Approaching doom

We’ve all seen the dreadful pictures on the news about the floods in Boscastle. Ned and I spent a lovely day in the village two years ago, and it’s very hard to imagine that beautiful place suffering such destruction. It was so well cared for, the sun was shining, the flowers were in full bloom and the walk along the harbour to the top of the cliffs at the end of the combe was lovely, and the views of the rocky Cornish coastline were stunning. This was the village where we started our ‘tea tour’ trying to find the perfect Cornish cream tea. (At Boscastle the scones and the cream were good, but the jam was disappointing.) There were several very ancient buildings, one of which, the ‘Harbour Lights’ gift shop, (shown in the pic) with its buttressed walls and wibbly roof, dated back to the 15th Century. It was totally destroyed by vehicles being hurled against it by the floodwater.


Harbour Lights 

Thankfully, it appears that nobody was killed, though they won’t know that for certain till the demolished buildings and wrecked cars (some out at sea) have been searched. Coincidentally it occurred 52 years to the day after the Lynmouth floods, which tragically happened during the night, and 34 people lost their lives. I’m sure that without the rescue helicopters at Boscastle there would have been many more casualties.

On another topic entirely, tomorrow is A-level results day, when we find out how much revision and digital extraction the Boy managed in the run-up to the exams. If his teachers are to be believed, he is capable of getting AAC, but I personally think ABD is the best we can hope for, and which I think is the points equivalent of the BBC the Uni has asked for. I would love for him to have done really well, but am consoling myself that, if the results are poor, then University would have been the wrong move for him, and we think about his future plans together. I don’t want him to go to Uni ‘because it’s expected’, or if it wouldn’t be of benefit to him. Watch this space ...

CNPS: 124 (ours)