We're lucky in Penzance to have two fine independent book shops, Books Plus in Market Jew Street and Penzance Books in Chapel Street, and whilst on-line shopping is super easy these days no-one can argue that clicking a mouse even comes close to the simple pleasure of a good old browse in a well stocked book shop with the chance added delight of a random great find on the shelf.
So popping in the other day we were intrigued to find a book all about Sennen (both shops I should mention have excellent selections of local books and are well worth a visit for that alone) by the Sennen Local History Group.
Entitled 'The Book of Sennen', and destined for the book shelf in the Little Beach House, its been sat by my chair in the kitchen for the past week and I've had a jolly good old read. And it really is a good read, perfect for dipping into, chock full of snippets of local knowledge, fact and history, all embellished with loads and loads of great photos (Zachy Nicholas' lorry in the 1920s, precariously balanced dangling over the cove road harbour wall, on page 88 is a gem. Like a scene from a Keystone Cops classic). Needless to say plenty of house spotting opportunities, and even a couple of piccies of our corner of the cove pre-1906 before the house was built.
I could fill a page of this blog with some of the things I learnt, and when you read its truly hard not to stop every few sentences and exclaim loudly 'did you know...' to your loved one, kids, pets or even random strangers passing by because some of the snippets really are that great.
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| What is now the main beach car-park, but in a prettier time. |
Ok, just a couple... there was a medieval chapel sited in what is now the main beach car-park (something to consider as you are buying your ice-cream), three bomb craters are visible at extremely low tides from when the cove was bombed in WW2 (never seen those, will have to look) and the number of times the bay has featured prominently in English history being the landing site of Perkin Warbeck who sailing from Ireland with 120 men intended to seize the throne of Henry VII (7th Sept, good time of year for surf) in 1497, the departure point for King Athelstan (AD895-939), the first Ruler to be crowned King of all England, as he set sail to conquer the Scillies and the arrival site of King Stephen in 1135 and then King John in the early 1200s after their respective conquests of Ireland.
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| Much has changed, and yet so little has changed. |
But perhaps my fave so far is the advice of one anonymous chap who after visiting the area in 1795 cautioned any travelers following his footsteps to ensure they take their supper with them as the local inn 'has little other than fish on the menu and at times not even that!'
