Sunny St Ives

We've been hoping for snow, just a little, watching the rest of the country snowed in makes you just a little envious! But St Ives isn't delivering the goods, all we're getting is sun and blue sky!

Heres the pics to show it...

If your ready to escape the snow (where possible ;-) ) then we still have some availability left for both Christmas and New Year, and to entice you down to the warmer climes of St Ives we have reduced our cosy fisherman's cottage by over 50% to just £549 for a week!

Christmas is around the corner...

The festive season is upon us, Christmas trees and lights are up, Turkey and Cranberry pasties are in the bakery (we even spotted a Venison and Stuffing festive pasty!), and mince pies are springing up everywhere you look.

If you still haven't decided what you are doing for Christmas this year we still have 3 properties left: Surf, 5 Bethesda Place and Harbour all with 20% off the original price.

More importantly, if you are struggling with the Christmas wish lists of loved ones we may have a few ideas for you... Sail Lofts Ocean Spa has a selection of gifts from carefully prepared gift boxes to gift vouchers.. Or how about a weekend break in January or February with our spa package - the ultimate gift!

If you are still struggling with your plans for New Year, we have some availability left in our apartments and again as a gesture of festive goodwill we have reduced the prices by 20%. To see a little of St Ives at New Year have a look at this video.
 

Let it snow let it snow let it snow

Unusually Cornwall has received a little bit of snow again this year - not as much as the East and the North but quite a lot for Cornwall! Here are a few pictures and photo's from the past week...

Don't forget if you have any images of the snow in Cornwall you would like to share post them on our Flickr or Facebook page. 


We have a selection of apartments available at the moment at special rates, do contact us or visit our last minute page for the latest offers.

Autumn in St Ives

The middle of November has arrived quickly but autumn has undoubtedly arrived (possibly even winter?) as the leaves turn golden and the sea whips up large swells. The town has quietened and the opportunity to really explore St Ives and the surrounding area has arrived.

For the surfers amongst us, there has been no shortage of swells for the last few weeks although the winds have been very strong. The south coast has lit up a few times and the sheltered spots have been shining with Porthmeor having some great days. The next few days are looking rather nice with lots more swell coming through and the occasional offshore day at the exposed beaches. 

For those of you thinking of going away for Christmas we still have some availability left but bookings are coming in quickly for this period. Likewise for those of you who are considering St Ives for New Year, a great place to see in 2011 particularly for families, we still have some availability but we are receiving a number of enquiries. 

Don't forget to check out our last minute availability for some fantastic deals starting at £199. 

It all makes Skinsence...

We held our first Skinsense evening last night in our Beach apartment which was a relaxed evening hosted by Katie Light from Spiezia Organics and our Ocean Spa therapists. When everyone arrived and enjoyed their glass of bubbly and nibbles, the evening began with Katie talking about the importance of organic products and general wellbeing.  

The ladies were asked what they wanted to know about skin care, we had great feedback and were grateful for the opportunity to have helped and offer advice on a subject close to our hearts. The main purpose of the evening was to demonstrate what should be used on your skin and how. Some tried the Spiezia products on their face whilst others with makeup on tested the products on their hands. The feedback on the smell and quality of the products was excellent.

We finished the evening with a talk on the different treatments that we offer in the spa. The top treatments that our guests were most interested in and curious about were the Relax and Rejuvenate Facial, Thermal Basalt Stone Massage and Cornish Algae Wrap. We look forward to seeing them in the future. 

If you are interested in learning more about your skin type and the best ways to take care of it, contact us to register your interest in our next event. 

Sail Lofts | Ocean Spa video

After being approached by Light Circus about creating a video for our new spa we thought it was a brilliant idea. A month or so later with the balmy September sun, models arranged and some great sunsets Mark and Greg shot the video. 

Let us know what you think... 

Skinsence

Sail Lofts Ocean Spa have teamed together with Spiezia Organics to invite you and your friends to a complimentary skin care evening held in one of our apartments on Wednesday 3rd November between 7-9pm.


The evening is going to give you an insight into a five step homecare routine to help get the best from your skin. It will be a relaxed affair with wine and nibbles with the opportunity to find out more about your skin type, products to use, consultations and to allow you to ask any questions you may have. 


