Redruth to Falmouth

Penryn Viaduct. Photo by Sam Bradbury

January 2026

Happy New Year to one and all. Am writing this while waiting for Storm Goretti to descend and blow us all off course; currently it is raining, the sky is grey and the pigeons, like me, are hunkered down. I am proud to announce that this is the 50th Blogpost. Can't quite believe it! I have had enormous fun with it over the last two years: the travelling, writing, editing and even taking the photos. Thank you again to all collaborators and readers. Will we make to 100?

So to celebrate the 'grand occasion', I decided on a day out on my home patch. I caught the bus to Redruth from the Stag Inn in the village which currently has a community share offer to invest in transforming it into a community pub https://savethestag.co.uk/ . A smart double decker emerged out of the mist and I presented my bus pass (wonderful thing) and then reflected that First Bus are pulling out of Cornwall in February citing increased costs, dwindling passenger numbers, a reduction in tourists and increased competition. Such a shame as well as the transportation, I really enjoy their engagement with the Cornish language and dialect and also their support of the Chat, Play, Read literacy programme by hosting events and little toddler libraries on the bus. Hopefully Go Cornwall will rise to the challenge.

Redruth Station was welcoming as ever, with helpful staff and Caroline in the café attentive to all. Short wait at Truro for the Maritime Line to Falmouth. The line has been running for 150 years and I felt keenly aware of the sheer graft that went into digging the cuttings, laying the track, building tunnels, bridges and viaducts which are now so much of our vernacular architecture that they look as if they have always been there.

Carnon Valley and Ponsanooth Viaducts; bridges in Falmouth

What I love about the ride is that it doesn't follow the same route to the road, so you see the familiar from a completely different perspective. Tiny people out walking in the Bissoe Valley, Ponsanooth looking so new when viewed from the viaduct, friends' house peeping out through the trees just outside Penryn and then arriving in Falmouth in the Docks. This is such a reminder that Falmouth isn't just a lively student town with lots of independent shops, cafes and bars but is also a working port. There were three naval ships and an Irish Ferry in the dry dock for repairs. The huge A&P crane is our smaller version of Samson and Goliath in Belfast. The whole of that area in town is dedicated to boats from huge vessels to rowing boats, luxury yachts and gin palaces to ferries and gigs.

As I walked into town I remembered two brilliant projects we led at The Writers' Block for the G7in Cornwall and National Armed Forces Day (maybe not my day of choice but it was very interesting). These involved teams of young and aspiring journalists from schools across Cornwall, Cornwall Council's Youth Team, Falmouth Uni and two great journalist friends Leo Devine and Rebecca Gregson. The young writers had to create written, video and radio content for both events and had amazing access to international reporters at the Press Corps in Event Square. And for the latter we visited a very scary frigate and interviewed the female captain on the bridge. Both events had an amazing impact on the young people and also on the adults. The Youth Team went on to create an important event around youth engagement with democracy called The Annual Conversation between young people and county councillors. Together they discussed issues of concern, then made pledges to act on them. Our journalist team was brought in to cover the event. Inspiring stuff!

It is always a delight to wander through Falmouth as there is always so much to see. January Sales signs were everywhere, some more surprising than others. I met Tony for a delicious pastry lunch in Stones in The High Street. Then visited a friend who has recently moved into a care home. To get there I walked up opes, down passages, snickets, lanes and gardens that I hadn't been to before, enjoying new views of Falmouth.

Then caught the bus home after a really fun day out without really going very far. Now is the time for plotting future adventures .. Meanwhile, Tim has written a blog about Station Bookstalls which is coming up in a couple of weeks.

Talking of which my recent book recommendations are: The Bee Sting by Irish writer Paul Murray and Half-Blood Blues by Canadian writer Esi Edugyan. Both of them remarkable contemporary writers.

NB

I'm afraid posting this was delayed by the ferocity of Storm Goretti which has left a lot of destruction in its wake in Cornwall. We had no power for 3 days and wifi has only just been restored after nearly a week. So many trees have been ripped from the soil and left twisted and shredded. The power engineers and tree surgeons have done a mighty service to their community.

Walking around Laity Moor, opposite the Greek Orthodox Chapel, I noticed a sign on the gate saying 'Beware of the Bull'. A tree had fallen further down the hedge which was contorted into the shape of a terrified bull desperately trying to get away from the storm. Made me think of Picasso's Guernica.