China Girl blog 3rd January 2019

With the passing of the old year, Mother said the land in which we live shapes our lives, and here at Cothay the timeless charm is like a necklace of light.

We spent Christmas in Warwickshire with Ma’s eldest daughter and family. On Christmas Eve Johnny Arkwright, Arabella’s husband, whose forebears invented (or stole) the Spinning Jenny, went with their two children hunting, whilst Arabella, Ma and I followed on foot. There must have been well over a hundred horses out. Harry, who is seventeen and still at school, had just come fourth out of eighteen riders in his first point to point; so called, as in times past the race took place from one point to another, or as it is sometimes known as, steeple chasing, from one village church to another.

Mother and I spent New Year in Cornwall with Charlie, Ma’s youngest daughter and her husband James. On New Year’s Day we walked along the beautiful sandy beach Constantine, which is noted for its good surfing. Ma said she had never seen such a medley of different dogs, all shapes and sizes having a New Year’s Day airing on the beach.

The highlight of the Cornish trip was a visit to the Eden Project; Ma thought it was inspirational. James had worked there years ago at the concept, with the charismatic Tim Smit. It was fascinating to hear all about the start of this momentous project.

Ma spotted a plaque on which was written ‘a thought’ by a native American, Chief Seatle in 1854:

 “People are part of the amazing diversity of life. What a wonderful place the world is, we did not weave the web of life, we are merely strands in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do it ourselves”