Consols Pond lies at the very top end of St Ives. Every Good Friday the people of St Ives gather to launch their sailing boats, many of whom have been handed down from father to son. The oldest ones are home made, and beautifully crafted.
The annual tradition of sailing a model boat on Consols Pond has been going for over a hundred years. It is thought that this tradition began in the early 1900s when sailors and their children would sail model boats in the harbour, as a gesture to generations before that would launch miniature boats to ensure safe passage at sea.
After moving here, I bought Marc a model boat for his birthday, and we have been sailing it at the pond every year since. It's great fun, although water and children can sometimes make for nervous mothers. Fathers are not so nervous, it would seem. Olly really enjoyed sailing the boat, and the weather was perfect for it. Beautiful sunshine with a very slight breeze. We didn't enter the competition for the best sailing boat. But we did buy a coffee and a hot cross bun from the lovely ladies in the Chapel that sits next to the pond.
I love the local traditions of St Ives. Are there any local traditions where you live that you enjoy?
Have a lovely Easter.
Leanne xx
What a nice tradition! The model boats look so picturesque on the water. Our small community is very new - it has only been here for five years - but they have already established an Easter tradition where all the parents meet in the wooded area known as Tall Timbers and hide eggs. Later that morning the kids go on an egg hunt. I can't way until Lucy is old enough to join in! Happy Easter to you and your family, Leanne.
ReplyDeleteI love this tradition. It looks like such a nice way to spend the day. There are some traditions here but I have to admit that I haven't really gotten into many of them. I'm not from here and the culture is so different from where I come from that it hasn't been easy to assimilate, I guess. But some of them are wonderful and I do love them, especially the displaying of luminaria at Christmas. I hope you all have a very happy Easter.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful thing! Glad you had such perfect weather for it too. Wooden boats are so beautiful to look at, I do love there sleek lines. Thanks for sharing. Steph x
ReplyDeleteSo exciting!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful, I do so love the simple old-fashioned things like this. We have an old Star boat (made in Britain!) that needs a little attention, but they are wonderful (they still pop up on Ebay regularly) and they're guaranteed not to sink! I hope you guys all have a really good Easter. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteNothing Easter traditions but mayday is coming up and there are still several places around who do the maypole dancing.
ReplyDeleteLeanne, you might enjoy reading ... abovetheriver.blogspot.co.uk ... another mother with three boys, who enjoys gardening and allottmenting etc., and in the latest post they enjoyed a lovely day out . Your boys are fortunate to be having a Cornish childhood. Lisa
ReplyDeletea mother who likes gardening etc and has three boys
This is such a lovely tradition, so full of meaning and so connected to your local area. I can't think of any traditions up here that are like that, although I'm sure there are some. Thank you for sharing this. x
ReplyDeleteAnd a great day for a boat race on the pond it was! No similar tradition that I know of up here (but I haven't looked very hard). When I grew up we always decorated hens eggs and displayed them in a nest of hay. The eggs were boiled in an onion skin infusion, garden herbs attached to the eggs with pieces of old tights, leaving a beautiful imprint after boiling. I remember the puzzled looks on the faces of my new British family when I brought such a nest as a present before I moved here. Enjoy the last day of Easter! xx
ReplyDeleteThat is such a lovely tradition and great that you had good weather too! Hope you've had a wonderful Easter! xx
ReplyDelete