Helston, Cornwall

The Blue Anchor, Helston

Me and my family attended a big family get together in Helston where my husband and his siblings grew up. It is also the home of Flora Day and the Blue Anchor Pub which has been operating as a public house since the 15th century. If you follow me on X, you will have seen some photos I posted.

We normally only get together for weddings and funerals as we all live so far apart. The last time we were all together was at my youngest son's wedding in June last year. However, the year before that we lost my sister-in-law and her great wish was to have her ashes scattered at Dollar Cove and we were all to go in the sea to do it.

I booked a three bed rental for my family on the edges of the town. This was part of a converted Old Mill and next to some lovely woods. While my younger son and his wife went off to explore St Michael's Mount, Penzance and The Lizard, we hung around town, walked the woods and had a morning in Porthleven where I went for a paddle.

The Old Mill chimney

The Old Mill

On the first day, I bought a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle, which my husband and I started on the dining table, trying to work out if we would still have space for mats and eat there. We did! By the end of the day, the puzzle was finished as we all (except my older son) completed it between us.

The Jigsaw Puzzle

Sunday afternoon, the whole family met at Dollar Cove to take part in the scattering of ashes. That morning we (husband, older son and me) decanted the ashes from the urn into lidded glass jars. It went much better than I expected as my husband's youngest sister had given us a funnel and see-through plastic bags (and masks) along with the jars. We did this job outside in the seated area by our apartment. It is the strangest thing I have ever done in my life!

The tide was coming in and people were leaving by the time we arrived, which was all the better for us. We chose a part of the beach that was empty, though we were aware the tide was coming in fast, so we had to be quick or we might get cut off. So, in we went. Some of the group waded out where the higher and stronger waves were. The rest of us stuck closer to edge, where even here you could feel the strength in the waves. We then unlidded the jars when we were ready and pushed the jars under the water in a last farewell.

Dollar Cove

Later we all met at the youngest sister's house for a BBQ. My younger son and his wife had to leave on the Bank Holiday Monday as they were working the next day, so we drove them to the station. They'd spent the morning at Helston Museum while we had gone down to the boating lake, where we used to take the boys when they were young. They have a kiddies park, and the swings and slide were a favourite. My older son suggested a trip out on the boating lake, so this we did.

All photos taken at the boating lake

The weather was superb the whole time we were away - warm and sunny. It was great to see everyone. As one of cousins is engaged, it might be another wedding before we all meet again.

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