Everyone who attends will receive 25% off their first treatment at the spa, and a lucky winner receives a goody bag and a 30 minute massage voucher. 


For further information contact the spa on 01736 448 545 or info@sailloftsoceanspa.co.uk 

Cornwall Tourism Awards 2010

Suited and booted we made the trip up to St Mellion at the other end of Cornwall in the Mini. Surprised by how many people were there we settled ourselves in and started chatting away, when we started hearing rumours about an 'email' - we hadn't received an 'email'; and were a bit concerned and baffled by it.

Malcom Bell, Head of Tourism at Visit Cornwall, in his opening speech once again started apologising for this 'email' and our concerns heightened and hearts sank as we thought the worst! We then found out that all the winners had received an email by accident the day before, but we hadn't picked one up!

The awards carried on and when it came to the large self catering award we didn't get bronze or silver and we really started to get quite concerned, but lo and behold we won - a brilliant surprise!

We were probably the only ones in the room who didn't know they had won! But it was actually a great surprise and we are thrilled to have won this award in only our second year of trading. Thanks to all who helped us get this far including but not restricted to: the staff, the housekeeping team, Joseph (the wonderful interior designer), Dave (Digga) and Max. 

We would also like to congratulate some friends of The Sail Lofts who did very well at the awards as well: Boskerris Hotel, Global Boarders, Treasure Trails and The Porthminster Cafe.

St Ives September Festival

We are pleased to be supporting the St Ives September Festival 2010 which is set to be a great week of music, art, theatre and events. The Guildhall will once again be hosting the majority of the music with St Ives Parish church acting as a secondary venue.

Some highlights of the festival this year include:

Guildhall

Battle of the Bands - 13th 7:30pm £7.50 presented by Every Child Matters.

Eddi Reader - 14th 8:30pm £20 Eddi Reader is a Scottish singer known both for her work with Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. 

Atlan - 15th 8:30pm £20 Atlan emerged during the 1990s as one of Ireland's premier traditional bands. 

Donavan - Thursday 16th 8:30pm SOLD OUT The 1960s folk singer/songwriter Donavan is coming to St Ives. With support from Kirsty McGee. 

The Imagined Village - Friday 17th 8:30pm £25 A popular live show featured at lots of festivals around the UK and Europe. 

Paco Pena - Saturday 18th 8:30pm £20 Flamenco guitar at its best.

Kila - Sunday 19th 8:30pm £20 A superb Irish folk/world music band.

The Fishermans Friends - Monday 20th 8pm SOLD OUT.  An array of sea shanties.

Mousehole Male Voice Choir - Wednesday 22nd 8pm £7.50 The choir has an impressive repertoire and have toured across the world.

Robin Trower Band and Hamsters - Thursday 23rd 8:30pm £20

The Beat and John Otway - Friday 24th 8:30pm £15 The Beat fuse ska, pop, reggae, punk rock and soul with special guest John Otway. 

For Those About To Rock - Saturday 25th 8pm £16 The UK's leading high energy rock show featuring Live Wire, ACDC, and Limehouse Lizzy. 

St Ives Art Club (Our pick) 

Edgar Macias Quintet Tuesday 21st 8:30pm £12 A five piece band that combines different jazz styles and rhythms from funk to South American. 

Ken Nicol and Phil Cool Saturday 25th 8:30pm £12 adv. Phil Cool, comedian and impressionist teams up with Ken Nicol guitar virtuoso of Steeleye Span to produce a two hour show full of music and laughs. 

Arts and Literature (Our Pick) 

Bernard Leach - open daily 10am to 4:30pm

Tom Cross Retrospective - Open Monday to Saturday 10am - 6pm at Belgrave Gallery. 

Kiln Opening - Sunday 19th, Leach Pottery 12-2pm. 

Late at Tate St Ives - Friday 24th Tate St Ives. 7pm-9pm A chance to visit the current exhibitions for free. 

Workshops (Our Pick)

Feltmaking - Friday 17th, St Ives Library. With local Jo McIntosh, all ages welcome and materials provided. £5. 

Drop-in Beginners' Oil Painting 14th and 21st Starting with some basic colour theory and colour mixing exercises, this an ideal introduction to this popular medium. 

