Page 75 - recollections of a life in Porthleven

The second busy place in the village in wintertime was the Public Hall which
was (and still is to my knowledge) used for bird shows and concerts etc. Yes
winter in the village could be very bleak and very quiet. But on storm days
you could find thirty or more people standing by the door of the Institute,
along Bay View and along Breageside watching the sea.

Today in a storm there could be many more, especially with TV cameras.
People worldwide can storm watch Porthleven when there is a south westerly
gale.

Mind you, although the fishing fleet has left the village, Mounts Bay
(Porthleven down to Mullion and on towards the Lizard) would have been
full of boats if the wind was blowing an easterly, strong to gale force wind.
Not necessarily fishing boats but many deep sea ships and vessels. I can
recall on many nights looking out of my bedroom window at Trewarvas,
seeing many lights from ships which made the sea look like another town.
The ships would be anchored for days or even longer, increasing in numbers
daily. You could go to bed with fifty or more ships at anchor in the bay.
When I woke up in the morning I may see only a handful of coasters (smaller
ships). This was due to the wind changing direction and blowing from
another quarter.

There was another very busy place I have just thought of and that is Gala
Park where many hundreds of Porthleven villagers would gather on Saturday
afternoons to watch football, the Fishermen. When Porthleven was playing
Helston even more villagers would come to watch the Fishermen play. When
the Fishermen were playing Falmouth Town Gala Park would be packed as
there was a great friction between the two clubs.

Early spring and the village would start to wake from its winter hibernation.
The village is very dependent on the weather. Slowly the winter weather
ABBATES the storage of the fishing gear is pulled out of the lofts etc and
placed around the harbour where it is checked and repaired if necessary.
New pots or nets might even be made. The fishing boats, when they return
after their winter fishing from other ports are beached, a few at a time, at the
top end of the harbour, where repairs are undertaken, if needed. They may