Paul Vincent

15 November 2004 10:15

To Hayle And Back

'ello VJ,

Sorry to read that you're feeling a bit down. I hope whatever's causing this sorry state of affairs stops picking on you and leaves you in peace soon.

Anyway, we came down for the half-term week this year and had a most excellent week, storms and all. I must say it was very bracing to go walking around the wharf on Wednesday. Nothing like a spot of sand-blasting to tone up the skin, dontcherknow. I was glad the sea behaved itself during the high tides - Woolies and the fudge shop had their sandbags in place, but the water just sort of gently lapped up onto the wharf road a bit, and nobody seemed to get flooded. Which is a good thing; these wild high tides are all very exciting for us tourists, but must be a pain in the arse for the locals who have to clear up their flooded premises afterwards.

Good to see The Castle (on Fore Street, not the Luxury Lodge you toil for - nice photo in The Cornishman, by the way, it was still the current issue so we've kept the photographic evidence!) still follows its policy of getting in one barrel of everything. I love the fact that every day you're sure to find at least one different beer to sample there. Plus there's always at least one of Skinners seemingly endless array of ales to try. Odd that I've never seen you mention the Castle on your website, given your admirable taste for real ales. How do you rate it as a pub?

The main reason for this email is to share with you the sight that greeted us at Loggans Moor roundabout as we neared our destination on the A30. I think that's the roundabout's name - anyway, it's the one with the big "Hayle In Bloom" all spelt out in flowers. Probably due to the lateness of the season, one or two of the flowers had either died, or been moved by vindictive seagulls, or something. Consequently, the flowers quite clearly now spelt out "Hayle In Gloom". Which I rather thought might appeal to you...

All bests,

Paul Vincent

Vile Jelly

16 November 2004 15:23

Greetings earthling,

Not as sorry as I am and no sign of it doing so at present.

Well, as I pointed out in the irrelevant bulletin, we had the good sense to build the town in a sheltered spot facing the right direction, unlike the halfwits in PZ.

Well, when the RT wrote their pub reviews The Castle was under previous and dire management and so it did not merit much of a write-up. You're right that it does good beer, although the food (selection-wise) wasn't much to write home about last time I was in. OK if you like scampi-in-a-basket. These days I usually drop in the Slurp once a week to catch up on the skeet and that's about it. It's not that I've become a reformed character or anything. It's just that on my wage I can't afford to go out drinking in St. Ives much and none of the pubs offer a cheap meths alternative like the local convenience store does.

The Hayle sign might have been sabotaged by local protesters. A few weeks ago one of them put out a few 'alternative' signs in protest at the neglect of the place with words to the effect of 'Welcome To Hayle - The World's Biggest Rubbish Dump' or some such. Then again maybe the authorities were forced to change the flowers to their present format so as to avoid accusations of false advertising.

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