Films (Our Pick)

Toy Story - Saturday 18th 4pm St Ives Art Club. £3

Hairspray - Saturday 18th, Porthmeor Beach, 8:15 Tate St Ives presents a unique screening on the beach of this cult family classic. 

 

 

September is on its way

If I could ask for a perfect week in Cornwall it would probably look a lot like this one. To get it off to a good start its only a 4 day week, allowing my Monday to be spent mostly in the water in the sun - ideal! 

But it gets better, the weather is set to continue right up until Sunday and may be even longer, those balmy September evenings are about to arrive. 

If this isn't enough, the surf looks likes its going to be going off in Cornwall, with the first hurricane swell of the year, Danielle, due to arrive around Thursday and a blocking high pressure system over the South West. This means great weather, light offshores and a solid 4ft+ of swell reaching over the weekend. 

Get your sun cream, board and BBQ out, September is on its way! 

Image courtesy of the Met Office for full details of the chart please visit their website

Bank Holiday Weekend

August's bank holiday is around the corner, with some sun forecast and even a bit of surf we are all looking forward to a long weekend. 

Tate St Ives are hosting their summer BBQ this Friday to kick the weekend off, if the weather behaves itself it should be a lovely evening watching the sunset. Booking is recommended, phone 01736 796226. 

If the Tate isn't what you are looking for how about St Ives Harbour Raft Race, all in aid of charity this is bound to be a laugh. For details of how to enter please email stivespilotgigclub@yahoo.co.uk. 

St Ives has a whole host of live music this weekend as well, from blues to the Summer Concert featuring some great local talent. 

If you are still struggling to find somewhere to stay, we have one property available, 5 Bethesda Place, which we have reduced to £1529 for the week.   

The Greenaway Pro

The Greenaway Pro begins today on Porthmeor beach in St Ives. After the success of last years competition and music, locals and visitors alike are looking forward to this years event. 

The event which serves in memory of Tom Greenaway raises money for some great charities such as SAS. As part of the competition on Thursday SAS will be organising a beach clean from 1pm outside the surf school - try and take part as we all like clean beaches :-).

With an even bigger lineup this year on both the entertainment and the competition side, we can expect another great event. The Mystery Jets will be there, as will The Strays playing at the Guildhall on Saturday, this event is now sold out but looks like it should be a top night. The acoustic night on the Friday at St Ives cinema, with Frankie Davies, Brother and Bones and plenty more, still has tickets available from here. 


Come down and support any of the events, the longboarding, U18s, Masters and Womens start today and the Open and Bodyboard categories start on Friday. The swell looks like it should be building through the week, so hopefully the waves will come out for the weekend. 

Final quick note, we still have one property left in August, 5 Bethesda Place and we have reduced the price today by 20%!  We keep our availability up to date so make sure to check our last minute availability.
  

Lifeboat day

St Ives will be hosting its annual Lifeboat day this Thursday 19th August. With a variety of stalls, tombola, grand raffle, BBQ, and live music outside The Sloop Inn.

The funds raised will go towards supporting RNLI and the volunteer lifeboat crews, who have saved many a life in this area and the crews put so much time and effort into their volunteer roles - please give generously to this worthy cause.

To make the day even more special the Red Arrows have now been announced to appear at 17:50 (weather permitting) and they always but on a fantastic show - just look at the reaction they received in Falmouth this year.

Also on the Thursday SAS are holding a beach clean at Porthmeor from 1pm outside the surf school. Clean beaches make everyone happy and someone has to do it, so make sure you get stuck in if you can!

Kidz R Us

We are really pleased Kidz R Us has been shortlisted for lottery funding! Voting has begun and we have all cast our votes, but we need your help. Voting ends on the 13th August. Cast your vote here!

Kidz R Us a local charity has always been a charity which has made St Ives proud and The Sail Lofts has been pleased to support it in the past. Peter, PR manager at The Sail Lofts, is also a keen volunteer, and helps with everything from directing plays to sweeping the stage!

It is a prestigious award which will be featured on BBC1 with a star studded show. So if you get the opportunity please support this local charity by placing your photo! 







