Looe Music Festival 2012 has landed and there’s not a muddy, wet, overcrowded festival field in sight

Looe Music Festival 2011 was fantastic!

It brought the town alive, lifted spirits and gave everyone something new and exciting to look forward to. A huge number of musicians played everything from Celtic folk music to Ska. Here are just a few of the famous, infamous and yet to be famous names who played at last year’s festival:

• From The Jam
• Roy Wood
• The Selecter
• Adrian Edmonson & The Bad Shepherds
• The Normals
• Sandfire Siren
• Fraser
• Company B
• Phantom Limb
• State of Undress
• Kirsti Robinson
• Pentorr
• James Shead
• The Bounce

Headline bands for 2012

For the complete 2012 line-up see the tabs below but to whet your appetite these are the main head line acts for Looe Music Festival 2012.

So, what else is new for Looe Music Festival 2012?

• Well, the new festival website is looking fabulous.
• Rumours are rife about this year’s headline acts so I expect them to be big names.
• There’s a a Mini Music Festival coming up (sold out) and it seems like half the town has already succumbed to ‘Festival Fever’ – it’s a lovely thing to see.
• New T-shirts and other items will be on sale.
• Money raising events, quizzes and competitions are being held all the time.
• The festival is now a registered charity, no. 1146140.
• There is an amazing array of motivated and enthusiastic sponsors backing the event including the Adrenalin Quarry, Skinners, Crantocks and St Austell Brewery.

Basically, it looks like 2012 is going to be bigger and better than last year.

So, what are you waiting for?

If any one of the following apply to you then you should seriously consider coming to the music festival this September.

• If you love Looe.
• If you love Cornwall
• If you love beach parties
• If you love music festivals
• If you love the idea of dancing to the best live music on golden sands with your shoes off
• If you love trying new things and want to do something different this year
• If you LOVE MUSIC!

If you love any of the above, don’t miss out. Go get tickets for the Looe Music festival today.

Places to stay in Looe

Looe has a huge choice of accommodation to choose from.

• Looe Hotels
• Bed and Breakfast Looe
• Self Catering Looe

Camping and caravanning sites are nearby too if you prefer the outdoor living experience and everything you might ever need is right here in town so you can travel light and get what you need when you arrive.

The best place in Cornwall

Looe is already the best place to be on New Year’s Eve and now we’re going for the best place to be in September!

Looe Music Festival – the best place to be in September 2012

For all the music festival updates

BOOKMARK this post and download the essential Looe App for all the news, festival details and mega musical line-up info you might need.

Stay in touch via Twitter or Facebook for the latest details and announcements too.

Please leave a comment about this or last year’s music festival.

Sea fishing in Looe is a popular pastime and many people visit Looe to do just that.

If you enjoy your sea fishing then please leave Alan a comment via the comment form at the end of the article.

Just click the Read More link below for more details, pictures and a Pollock Fact File!

Read more about Sea fishing in Looe

Today’s blog post is from Alan Tennant, who in 1974 caught what turned out to be almost the largest shore caught Pollock from anywhere in the UK.

The enormous fish weighed in just 1oz shy of the record and netted Alan 15 minutes of fame via the Sea Angler, Anglers Mail and the News of the World no less!

The following words and magazine cover picture were supplied by Alan after which I’ve added a few facts about sea fishing in Looe and and the mighty fish – the Pollock.

Giant Pollock caught by Alan Tennant off the Banjo Pier

The photo on the front of the ‘Sea Angler’ magazine was taken by Mike Milman on the jetty at Port Wrinkle the morning after I caught the fish!

The giant pollock was caught between Christmas Day and New Year 1973 on the Banjo Pier.

It was a cold and windy night. The gate would be across these days detering anyone from accessing the pier but back in those days things were a little more relaxed.

After quite a fight I brought the fish to the pier steps where a plucky fellow “Erny Varco ” climbed down the steps to gaff the fish. He also dispatched the fish in a proper manor. Thanks again Erne. Hope I’ve spelt your name right?

12lb 10oz Pollock

The Pollock weighed in at 12-10oz which at the time (1974) was just 1oz under the national shore caught record!

Fishing gear

I caught the fish on an Aberdeen hook baited with a live sand eel dug from the Looe river bed (anyone reading this please don’t dig around moorings). The Pollock was weighed on the fish quay by Mr Brian Tudor, the then secretary of the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain, sadly no longer with us I believe. Brian was taken away from his pint in the Salutation Inn by my then wife Jean nee Ramsey to do the job! Thank you to both.

