Year: 2023

This month has been a very exciting one for me personally, because our business, Railholiday, had the great honour of winning the Most Sustainable Small Organisation at the Cornwall Sustainability Awards. As my husband Dave and I headed to the podium, I had to do some quick thinking as to what I would like to […]

I have to confess I have very mixed feelings about Christmas. I have always struggled with the spend-fest and waste element, which I think for many of us is stressful. The pressure for perfection, and having the best ever Christmas, only adds to the anxiety. It can also be a time when loved ones are […]

It’s certainly winter storm time, and the beaches are, as might be expected, full of plastic washed in with high tides. This needs to be cleared as quickly as possible, before it finds its way back into the water to play havoc with fish, birds and other sea farers.  Some of the plastics washed up […]

I read an interesting article recently that suggested that we should forget about our own carbon footprint and focus instead on the places we work. I don’t entirely agree with the statement; I think our carbon footprint is something we own, and can do something about. By working on our personal footprint we can learn […]

The journey to becoming more ecologically aware, and acting upon it, is a multi-faceted one. Sometimes it can be empowering; it feels good to do something positive. However sometimes it can feel lonely and frustrating. In these times I’m really glad for the support of friends who are on the same journey. I’m reading an […]

I love autumn. I love the turning leaves, the gentle rain, the windswept beaches and the bonus warm days, but most of all I love autumn for the harvest. Nearly thirty years ago my parents planted two hundred apple trees, and two fields of cobnuts and walnuts. At this time of year I find myself […]

Cornwall is a wonderful place; not only for the beautiful scenery and access to wildlife, but also for the people. I have often thought that although in Cornwall we tend to have low incomes, we have a better quality of life. Instead of expensive holidays, we have beaches at our doorstep to access at any […]

I have to admit I start this column feeling furious. As you will no doubt be aware Rishi Sunk has agreed to over 100 new licences for drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea. Presumably he’s banking on securing a one-way ticket to Mars for his family, because these licences will undoubtedly worsen […]

School’s out, and it’s holiday time! Even though we live in an amazing place, we all like a change from the norm and to spend time with loved ones. However holidays can be a big carbon drain and over-tourism can also cause problems, as many of our coastal villages can confirm. So how do we […]