 

Summer is upon us

Its been a manic couple of months at The Sail Lofts, hence the lack of a recent post. Since our last post our new spa in St Ives has opened, two websites have gone live, we have a new look email newsletter and we have uploaded 2011 prices. 

The Sail Lofts Ocean Spa has gone down a treat with holiday makers and locals alike, the Spiezia products are receiving great feedback and we are really proud that almost all of the products used are organic and natural (we'll always tell you if they're not). Shelley Worth is the new Spa manager, and can be found posting on Facebook with the rest of the team. Have a look at the website and let us know what you think - and don't forget to make the most of the launch offers before the end of July. 

Enough about us though, St Ives is really coming alive now that the school holidays have begun. Boat tours, trips to the Minack, events at the Tate and of course the beaches. 


The surf has been a mixed bag, with some really nice swells cropping up and many of those small summer onshore days. The week ahead isn't looking to promising but if you have a longboard or summer board to hand there should be a wave or two. I'm hoping to get my summer board this week from Freeriders - fingers crossed it has arrived!

The recently refurbished Porthmeor Cafe has proven popular and we have had some excellent reviews of the food there as well, so we wish them the best of luck this season. It doesn't get much better than watching the sunset from the terrace with a great selection of tapas. 


Finally, we have some availability during August because of the inevitable cancellations etc.. Our Curno apartment is available from the 20th August for one week and 5 Bethesda Place is available for the weeks of the 20th and 27th August. 

Websites

We are busy working with our web designer to produce a brand new website for launch at the beginning of June. Lots of new features and hopefully much simpler design, for those following the blog they will need to wave good bye to the current url in a couple of weeks. I'll keep you posted of when this happens. 


The Tate has opened the doors to their new summer exhibitions, Lily van der Stokker- No Big Deal Thing and Object:Gesture:Grid- St Ives and the international Avant-garde. Guests of The Sail Lofts receive 50% discount so if you are staying with us don't forget to pop into the office to borrow a Tate Corporate members card!


St Ives food and drink festival is also progressing with some interesting events already lined up, see their website for more details.

We only have very limited availability in the summer now, so please do contact us sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment. We are also booking up very quickly for the September festival week, its always a great week! 

Welcome aboard

I can't believe we are in May already, although we've had nice dry weather it is taking its time to warm up, but one can't complain. The beginning of May has been really busy down here lots of exciting things happening. 

We would like to welcome Rebecca to the team. Rebecca is responsible for ensuring our Friday changeovers run smoothly and we improve our quality standards even further, with new welcome hampers high up on her agenda!


We are really excited to announce the new spa is currently being fitted out and will be ready for launch in June, dates TBC. Leave a comment or email me if you are interested or would like more information.


We also have another launch in June, but we'll tell you more about that soon! 


Its a good job we've been so busy, because there has been a real lack of surf... I had a couple of surfs last weekend, and thanks to Aggie Surf Shop I demoed a cool 5'8 quad, interesting little thing but not really the best conditions to try it out in. 

Don't forget to contact us about any last minute availability we may have, there are some great opportunities for a break to enjoy the sunshine!


I took these photos on my walk down here this morning.

Photoshoots and holidays

We've been very busy down here juggling full photo shoots of all the apartments, it was a bit of a marathon, but James King did a superb job, and the photo above is of our Slipway apartment since being redesigned earlier in the year. 14 properties over a bank holiday weekend was never going to be easy but we are really pleased with the results. 

For all those who remember them, the Surfers Against Sewage Ball is back! SAS are holding the Inviciball at Porthtowan Eco Park to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the charity. Tickets are likely to sell very quickly so get in there quick if you want tickets! 

The Tate St Ives is currently rehanging, getting ready for the new summer exhibition which opens on the 15th May. To coincide with this we have our five star holiday cottage and 3 apartments available for this week, so if you would like to take a peek at the new pieces then do contact us at info@thesaillofts.co.uk or 01736 799 175.

#ashtag and Bank Holidays

What a frantic week it has been so far, even in this tranquil part of the country. We, like most of the country, have been feeling the chaos of the volcanoe without even being near an airport. We are sorry that many of our guests have been unable to make it this week, but we hope they will find another opportunity to enjoy St Ives. 