The picture n the magazine also appeared on the front cover of the Anglers Mail and in the News of the World supplement on the same page as Jacqueline Bisset, Johnny Mathis and Sophia Loren! A fishy tale I hear you say but quite true! My thanks go out to Mike Milman once again for taking the photo.

Alan Tennant

Fishy Fact File – The Pollock

Comments Please

Please leave Alan a comment bellow.

I just spotted a tweet by the Looe Tourist Information Centre (TIC) which led me to singer songwriter Jim Wearne.

The link in the tweet took me through to Jim’s music player page which it seems I can embed on ilovelooe.co.uk for your delight.

From what I can gather Jim traveled around Cornwall a few years back and wrote a some songs about the trip including the Looe Valley Line song which is superb.

Jim mentions Ron Overd, who was a well respected Mayor of Looe, the Banjo Pier, The Jolly Sailor pub and of course, the Looe Valley Line.

Click the link below to listen to the Jim’s songs and for more information.

Read more about the Looe valley Line song

Songs in the playlist include:

1. Where’s Cousin Jack
2. Mushy Peas
3. The Looe Valley Line
4. Here and There
5. This Isn’t England

Let me know what your favourite song is in the comments and if you’re reading this Jim, would love to hear about your trip into Looe. Click on any song below to play it.

Visit Jim Wearne’s Site At http://ezfolk.com/music For More Music

The music player is a ‘Flash’ player so will not work on some mobile devices but should be fine on your PC.

Looe Valley Line poster

In 2010, to celebrate 150 years of the Looe Valley Line, a steam train was brought back onto the line to run a few lucky people down to Looe from Liskeard and back again. It was a one off event (spread over a few weekends) that is unlikely to happen for at least another 50 years.

To celebrate the event I produced a limited edition poster which you can buy right here on ilovelooe.co.uk.

No other posters were produced by any other organisation and I only printed 250. I have about 30 left and will not be printing any more.

If you or someone you know loves steam trains or collects steam train posters then this is a unique item which will not be available soon.

There is more detail and information about this limited edition steam train poster in the online shop.

Grab one while you still can

If you’re looking for Looe Hotels then ilovelooe.co.uk and the iLoveLooe App list nearly all the hotel accommodation in Looe and surrounding area.

I’ve gone to great lengths to include all the Looe Hotels along with some really helpful information on each one.

Hopefully, finding your perfect Cornish holiday accommodation just got easier.

Looe Hotels showcase – see below

Each of the Looe Hotels below and Polraen Country House, offer something unique. All have special qualities which set them apart.

Have a look at each one if you’re looking for holiday accommodation and let me know if these short reviews are useful. Good luck and happy holidays.

Fieldhead HotelHannafore Point HotelPolraen Country House

Fieldhead Hotel

The Fieldhead Hotel is set in 1.5 acres of terraced gardens in West Looe and is the only hotel in Looe to appear in the Good Hotel Guide 2009, 2010 and 2011!

The hotel has views over Looe Island, free on site parking, a heated outdoor swimming pool (May to September), free wireless internet access and Freeview in all rooms.

Added to the above, every bedroom has en-suite facilities and the Fieldhead has a selection of double, twin, family and single rooms.

Free onsite parking – All bedrooms en-suite – Heated outdoor pool – Free wireless

For me, the award winning garden is quite special as it includes palms, phormiums and a selection of other plants that thrive here in Cornwall.

West Looe

Being in West Looe, the hotel is situated in a quiet and relaxing location only a minute from West Looe beach. East Looe town centre is a gentle walk and short ferry ride away, across Looe Harbour. You get the best of both worlds when staying at the Fieldhead Hotel.

More details

For more details and photos visit the Fieldhead Hotel web page or telephone: 01503 262689.

Please mention you found them on ilovelooe.co.uk

Hannafore Point Hotel

The Hannafore Point occupies an enviable position on West Looe seafront which makes it a superb place to watch everything from beautiful sunrises to fishing boats returning to Looe Harbour. I’ve witnessed some truly amazing sunrises from the Hannafore Point, many of which are in the Looe Daily Photo project.

Gym, spa and indoor pool

If you go to the gym whilst at home and want to keep your exercise routine going whilst on holiday, then the Hannafore Point Hotel has a fully equipped gym and waves spa with pool. It’s the only hotel in Looe to enjoy these facilities.

