Tartan Fox
Having spent three days travelling down to Cornwall in stages we are not going very far today as out lunch is booked at the Tartan Fox which is situated inside another holiday park about 5 miles from the one where we are staying. It feels further as the road away from our park is quite narrow for a while and not being a local and not knowing the road I take it slowly in case we meet some other cars – although soon it is wider and progress can then be made.
The Tartan Fox is an Adam Handling restaurant and we indulge ourselves with some cheese balls before the main event of a Sunday roast beef lunch – excellent and for once the gravy is served on the side and not touching the Yorkshire pudding at all without even asking. To follow Jackie chose a trifle and I had the deep fried Mars bar. However we swapped half way through but I know I made the right choice in the first place.
Ellie @ Lappa Valley
Another couple of miles away is the Lappa Valley Railway which I visited something like 40 years in its very early years and it has subsequently changed out of all recognition. The road route from lunch to the railway is along some quite narrow roads and we do meet some other vehicles – but passing places are usually quite close – so we get past the oncoming traffic without problem in most cases.
So much has changed since my previous visit that to be honest little is recognisable. We are taken along the route of the old Newquay – Chacewater as before to the East Wheal Rose mine site – where a small lake now houses pedaloes, there is a pitch and putt course and an indoor play area for children (The Engine Shed) which has been built quite recently. We do not sample the resources other than the other railways.
There are now two other railways here – a small 7 1/4 inch gauge circular trip around the lake and a 10in gauge service to Newlyn Downs station which picks up the route along the former main rail line; I do not think either existed on my prior visit. At the far end of the line here is there is another playground – so plenty to exhaust any number of children – which of course we do not have!
The Lappa Valley has just won an award as the Heritage Railway of the year 2025 and as it falls a little out of the mainstream of railway activity one might wonder why. I would say however that the training given to the volunteers (as I am sure most of them are) to enthuse the travelling children to shout at the shark in the lake or going through the tunnel is important and in my case one of the team kindly showed me into the two engine sheds so with luck I have some photos of the locos which are not in service today.
The line changed hands about 10 years ago and it is fair to say that the new owners have invested a further small fortune in developing the resources. We all know that such facilities are not huge money spinning activities in terms of profit making enterprises – but hopefully encouraging youngsters with the right approach might light a fire for future volunteers on other railways across the country.
I certainly wish them well.