So much going on round Coombe Mill
December is upon us and we have begun enjoying the wonderful Cornish build up to Christmas.
Festival Fun in Padstow
Last weekend, Padstow Town held their annual christmas festival. It is such a lovely town with the harbour, beautiful clothes and gift shops and all delicous places to eat from bakeries with tasty pasties to pubs and restaurants, including the famous Rick Stein restaurants http://www.rickstein.com/Restaurants.html. For the festival add in an amazing Samba band which can be heard right across the harbour, 2 large craft tents with all sorts of lovely Christmas present ideas and cookery demonstrations, finishing with turning on of the spectacular Xmas lights. It makes a perfect day out just ambling round and soaking up the atmosphere.
We met up with friends there for a lovely family day. The children adored the stands inside the tents, helping themselves to the chocolate and fudge freebies, ensuring they had sampled every variety from lemon cheesecake to chilli chocolate before parting with their money! Clio adored the craft stands, as did Mummy, while the Samba band generated crowds of on lookers.
After a successful afternoon, the children were torn with staying on to see the wonderful lights by night and being back to our local village in time to meet Santa, sing carols and enjoy a mince pie or two all courtesy of the St Breward Carnival committee. With mulled wine on offer from St Breward Stores http://www.stbrewardstores.co.uk/ I knew where my vote lay. The kids were keen to see Santa too, so we promised a return visit to Padstow one evening when school finishes for fish and chips and admiring the Christmas lights. An annual treat we look forward to each year.
Santa's Surprise
Santa never fails to impress. I love the twinkle in the children's eyes when they see his sleigh all lit up and the Christmas music blasting out to signify his arrival. My eldest 2 now consider themselves too grown up for this one, but to the younger 4 it is still magical. I remember my own excitement at Christmas time around their age and find myself wrapped up in those feelings all over again with them.
Still to Come...
Santa has many visits still to make local to us at Trelawney Garden Centre, Trago Mills and the lovely Santa express at Lappa Valley and Bodmin to name but a few!
Eden at Christmas
The Eden Project is under half an hour from us and the lights are again quite something, but the real treat there is the ice skating. The children adore this one and it lasts right through until the new year. http://www.edenproject.com/ Go skating then warm up with a visit to the biomes!
Coombe Lights Up
School finishes early this year on 15th December and I am looking forward to many of the other exciting Christmas treats in Cornwall still to come. This weekend our Coombe Mill lights go up and the real Christmas trees come in for all the properties which is a great family event here. Plenty of ladder climbing for Farmer Nick and much dancing around below for the children shouting "up a bit Daddy" "over a bit Daddy" and so on.
Christmas Eve at Coombe Mill
Finally if you are staying at Coombe Mil for Christmas we have an open house Supper party on Christmas Eve for all our guests after the local Church Family Christingle Service. A wonderful way to begin Christmas with the Nativity story at Church then family drinks and dinner with us. We have even got a little Santa surprise for all the children staying with us!
If you are considering coming to stay do give us a call on 01208 850344 or email at mail@coombemill.com as we still have some cottages left and would love you to come and join in the fun. If it is all a litle too close for this year, then do consider a family gathering here for Christmas 2012.
What ever your plans, have a Merry Christmas.