The picturesque fishing village of Mousehole and its surroundings, during the 1960s and 1970s, are brought to life in this personal memoir of a Cornish childhood.
Born in Newlyn, Michael spent his early years living at Trereife Lodge and later became a chef at the renowned Lobster Pot Hotel.
The book is full of details of everyday life as seen through the eyes of a child. These include learning to cook with his mother in the family kitchen, family Christmas celebrations and the annual turning on of Mousehole lights.
For those of us old enough to remember, the change from the old money to decimal currency was a big event, and this is covered in the book, one of many reminders of the 70s.
The Torrey Canyon disaster and its devastating effect on Cornwall’s coastline and wildlife are given considerable coverage.
As anyone who remembers that era can testify, the beaches and harbours on both the North and South coasts were covered in thick lumps of oil for many years.
The author, as a boy of 10, watched the tanker on the Seven Stones reef being bombed to set fire to the remaining oil.
There are many interesting insights and observations relating to West Penwith, and there is nostalgia for those of us who remember how things were and how things have changed.