However we are pleased that many of those hoping to go on holiday have been able to make the flightless trip down to Cornwall to enjoy the sun and sea down here. For those who are still struggling to getaway by plane, do give us a call and we may be able to help you holiday nearer to home! 

For those that have made it to Cornwall the dry sunny weather is continuing, and it looks set to stay for a bit longer, it really feels like summer is on the way! The surf however has been flat, withdrawal symptoms are settling in!  

We have some last minute weekend offers for the weekend of the 30th April to the 3rd May, we only have a limited selection of apartments left so please phone 01736 799 175 for details. 

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter for all the latest news! 

A glorious week in St Ives

All the visitors to St Ives this week have been basking in glorious sunshine for the majority of the week with many making the most of the lovely beaches, walks and bike rides around here. It has also been a good week to learn to surf as the waves have been small and clean providing the ideal conditions, as some of our guests have found.

For anyone struggling to getaway this weekend due to flight cancellations and the ash, hen why not visit St Ives for a sunny break? We still have a couple of apartments available for the week or less starting from today and tomorrow so why not give us a call on 01736 799 175 or email info@thesaillofts.co.uk. 

We have a set of special weekend breaks for the bank holiday at the end of the month. It will be a great opportunity to visit St Ives and stay in luxury accommodation. We can help arrange surfing, chefs to cook you a stunning meal, discounts to the Tate St Ives and Barbara Hepworth, and book restaurants. To find out more about a bank holiday break visit our website or call us on 01736 799 175.

We are also booking up very quickly for July, August and September and are recommending guests or others interested in staying with us to start looking and making enquiries to avoid disappointment.

Luxury accomodation offers to celebrate spring

After all the fuss about bad weather over the bank holiday Cornwall has been blessed with some lovely weather at the end of the week. Blue skies, clear blue water and its even warm enough to lose the jumpers!

We have been busy working on our new cottage which is all ready to go for our first guests on Friday, and it looks fantastic, I'll post some pics soon. 

Great opportunity to learn to surf at the moment as well as its not too big and more importantly its warming up as well. For anyone interested in a surf break then please do contact us. 

To celebrate the beginning of Spring we will be offering some April offers in our five star apartments and cottage. We have several last minute offers on our website and for more information on the deals we have at No.5 Bethesda Place please call us on 01736 799 175.

Happy Easter from TSL

Happy Easter to everyone, we hope you have had an enjoyable weekend wherever you have been. As anyone in Cornwall will know, the season has now begun! Its exciting for us down here at The Sail Lofts as we are very busy and enjoying having a 'full house' again. 

A big congratulations to St Ives, Tate St Ives and Porthminster Cafe (St Ives) for winning the hatrick at the Coast awards! Also congratulations to Surfers Against Sewage who won an award for the Best Marine Green Project, a worthy cause doing many good things around our coasts.

The surf has been mixed as well but Saturday and Monday were both two good days and it looks like it will continue through today on the North Coast and tomorrow on the South Coast. Lots of different spots seem to be working at the moment, and both coasts meaning lots of choice!

For anyone prepared to travel for a meal out whilst in St Ives I had a superb meal at Kota in Porthleven, I had heard about the excellent reviews but was pleasantly surprised when it completely exceeded my expectations!

We have a set of weekend breaks online at the moment at very special prices! A perfect opportunity to come to St Ives and enjoy the quieter period before the summer rush!

A New Cottage

We've been very busy down here at The Sail Lofts, with the preparations for Five Bethesda Place (our new holiday cottage in St Ives) rapidly underway and thankfully all on schedule thanks to Dave. The new cottage is looking great and it seems like we are having deliveries everyday for it, getting ready for its first guests in a couple of weeks.

I found this rather novel the other day when in Falmouth, I had breakfast on Princes Pier at the cafe, and as it was warm and sunny we sat outside. When the breakfast came along the waitress brought a water pistol toscare off the sea gulls, brilliant idea! 

The surf has been good over the last week with a new swell arriving on St Patricks day and we still have waves today. I've also noticed in the past week that it is warm enough to drop the gloves, as the air temperature rises and the water temperature seems to as well. The forecast for the next week is looking OK as well if one can find some shelter from the forecasted Westerlies. 

For all those who live in Cornwall don't forget there is only a week left of free entry at Tate St Ives. 

