Annual Newsletter - January 2012

This time last year Liz and Ian wrote to you in freezing temperatures, surrounded by solid ice. This year, the daffodils were flowering in the fields in December, the snowdrops are already out in the lane, and the birds are singing as if Spring has arrived. What a difference a year makes!

Green Awards and Renewables

The most exciting news for Liz and Ian last year on the ‘green front’ was to be awarded a Gold Award by the Green Tourism Business Scheme. In December, ARC SW Ltd completed the installation of 16 free-standing PV solar panels at Tregathenan. 

Meanwhile, we continue to look for ways to help our guests to recycle more – over 3 years, we have halved the amount of domestic waste produced at Tregathenan, and so halved the amount of waste going to land fill.  This is fantastic progress and thanks to so many of our guests who are doing their bit. 

My Other Friends at Tregathenan

Liz and Ian are my best friends, but I have lots of other mates here, so here is some news about them.  Poor old Gandalf – the winter was just a bit too harsh for the old guy and one January afternoon he lay down in the winter sun and went to sleep.  We also said goodbye to little Tilly – always a little feisty black bundle of fluff – she was 19 years old.  In the Spring, we welcomed 2 baby alpacas to Tregathenan – Legolas’ son – a strapping white boy with piercing blue eyes, and his birth mate - a gorgeous little black boy.  Both are now integrated with the Tregathenan herd and have been named Elron and Samwise Gamgee (Sam for short).

I didn’t think it would be long before some more cats arrived at Tregathenan, and I was right.  Two ginger boys called Bill and Ben arrived in May.  At first, despite my best efforts to make him feel at home, Billy wasn’t sure he wanted to live at

Other stuff

This year has been a real success for birds at Tregathenan hopefully due to the increased habitats Liz and Ian are creating for them.  Two families of swallows were raised in the front porch – I wasn’t allowed to use the front door for a month!  I also found blue tits nesting in the wall in the car park; chaffinches in the sycamore tree next to the Hayloft; blackbirds in the ivy outside Tregathenan House; I even found a family of wrens who had made their home in one of Liz’s roosting pockets.  Great tits nested in the wisteria above the Granary kitchen; and numerous families of sparrows were raised here.

There’s lots on next year – Flora Day in Helston on 8^th May (one day Ian and Liz will take part, I guess); on 4^th June, the local Parish are having a street party and bonfire to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (no fireworks, I hope).  Then there’s the Royal Cornwall Show at the end of that week (I understand it’s great – loads of animals, local crafts, etc, but a bit hot for me, so I get to spend a day at my godparents’).  The Olympic torch passes through Helston on Saturday 19^th May, and the Olympics themselves start on 27th July, so the new digital DVD/TVs in the cottages and B&B rooms have arrived just in time, as have the new fridges for half time refreshments!

They said I have to mention the new website.  This has been redesigned and will enable Liz and Ian to do more regular news and event updates.  So please go and have a look and let them know what you think. It’s the same web address www.tregathenan.co.uk.  They are also now on Twitter and can be followed on @tregathenan.  Finally, I’d better not forget to mention that Ian became a grandfather for the second time.   Edward Ian Robert Paterson was born on Boxing Day.

So there’s just room for me to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2012.  Liz, Ian and I look forward to seeing many of you here at Tregathenan again soon.

Nell