Wonderful sea views

Most of the Hannafore Point’s rooms have balcony sea views overlooking the lovely Looe Island and Looe Bay. What’s more you’re so close to the peaceful West Looe seafront that you’ll be able to pop out for a stroll or a longer walk to Polperro along the South West Coastal Path should you fancy it. West Looe is much quieter than East Looe so if you’re looking for a slower, more relaxed pace to your holiday then you’ll probably enjoy West Looe more than East.

The Southwest Coast Path to Polperro runs right past the hotel entrance!

More details

For more details and photos visit the Hannafore Point Hotel web page or telephone: 01503 263273.

Please mention you found them on ilovelooe.co.uk

Polraen Country House

Polraen is only a few minutes from Looe and makes the most of all the benefits this brings. Peace, calm, tranquility, rural charm and of course, free, easy and level parking! Not something many of the hotels in Looe can offer.

The house

Polraen itself is an attractive, historic building sitting in lovely quiet gardens in the peaceful Looe River Valley. There is a very friendly and relaxed charm about Polraen which you do not get in Looe.

The accommodation

Accommodation consists of five en-suite rooms all tastefully decorated and furnished to a high standard. Facilities within the hotel are excellent and include a large garden, breakfast conservatory, licensed bar and comfortable lounge.

Polraen is a very comfortable and luxurious country house. You will want to return again and again.

Gill and Martin who own and run Polraen have won awards for all manner of things but Martin’s cooking is something special. All diets are catered for and the ingredients are all sourced locally wherever possible.

More details

For more details and photos visit the Polraen Country House web page or telephone: 01503 263956.

Please mention you found them on ilovelooe.co.uk

This is a quick post to say thank you to the Cornish Times who have mentioned ilovelooe.co.uk and my Tesco Poll (on the right →) in their paper on the letters page (17).

If you haven’t got a copy then I suggest you pop out and buy one over the weekend as there is a full page of letters AGAINST the Tesco store proposal.

No doubt next week will see another flurry of letters so don’t be afraid to leave your comments here too. Click the huge link below to leave your thoughts on the Tesco Store and the good/negative impact it might have on Looe.

Tell your friends (Facebook, Twitter, phone etc) about the Tesco Poll and ask everyone to vote →

Please leave your comments below

Feel free to reply to others who have left theirs too.

Also, what do you think about the Poll? Good, Bad, Should use different questions.

Let me know below, I try to reply to everyone as soon as I can.

As always, I ask you to respect other people’s opinions and not make any of your comments inflammatory, derogatory or personally aimed at another individual. All such comments will be deleted!

The new ilovelooe eCard service is live

Choose from 18 eCards of Looe and the surrounding area to send to friends and family whenever you want to. More cards on their way this week and I’ll add to the selection as time goes by.

Sending eCards via ilovelooe is another free service.

Please ‘Like’ on Facebook or ‘Tweet’ on Twitter if you think it’s a good idea.

Just a quick update after the Tesco exhibition and consultation in the Looe Community School yesterday and Friday.

You can read some interesting comments both for and against in these two posts:

Is having a Tesco in Looe really a bad thing?

Viking II – The Return of Tesco

I have commented on both and some interesting numbers came to life today as I did some calculations based on figures given to me by one of the reps at the Looe Community School.

NEW – Tesco in Looe free opinion Poll

I have placed a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ opinion poll in the right column – Please vote today. One vote each and all confidential.

Approx. vehicle numbers to the proposed Tesco store (updated)

Here’s a quick run down on the approx. number of envisioned vehicular movements once the store has opened. They’re based on 8 vehicular movements in or out of the development every minute over a 12 hour time period between the hours of 9am and 9pm. These 8 movements extrapolate to…

• Hour = 480 (240 in / 240 out)
• Day = 5,760 (2,880 in / 2,880 out)
• Week = 40,320 (20,160 in / 20,160 out)
• Month (30 days) = 172,800 (86,400 in / 86,400 out)
• Year = 2,073,600 (1,036,800 in / 1,036,800 out)

Yes, you read that correctly…

Two million seventy three thousand six hundred extra vehicular movements a year. Here it is again…

2,073,600

That’s a lot of extra car journeys each year!

Read my full comment and thoughts here: Viking II – The Return of Tesco and let me know what you think.

If there are any mathematicians or statisticians out there who can work these numbers out more accurately, please write in and let me know your conclusions. (Thank you Kerry for pointing out the errors – I hope the numbers are better explained now)

Don’t forget to vote on the right

If you like this, please share it on FaceBook or Twitter.

Hey everyone. Today’s post is by a Rachel Hindle, who describes herself as an ‘avid returner to Looe‘.

Rachel contacted me back in 2011 about writing a guest post and I thought it would be wonderful to have a visitors view of the town.

