Season: spring
Bright sunshine greeted me for this spring season visit to Porthleven on the Lizard Peninsula. The fishing town had recently taken a pounding from the winter storms, but today the scene couldn’t have been more different. Metal detectorists scoured the calm and peaceful beach, including interviewee Desilina, from Swansea Metal Detecting Club. The main visitor season had begun and the town was in great shape for visitors, day trippers and holidaymakers alike.
Things that you can find on the beach and elsewhere.
Spring arrives at Porthleven.
Season: autumn
I visited Porthleven and its small beach on a beautiful sunny day. The sea was flat calm today, but it has been known on occasion to career over the sea defences and up against the wall of the Bickford-Smith Institute. This building, originally gifted to the town as an “institute of learning”, is now used as council offices. I had a chat with two generations of boatmen who were busy with a working boat on dry land, next to the picturesque harbour. There are many facilities to hand in Porthleven, with a choice of pubs and restaurants. Nearby Porthleven Sands makes for a bracing walk on a windy day.
A chat with Llewellyn on his working boat by the harbour.
With his nephew, Lucas on the working boat.
A view from the inner harbour at Porthleven.
A calm sea at Porthleven.
It means freedom; a break from my working environment and the demands of household chores. It gives me a sense of perspective, how insignificant my worries and anxieties are in the presence of the mighty sea and the grains of sand. It conjures up warm memories of childhood summers spent on Cornish beaches, exploring rock pools, learning to surf, hanging out with my family and friends and the summers I spent on the beach with my daughter when she was little, following in my sandy footsteps. The beach is a release, walking my dogs on wintry days; watching their energy and delight is invigorating and relaxing. The rhythm and consistency of the waves soothes my soul. I am happiest when near to a beach.
The beach gives you a real sense of being a part of a much bigger world. Standing on the shoreline looking out to sea – there is so much more to be explored. It gives you a sense of place, encourages contemplation and a breath of sea air cleanses the soul like meditation in a liquid form. The cathartic massage of sand under the soles of your feet, the stark contrast from the built environment, the sound of nothing but the sea all combine to make a magical medicine that can cure all ills. I love being on the beach.