The Journey Begins...

With a suitcase brimming with far too many clothes for a week and a handbag full of too many books for the journey, I felt my arms breathe a sigh of relief as my train to London came round the corner and pulled into the station.

Once settled on the train the time soon passed with views of Dawlish by the sea and the rolling countryside passing me by. There were no changes so I could comfortably sit back in my seat, cup of coffee in hand, until we arrived in Paddington.

As the train approached the ‘big city’ I felt myself wishing that the silhouette of the rooftops in the bright sunshine were the dark shadows cast by the rugged cliffs at Mawgan Porth. Then I reminded myself that the whole reason for this trip was for myself and Suzie to spread the word about two special hotels with that beautiful view of those cliffs and beach below. I was inspired with the feeling of wanting to share our not so well kept secret….it was just as well as we had to get up at 5am the next morning to get our train to Berlin.

Auf Wiedersehen Cornwall!

It is my last day in the office today before embarking on the journey to Berlin next week! My mission is to go and spread the word about our two fabulous hotels, the Scarlet and Bedruthan Steps, and tell everyone what we have to offer (I think the view is going to be a good talking point!)

Luckily I am not tackling this trip alone- Suzie Newham, our Sustainability Manager otherwise known as Queen of all things green, is coming with me. Suzie is always full of great ideas and one day when I was talking to her about going to Berlin she had a eureka moment…‘Why don’t we go by train!?’

The more we thought about it the more it felt like a great plan was about to be hatched. Instead of waiting in a brightly lit airport staring at a departures board and buying expensive perfume that we didn’t need, we could be sitting listening to the steady rhythm of a train whisking it’s way through Europe whilst watching the scenery pass us by. We were sold.

We want to try and inspire some of our German visitors that travelling to us need not be a chore, it can be an adventure as well as a little kinder to our planet. Watch this space to see how the journey goes, what we see along the way and how many German phrases Suzie can teach me before we arrive in Berlin!

Claire Invest, Marketing Manager

Christabelle's Pasties Stolen by Pesky Piskies

By Bedruthan Head Chef Adam Clark

Today, I received a lovely handmade card from a young guest called Christabelle. She is a member of the Bowler family who took part in our pasty-making day. Unfortunately, it seems that the Cornish piskies ran off with Christabelle’s pasties, they were that well made! And they happened to be stolen on the day that the Cornish pasty got international status; I can assure you ours were all authentic!

Well, after looking everywhere for the spot where these pesky piskies may have hidden the pasties, we decided that Christabelle and her mum should come back and help me make some more. So today, after breakfast, we had a mini pasty-making session down in Café Indigo and yet again, the pasties that Christabelle and her mum made were awesome!

I was not going to let these ones out of my sight. So I got them straight in the oven and they were lovely and warm when I delivered them to the ballroom where Christabelle’s grandparents were just about to set out on their long journey home. I am sure they enjoyed their stop off with Christabelle’s beautifully crafted pasties to keep them going.

Also you will see some bread I've made recently - move over Baker Tom - and one of the largest lemons I have ever seen. I found a tree of them in the Mediterranean dome at Eden!

Oh, and one last photo. This one was taken outside Kingsley village in Fraddon. There's a huge sign up selling my friend Tim’s mackerel baps in aid of ‘fish fight’ - Hugh Fearnley Whitingstall's Channel 4 eye-opener about fish farming. Tim, who is head chef at River Cottage Axeminister and stayed with us last October, has had a large part to play in getting fish shops across the country to put sustainable fish on their menus and it's something we care about very much here at Bedruthan too.

Lady Bakes Bread in Cornwall

Billy Whiz Keeps Younger Guests Giggling

Billy Whiz is one of our favourite children's entertainers here at the hotel. He and his naughty rabbit Dusty are often to be found chasing each other round the ballroom here at Bedruthan and keeping our younger guests giggling.

Watch him in action here.

Get in step with Nordic Walking

For me, Nordic walking has always conjured up images of healthy, Scandinavian outdoorsy types trekking across Alpine backdrops beneath brilliant blue skies.

Take the coastal path around Mawgan Porth and there may not be a snowy mountain range in sight, but you are still likely to come across clusters of Nordic walkers - wielding their trademark poles with aplomb.

This is down to Bedruthan Steps and the Scarlet hotels, perched on the cliff top above Mawgan Porth Beach, which run free taster sessions for their guests.

These glowing individuals are not, as I once thought, strange people with poles pretending to ski without snow. Oh no, they are enjoying all the benefits of a gym workout, but in the great outdoors – and managing to carry on a conversation while they do it.

So what is the difference between Nordic walking and normal walking? Can you really Nordic walk in England, and why would you want to do it anyway?

