Page 31 - recollections of a life in Porthleven

'buns to go with me pasty. Proper food that was.

'Johnny, he said, 'Are there any real fishermen left in Porthleven or are they
newcomers to the village, from up the country?'

I didn't have time to answer when he said, 'Look, a bit further along by
Breageside this fish restaurant owned by someone called Rick something or
another. He doesn't sound like a Cornishman to me. Does he know a pilchard
from a herring?

Now look at these plastic and fibre glass pleasure boats', he instructed me.
'In my day real fishing boats were made of wood. When the fleet was in you
could walk from one side of the harbour to the other without getting your
feet wet, there were so many boats. It's not like that today. I remember a
good little fishing boat called, 'The Katie' in the harbour. She had fine lines,
a good length and bilge.'

'Look, the crane for lowering and raising the bulks has gone, and the bulks
are on the sunny side of the harbour. What is that yellow object? I quickly
butt in and say, 'It's the machine which took the place of the old crane which
had done the job for years and years'.

'Now Johnny, look at the magnificent building on the corner of the pier. Me,
you and many men have spent many hours there playing cards and snooker
and of course telling the odd tale or two'. He said with a reminiscing smile
on his weather beaten face. 'The William Bickford-Smith Institute, what a
state it's in now. Let's hope it gets the attention it needs soon. In days gone
bye Bill and Douglas Body would have been down there and repaired it.'
Johnny I have a great love for our village of Porthleven and of our County
but what has happened to it? They have become a tourist trap. Is this the type
of work locals now do? Padstow is like Porthleven, there's even another one
of those fish food restaurants owned by that Rick person! Tell me how can
locals afford to live here with these prices being pushed up by up the country
people. Are our locals expected to rent from them to pay their mortgages?
Before I had chance to give my opinion he said, 'And why isn't there more
Cornish presenters on Radio Cornwall? Brenda Wootton would play up
merryhell if she knew!' That Devonish chap on between 12 and 3 is alright
but he aint Cornish.