We are really busy for the next 3 weeks with no availability at all, but if you would like a break in April then give the office a call and see if we can arrange the perfect break in St Ives for you.

Last minute offers to take advantage of the great weather

We have had a great response from the newsletter we sent out last week, we are pleased guests are excited about our new offering to be officially announced shortly. 

The weather in St Ives has been glorious for the past week or so and long may it continue. For those of you who would like to take advantage of this we have a selection of last minute breaks available. 

To find out more about these breaks please visit our late availability page. With both two and three bedroom properties at great rates it could be the perfect way to celebrate spring.

The surf has been mixed with a bit too much North in it, but next week should see a new pulse coming mid week. Any forecasters or surfers who think otherwise please leave a comment, I'm always interested in other peoples opinions.

Happy St Pirans Day!

Happy St Pirans day to one and all! We all celebrated with pasties today, which went down very well as usual, thank you St Ives Bakery! Only a short post today as it really hectic down here at The Sail Lofts.

Rumours have been flying around St Ives (and much of Cornwall) about Pirates of the Caribbean coming to St Ives, Johnny Depp has even been rumored to be seen around! The Sun and MTV have got the story into the mainstream press but is it true?

We are moving closer to announcing our new ventures, sign up to our newsletter before 4 today for the full low down to find out some of our plans.

On a final note for those who have had the opportunity to be out and about in Cornwall this week, you will know what a superb week of weather it has been, and long may it continue. But a bit of surf would be quite nice too, Monday and Tuesday are looking quite good, so finger crossed.

Have a good week!

A mixed bag

Cornwall seems to be having a fairly busy weekend approaching with lots going on. For the art enthusiasts, Late at the Tate is an opportunity to view the gallery for free every last Friday of the month. For those who can make it, this is on tonight featuring the Dexter Dalwood exhibition. 

Good news for all Cornish residents is the Tate St Ives is offering free entry throughout March, just ring along proof of residence. Has to be worth a trip to St Ives to take this up especially as we have been told it is a really good exhibition. If you do then drop by and say hello to us at The Sail Lofts.

Work is continuing on our new addition in St Ives, a traditional fisherman's cottage which is being modernised to our high standards. The workmen are doing a great job of pulling this project together and we look forward to posting some pictures of the new property on this blog. 

We are progressing with our new venture which we are extremely excited about, word seems to be working its way around town but watch this space for the full details. 

We will hopefully be getting a newsletter out next week, if you aren't already signed up make sure you do here. 

Its been a varied week for surf, with the North coast seeing perfection on Wednesday, and the South coast has remained surprisingly consistent. With a mixed bag of winds it is going to be difficult to predict the surf over the weekend but I'm hoping one of the coasts will have a wave. Don't forget to check out our twitter account for the latest surf in St Ives. Next week isn't looking too promising so it could be worth making the most of any swell this weekend even if the wind is on it.


As usual we have a couple of cracking deals for last minute stays in our wonderful apartments in St Ives. 

Busy week at The Sail Lofts

The Sail Lofts is making the most of the quiet season (although last week wasn't quite so quiet). We are currently fitting out and transforming a fishermans cottage in the heart of St Ives into a beautifully interior designed property which meets the high standards of our Sail Lofts apartments.

The property will be a 3 bedroom property, with 2 double bedrooms, one en suite and further single bedroom. For anyone who is interested in a fabulous holiday cottage tucked away in a beautiful part of St Ives please contact our office on 01736 799 175.

The Sail Lofts also has another piece of news, but we're keeping this hush hush for the moment, so watch this space in the coming weeks to find out more!

There has been lots of news flitting about for the St Ives Festival in September a full line up (so far) is here.

Rumours have also been flying around as to who will be taking over Woolworths on Fore Street, apparently Pizza Express has submitted a planning application, but who are the other takers and what are your thoughts?

Other news is that we are still offering a fantastic 25% off late availability breaks in St Ives in a selection of our wonderful apartments.

Half term in St Ives and Cornwall

Half term has arrived and St Ives is busy again after a 6 week break from Christmas. The weekend saw great weather, in particular in Sunday, when there was a number of people out and about enjoying Valentines day and their holidays.

