…isn’t something you’ll catch me doing but lots of people do venture out into the sea during the winter: the waves are generally better, the beaches less crowded and the parking is often free!  As I’ve been finding out recently from chatting with Giles, our gardening contractor, there are some hidden dangers and not as obvious as you might think.

These serious surfers all have thick winter wetsuits, boots, hoods and gloves to keep themselves warm but there is a real danger of damaging your hearing through continuous immersion in cold water.  Over a period of time the bone in the ear canal grows and blocks things up and this can only be rectified with surgery, which Giles has just had on one of his ears.  I was quite surprised to see Giles back at work last Saturday so soon after his operation but it is good to see him up and about again.

As well as telling me what he’s been up to he has also been talking to our local reporter, there was quite a story in yesterday’s Cornish Guardian about it with a fantastic big picture of Giles surfing at Harlyn, this is also available on line so do please have a look and read the full details:

Giles story

We said good bye to Cath from reception today, she’s been with us for a long time and she will leave a big hole in the team.  We do have the consolation that she is going on to do her own thing, running her own pub with her fiance over in St Columb for the next couple of years.  We all wish her well in her new venture and I’m sure she will be kept busy with people from the hotel calling in to see her on their nights off.

We have been very lucky to have Sian come back to join us in reception so the team will carry on well, tracey is in her last week of her pregnancy with baby due anytime next week - more news as it arrives.