There’s never a shortage of great cultural ambassadors in Cornwall. This May we’d like to highlight Collette Beckham and all of the fantastic work that she does with the Cornwall AONB Partnership to sustain Cornwall’s protected landscape. This year marks the diamond jubilee of the designation and to celebrate the team are working on a special project. Read on to find out more…
Colette Beckham, The Cornwall AONB Partnership. I am based in Truro but live in Newquay
The Cornwall AONB is Cornwall’s protected landscape and this year the designation is 60 years old. To celebrate, we’re working with Golden Tree Productions on ‘Kerdroya’, The Cornwall Community Hedge Project and Labryrinth to celebrate the critical role played by the Cornish Hedge in Cornwall’s culture and its landscape. In addition we promote current and historic culture through the AONB Management and run loads of projects, such as the one we’re developing at the moment for our historic monuments.
I think Cornwall 365 has been just instrumental in bringing a focus for cultural activities in Cornwall and really shining a light on the huge amount of stunningly creative work that’s happening in Cornwall.. its such a mecca for arts and culture now and I think Cornwall 365 have done a great job promoting this. I’m always flicking through the blog to keep up to date on what’s going on!!
Its quite an old experience now but for me, its been hard to top Kneehigh’s promenade performance of ‘A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings’ on the quay at Hayle Harbour. In addition to it being just an amazing performance, it introduced me to laundry bag racing. I think also with hindsight it offered a real insight into how this part of the World Heritage Site could have been developed in a different direction.
Gosh, there’s so much to go at.. but I love the landscape of Penwith… it’s my favourite escape. A journey down to Sennen on a sunny weekend for a surf, a pint or two in the Tinners Arms and a night in the van, waking up to a vegan cooked breakfast and a walk over Carn Galva. That is hard to top!!
My hubby of course!! But if I had to pick someone else, it’d definitely be Jane Goodall as she is such a hero of mine!
I don’t know about unusual but I love a good outdoor performance. There’s nothing better for me than experiencing performance outdoors in my view, preferably immersed in nature. I think Rogue at Tehidy do this brilliantly (and their veggie stew is delicious).
Rogue Theatre (c) Ollie Oakensheild
Its got to be the Princess Pavilions.. so many good memories there!! The Fish Factory is quietly getting a name for itself for putting on great eclectic stuff! We need more live music in Cornwall.
Tricky. There are loads! I recently did the circular walk from Kennack Sands to Cadgwith Cove in the AONB and that’s such a stunning bit of coast.
Well I’m a vegan and its really nice now that there’s so much more choice these days in Cornwall for vegans. I love heading down the Hidden Hut out of Porthscatho. Their Jerusalem artichoke soup is out of this world. But the middle eastern delights at Carn Brea Castle has to be my fave.
I rock climb and that’s taken me to some really amazing places. Fontainbleau just South of Paris is one of my favourites.. A forest, growing on a beach and random huge boulders just begging to be climbed!!
If I told you that it would be the second best kept secret any more would it?
Glacier National Park, BC, Canada
AONB – Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Twitter: :@CornwallAONB
Facebook: @cornwall.aonb
Instagram: @cornwallaonb
www.cornwall-aonb.gov.uk
If you like what you see and read please share and if you would like to get involved and contribute a guest blog post to “In the Know” please contact info@cornwall365.org.uk