With no surf this weekend I was a little stuck of what to do, so I spent a lot of the weekend delving into parts of Cornwall I hadn't been to for a while. The highlight of the week was certainly lunch on Sunday at the Victoria Inn in Perranuthnoe, with great food and a lovely atmosphere, a real hidden gem I would recommend to anyone.

A pleasant walk along the coastal path on the South Coast is always nice, the water was glassy flat (looks nice but not much fun for the surfers amongst us!), the picture on here is of the view from Perranuthnoe towards Mounts Bay with Mousehole in the distance.

We have a couple of apartments left for next week but these are booking quickly, for more information visit us here. Also we have just added an a listing onto a new website for St Ives which I came across recently: LoveStIves which has all types of interesting information on the area.

Feasting, surfing and a round of golf!

St Ives began the week in style as the annual Feast Day kicked off, with the youth of the town scrabbling around for a silver ball, which then led to a cold swim for two brave souls! To see the action and read a bit more about it this blog has a great perspective on the day.

Philip down here at The Sail Lofts celebrated his Birthday in style by winning a competitive game of golf over the weekend at Tehidy Park Golf Club. His family and friends lucked into some glorious weather for the game as well, good timing!

The surf was on fire over the weekend as well, the south coast was great on Saturday and was well overhead, with some sneaky barrels. With the sun shining I'm sure there will be some great photos floating around, but check this video of Porthleven, looks nice!

On Sunday the North Coast decided to turned really clean and Porthtowan was really good fun with long long lefts and some really fun walls. Its been a while but what a weekend! 

Here at The Sail Lofts we are fully booked for half term week but we do have some great offers on holidays in st ives coming up soon, so keep your eyes on the website.

Whats happening in St Ives

Even though we are still in the depths of winter there seems to be quite a lot happening in St Ives. The Tate has reopened again with the Dexter Dalwood exhibition, I'm yet to make it down there but I've been hearing good things!

A long lasting tradition in St Ives is St Ives Feast Day, seen as a signal for the start of the season, it takes place on Monday 8th February. Traditionally to celebrate the anniversary of the consecration of the Parish Church of St Eia in 1434, it's also a day off for everyone at school. Central to the other goings-on is The Hurling of the Silver Ball; so old, no one quite knows when it originated. At 10.30am the Silver Ball (same size as a tennis ball, but made of wood and covered in silver leaf), is hurled from the wall of the Parish Church over Lambeth Walk Beach and into the mass crowd of young people, who have arranged themselves into teams, by the Mayor, this year Cllr Yvonne Watson. Each team tries to keep the ball until noon, when it's returned to the Mayor at The Guildhall. This usually involves a number of huge scrums, swimming with it across the bay and/or other pre-planned distractions to stop opposing teams grabbing it. The person who gets the ball back to the Guildhall at midday is given a silver coin (originally a crown piece); everyone else gets a penny. In 1823 William Webb Ellis, with total disregard for the laws of soccer, picked up the ball at Rugby School and ran around. The Hurling of the Silver Ball may throw another answer as to the origins of rugby; well, Cornish rugby anyway.

For those less inclined to take part in this, or can't make it, some more civilised goings on are as follows:

The St Ives Jazz Club every Tuesday, there are some good acts playing throughout February including Trevor Watkis Trio, but for a full listing see here.

On top of all this there is a Childrens Workshop - Paint and Plant with Jo.
Wednesday 17th February - 11.00 - 13.00.
St Ives Library
Decorate a plant pot for Spring - with Jo McIntosh.
£2.00 per child.
Places limited - advance booking strongly advised.
Call the library: 0300 1234 111

Jo is also running a series of workshops for adults.
Details on the website:


The Sail Lofts has some great offers on again for next week we are still offering up to 50% off, please see here.

Don't leave it too late to whisk your loved one away for a break over Valentines, we are getting booked up quickly but for our latest availability either visit our website or telephone 01736 799 175

Working, surfing and the occasional pint!

We've been exceptionally busy over the last week with several incoming bookings, so apologies for no blog post over the last week or so! 

We had a good run of surf over the last week with some clean conditions most days either on the south or north coast and it seems to have continued into this week for those who are prepared  to search. 

