The verdant and fertile finger of land that is the Roseland Peninsular snakes its way between a natural phenomena of 2 drowned river valleys leading to the sea, framed with rolling green hills. At its tip sits the pretty village of St Mawes looking towards the sailing mecca of Falmouth, with St Mawes castle perched on one side of the Fal Estuary and Pendennis Castle on the other. The vistas are picture perfect. The area is ideal for walking whether you seek a gentle stroll around the headland from St Mawes to the ancient parish of St Just, with its beautiful ancient church, or a longer excursion across the harbour via water taxi to St Anthony’s headland, with its lighthouse and hidden beaches. The mild Mediterranean type climate means the village’s Lamorran Gardens offer a particularly pleasant stroll. The larger garden attractions of Trelissick and the tropical gardens of Trebah are a short drive away via the King Harry Ferry - a car ferry famed as the shortest, most scenic ferry ride in the UK! A foot ferry takes you from St Mawes over to Falmouth to experience its maritime flavour - including the National Maritime Museum. From the village harbourside water taxis offer visitors an opportunity to explore some of the hidden creeks in the Helford Estuary where some great pubs (best kept secrets) can be found! The county capital of Truro with cathedral, high street shopping, theatre, cinema, bowling and other entertainment is within comfortable driving distance. The Roseland and St Mawes in particular is a perfect getaway destination if you are seeking a place to unwind and relax but also be close to activity and action options. Around the village there are super places to eat and some very talented chefs make delicious use of great quality Cornish produce, much of it locally grown, reared or caught.

So, I arrive in St Mawes in early October to begin my new position as Deputy Manager of The Idle Rocks Hotel. Having come from the city and having worked in rather large hotels before now, I expected to find a quiet little hotel set in a quiet little fishing village with not much really going on around the hotel. WRONG!!

I have discovered that St Mawes is anything but a quiet little fishing village! And, all the drama seems to centre around the harbour where the hotel is located! EEK! So much for coming to St Mawes and keeping myself to myself! I think I now have a little taste of celebrity life and how your private life (or at least some of it) becomes public knowledge!

My second day (Monday), I offered to go to the post office for Karen (our head receptionist) and collect the guest’s daily newspapers. I walk in and ask the lady behind the counter for the usual newspapers for the Idle Rocks and then begin to collect up the extra papers which were on my order sheet. “Oh, you must be Alex” says the lady behind the counter. “You used to work at Hotel Endsleigh didn’t you?” Was she asking me, or telling me?? “Yes”, I replied feeling very uneasy that someone I have never laid eyes on before knew exactly who I was and where I had come from! It was from this moment the cabin fever began to set in! For those of you that have lived and/or worked in