open in case he comes in possibly makes himself comfortable on the sofa, demands supper ...

Their flat is spacious, light filled and very welcoming. We had a weekend of delicious food and great company both at home and out, with my brother, Jonathan, joining us one evening. One morning we walked to the Farmers Market in Brockley up the road. A cornucopia of delights from vegetables and fruit to fish (filleted sardines from Cornwall at £4 each) and takeaway food - I had the most delicious crepe with cheese and spinach, the others chose more meaty street food. We purchased a huge bag of mixed mushrooms which I think were oyster, chanterelle and enoki and were grown in Kent, then some cream from a dairy stall where the each bottle of milk had the name of the cow (ours was Kate) who had shared her bounty. And then we took up residency at the German cake stall where the seller was an avid storyteller. She held us entranced with the story behind the Bienenstich kuchen or Bee Sting cake. The tale goes that two boys were raiding a wild bee hive up a tree on the outskirts of the village in search of honey when they realised that a raiding army was approaching. One boy went off to sound the alarm while the other released the bees. The aggressors were stopped in their tracks by a swarm of angry stingers. The village was saved and the boys were heroes. A cake was made in their honour with a honey topping to celebrate the victory. Or, as she admitted, that is what she had found on google! Obviously we bought a whole box to share. Though Tony did suggest that she was possibly a better storyteller than baker!

We also had a really tasty curry at Chaska Maska in Brockley and our traditional coffee in Browns by Brockley Station. Be and Jessy took us to a wine bar called Joyce which is run by friends of theirs from Falmouth. We felt very at home.

One of my favourite things in cities is the chance encounter, the serendipity and unexpected. We all visited the National Portrait Gallery (that bit was planned) which is so fascinating in its telling of our national history through individuals and how that narrative is changing as well as exploring the evolution of portrait painting. But the stand out for me were the paintings by Maggie Hambling. One of tennis champion Andy Murray who is never still, leaning, reaching and sprinting for the ball. I barely remember his face, more the celebration of his athleticism and determination. Even more I delighted in her portrait of Dorothy Hodgkin who won a Nobel prize for Chemistry in 1964 as she was able to define the structures of penicillin, vitamin B12 and insulin which had huge impact on their therapeutic potential. The white haired woman is in her book-filled study, a structural model in the foreground as she works feverishly with multiple hands depicting her industriousness as well as acknowledging the acute arthritis she suffered from a young age.

As we meandered round East Dulwich one afternoon, dipping into the charity and vintage stores (they are a cut above), I took more delight in the murals on dull street corners with some unexpected encounters...

After meeting dear friends, Paula and Geoff, in Greenwich and spending the morning hearing of their amazing Egyptian travels and comparing them with mine of 40 years ago, Tony and I went for a wander around Greenwich Park were drawn by a sign to an exhibition of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year in the Maritime Museum. It was astonishing, both the subject matter: space, planets, aurora, and the technical genius. It was literally transporting. And free.

I can't finish without mentioning another house guest who arrived when we were there for a three week stay. Tony did say that he would have liked to stay a bit longer and although we were made to feel very welcome, three weeks may have been a stretch to their hospitality especially when you see how hard they work. However, if you are a cute, long-haired dachshund by the name of Pam you can stay as long as you like! It was lovely to see her again, no longer Pam Puppy but not much bigger, and Be and Jessy were evidently very happy to see her and she was instantly at home with them. Though I don't think she is too keen on the fox ...

Very smooth journey home and I buried myself in Kate Atkinson's Big Sky. She is a good storyteller and can weave multiple threads and characters which remarkably do coalesce by the end.

This week we have been to see Untold at The Museum of Cornish Life and the Old Chapel described as a retelling of Helston's history over two days through the remarkable life of one of its residents. Connie tells Eliza Gilbert's story through performance and song. it is familiar, unexpected, deeply sad and very funny in parts. Without bias, it and she were brilliant! And it was a sellout.

Next week we are going to White Horse at The Regal in Redruth. Still time to book for that one https://o-region.co.uk/theatre/white-horse/

I have just been alerted that you can see some of the really creative short films being made in Cornwall on the Cornwall 365 At Home web page. They are adding to them all the time.

At Home Videos Archive — Cornwall 365 What's On