I had a good surf on saturday down at Praa Sands first thing, with some high tide offshore fun, the sun was blazing and it had to be one of the mildest days so far of 2010. The sun continued through the weekend and all the puddles have dried and we seem to be going through a really nice spell. 

A pint at the Trengilly Wartha was due again on Sunday with their infamous Trengilly Gold ale proving a good way to pass the afternoon and catch up with friends.


Its been all happening in St Ives, the streets are getting busier again, the Tate has opened with Dexter Dalwood's new Exhibition, a great attraction for all those thinking of visiting St Ives.
 
We've also been looking at some new items for the apartments, so regulars can expect some subtle changes over the next year or so, very exciting as we are trying really hard to push our standards even higher. 

As usual we have some fantastic deals for late availability and last minute breaks, with these starting to book up quickly as people take advantage of the peace and quiet at this time of year and the surprisingly the good weather!

Surfing and hanging

The Sail Lofts has been busy this week with bookings flying in and a change of scene in some of the apartments. Whilst we are busy changing art, it is nothing compared to the scale of the rehanging at the Tate St Ives as they prepare for the new Dexter Dalwood exhibition opening on the 23rd January. 


New artwork has been added to many of our apartments, with some new pieces of work from Andrew Garner and additional pieces from Sonya Walters a local St Ives artist. Andrews work is very contemporary and his latest works, entitled ‘Passage’, reflect the layers in the stages of life.

It has been a good week of surf too, I've made it into the water a few times and feeling very jealous of those surfing Porthmeor today, 2-3ft and clean with a light offshore! Luckily the swell is going to keep rolling in we should be able to find a wave for a while yet. The winds are going to become a little more tricky, with North Westerlies forecast, possibly some South coast days?

For those who want to fly down to Cornwall for a bargain holiday, AirSouthWest are offering flights at £29, superb value!


We were interested to find out today too that not only are we five star but we have the Gold Award, which means we are at the very top of self catering holidays!

We still have great offers for breaks, so visit our website for more information and to take advantage of up to 50% off.

Its even been chilly in Cornwall!

 













The past week has been a very strange one for Cornwall, for one main reason, we had snow! Not only did we have snow but it lasted for more than a few hours, and even a few days! But enough of that, as all we have heard about for the last week is snow snow snow.....

The phones and emails have been going mad this week, perhaps as others are at home and bored we've been busy helping people arrange their holidays for later in the year. 

So after a rather busy week I was relieved when the weekend came and the surf had arrived. It was a bit colder than usual, with the puddles on the beach frozen and the car park white, but for the 6 of us out there it was well worth it.

St Ives Bakery were my saviors of the day as my pasty was piping hot and defrosted me thoroughly! A pint by an open fire in a pub in St Agnes (St Agnes Hotel) was also a welcome addition to the day, and thanks to the landlord, home made nibbles were handed around.


The surf this week is looking mixed with some potentially good days as a new swell arrives but the winds are looking very variable. So have to watch it closely to make the most of it. 


At The Sail Lofts we have some fantastic deals on last minute breaks for January, with up to 50% off some apartments, see here for more details.

We are also offering 20% off all breaks before the 11th February on all apartments.

For those of you considering getting away during the busy periods this year, i.e. school holidays, we recommend you book early to avoid disappointment as we are filling up very quickly. 

 

Snow in St Ives (just not for very long!)

Firstly, Happy New Year to you all!

West Cornwall saw its first snowfall of the year today! The hill tops were all white, the side roads and gardens of St Ives were white, but its all fading very quickly as the salt air and sun melts it and as the picture shows, its actually quite nice day!

On top of the snow we've also had some fairly stormy seas sweeping into the bay, all in all giving a blustery and wintery feel. A quick walk this morning from the beach to The Sail Lofts was refreshing, but I must admit the warmth of the 'lofts' was more appealing!

St Ives bought the New Year in with style with lots of fancy dress, frolics and celebrations. A quieter week has now entailed, especially for those who are snowed in!

We had our second art showcase on the 2nd January, with Andrew Garner exhibiting some fine pieces of work, which we have now placed into the apartments. Watch this space to find out when the next event will be.

If you are interested in a January or February break then please ring 01736 799 175 for our latest offers.

Fore Street at lunch time today looking very quiet after the hustle and bustle of Christmas.