For starters, Nordic walking is a fun, sociable, efficient and low impact way to work on your fitness or lose weight.

Kate Weaving, of Walk Fit Cornwall, runs the free sessions for the Scarlet and Bedruthan Steps. She originally got into Nordic walking after trouble with her knees ruled out running.

After reading about the sport in a magazine, she signed up for a course in London and spent three days on Hampstead Heath learning all about the technique and its benefits.

“It was really good fun, I loved it and got into the rhythm of Nordic walking really quickly,” she says. “It’s a great hobby.”

She has been a committed Nordic walker ever since and is now a qualified instructor and member of the International Nordic Walking Federation.

The biggest difference between walking and Nordic walking is that you use carbon poles to propel you along, extending your stride and using a greater percentage of your muscles than when you walk normally.

The technique is a simple enhancement of normal arm swing when walking. It also works like cross training in the gym, working your upper and lower body.

Better than the gym, though, Nordic walking takes place outside and can be as sociable as you want it to be.

“What’s so great about Nordic walking around the Scarlet and Bedruthan is the sensational views,” says Kate.

“You can’t beat them. The beach is the best surface I’ve found for teaching people the techniques. It’s a perfect terrain.

“You’ve also got coastal paths and hills to vary the ground. It’s ideal territory.”

Like normal walking, people of all fitness levels, including pregnant women, can Nordic walk, but the health benefits are much greater.

A study by the University of Brighton in East Sussex has shown that, among healthy people aged 60 and over, the amount of energy used and the heart rate level were on average 40% higher when Nordic walking compared to walking naturally*.

Individuals with differing abilities and fitness levels can all exercise in the same group allowing people to walk together and talk at the same time.

As you use your legs, arms, shoulders and chest/back muscles when Nordic walking, up to 90% of the body’s muscles are actively working**.

On average, you will, therefore, expend 20% more calories than when naturally walking at the same walking speed**.

Moreover, it can actually feel easier and less tiring Nordic walking than natural walking**. This is because, although you are using more muscles and doing more exercise, the effort is spread across the whole body.

What do you need to Nordic walk? You don’t have to buy lots of fancy or expensive equipment, just trainers or walking shoes.

Kate provides adjustable poles for her groups. Gloves are also a good idea, especially in cold weather. If you layer up in cold weather, you can remove windbreakers and sweatshirts as you warm up.

Kate takes groups of up to eight out for 45 minutes to an hour for taster sessions and, depending on your energy levels that day, will take you up the coastal path or show you some resistance exercises using the poles.

The walks are free to Scarlet and Bedruthan Steps Hotel guests – just sign up at reception. Private lessons are also available on request.


Genevra Fletcher

International Nordic Walking Federation UK

Walk Fit Cornwall


* Nordic Walking for Healthy Hearts
** Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 73 (3), 296-300. September 2002

Don't forget to pack your conscience!

Responsible tourism - once dismissed as a little, well, drab - has ditched its old reputation as a holiday choice of dullness and self-denial and is taking off as a global trend.

Operators, destinations and industry organisations in the UK, United States, South Africa, the Gambia, India and Sri Lanka are already practicing responsible tourism and the list is growing, with offerings becoming more diverse and flexible.

“It’s a bit like when the organic food movement started and all you could get was an odd-looking carrot,” says Justin Francis, co-founder of web-based travel agent Responsible Travel. “There are choices now. Whatever you want to do, and whatever your budget, there’s nearly always an alternative holiday that has been thoughtfully created.”

Recognising the global significance of Responsible Tourism is World Travel Market (WTM), one of the world’s largest travel exhibitions. WTM has created World Responsible Tourism Day and the Responsible Tourism Awards, to be celebrated annually during November to recognise hotels, resorts and operators who conduct themselves with care and consideration.

All of us who work at Bedruthan are feeling proud this week that the hotel has been highly commended in the awards. Our special mention is in the category of Best Accommodation for the Environment. We can honestly say that, 50 years ago when the hotel opened, we were doing our utmost to operate in a way that respected and enhanced our local community and environment. We have also understood from the beginning that it is possible to create an experience for our guests that is both luxurious and sustainable. Being a responsible hotel does not mean forcing our guests to wear hair shirts and eat lentils, unless of course, they want to.

So what exactly is responsible tourism?

According to the Wikipedia, responsible tourism is tourism ‘that creates better places for people to live in, and better places to visit’.

The 2002 Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism in Destinations defines responsible tourism as tourism that:

• minimises negative economic, environmental and social impacts
• generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well being of host communities
• improves working conditions and access to the industry
• involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances
• makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage embracing diversity
• provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues
• provides access for physically challenged people

• is culturally sensitive, encourages respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and confidence.