Well here we are, Rachel’s eloquent and supremely descriptive post. Thank you so much for taking the time and for sending it in. All words and pictures supplied by Rachel.

Looe, Cornwall’s Jewel In The Crown

After an increasingly lean funnel of size zero roads, we wove around the final bend, with the object of desire shimmying majestically into view – nestled between dramatic cliff tops, lay the picture perfect Looe.

Pulling up outside Anchor Lights our elegant harbour side Edwardian B&B, the mid evening streets were deserted, with only the fairground style lights draped along the edge of the sea walls to keep us company. We were greeted by a mild stream of fresh salty sea air, owing to the Cornish micro climate. Our upscale bolthole didn’t disappoint, with contemporary luxury woven through fore and aft, from the large, airy Pengelly sea view room, to the soft toned décor and bedding, and the exquisite, locally sourced breakfast selection.

Like the best travel, it’s the quirky surprises, rather than the well-known show-stoppers, that hit the high notes, and following a brisk 500 foot walk along the horse shoe harbour, the quirky Jolly Sailor – one of Britain’s oldest pubs came into view.

A raucous welcome ensued as we ducked through the narrow beamed doorway of the 16th century watering hole. Some time later, amidst the barmaids’ impromptu tambourine session, our attention was caught by a huge dark beam above the bar, reportedly salvaged from a French ship at the battle of Trafalgar.

Locals around Looe have turned relaxation, lubricated with decent wine and fresh seafood, into an art form, but you don’t need to splash a second mortgage at a flash restaurant. The Smugglers Cottage serves super-sized lobster in its grade 2 listed snug, surrounded by old fishing nets, with dark walls and dimmed lights completing the smuggler vibe. The lobster is extraordinary, its plump flesh in plentiful supply, with an addictive sweet aftertaste.

What is it that makes Cornwall special? Cornish author Terry Faull tells me – ‘In Cornwall anyone can become an explorer. Along the coast and across the countryside, a network of public paths and lanes lead to dramatic sea washed cliffs or to sheltered inland valleys where grey/green lichens pattern the walls of granite churches where Celtic saints once knelt. What stories could be told; smugglers and sea farers, farmers and miners, lovers and mourners. Depending on your own wishes there are long walks or gentle strolls. Walks in summer sunshine have their own pleasures of course but on colder and even rainy days, real enjoyment comes from the feeling of the elements and anticipation of the reward to come from a well earned drink and rest by the fireside.’

I enjoy the roughness, the sheer otherness of Cornwall. There is romance in its gnarled old seamen, in its dotted Edwardian frontages, in the range of its amenities.

But while contemporary accommodation is a welcome development guaranteed to keep Looe on the food and travel map, the compact fishing port seems more than capable of retaining its unhurried, sunny, bling-free charm, whilst revealing a truly timeless and unique magic.

Rachel Hindle – November 2011

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If you would like to send in a guest post for ilovelooe.co.uk please contact me.

Do you like freaky fast fairground rides?

Do you like the Grand Prix?

Do you wish we had teleportation systems so driving everywhere didn’t take so long?

How about getting to Looe in record time?

If you like any of the above, strap yourself in for the quickest ride into Looe you’ll ever take, Trerulefoot to Looe in under 2 minutes. Obviously I don’t drive like this and neither should you but I just wanted to see what it might be like to drive and F1 racing car into Looe rather than my old banger.

I’ll add more ‘driving around Looe’ videos in the coming weeks. Until then, strap yourself in and no tailgating…

Morning All.

Lovely day in Looe this morning. According to my phone it’s a balmy 5 degrees centigrade or 41 degrees fahrenheit if you’re old skool

We seem to have escaped the latest round of snow and ice which the rest of the country has been enjoying and as far as I can recollect, we’ve only had three frosty mornings so far this winter.

The lack of snow and some chilly weather poses two problems for me:

1. A distinct lack of cold, frosty and snowy photographs of Looe.
2. My children haven’t experienced the joy building a decent snowman yet!

Now you might think this is a tad trite but when you look at their brave attempt at making a snowman, you’ll realise what a disappointment the lack of cold weather is.

So where am I going with this post?

Well, I just wanted to let you know how the Looe Daily Photo project is coming along nicely with or without any snow.

If you haven’t checked out the images lately, you should take a look to see what’s new. The project is now on day 257 which is a photograph of waves rolling in at Portnadler Bay which isn’t far from Looe along the coastal path to Polperro.

Below is a snapshot from the Looe Daily Photo gallery page. Click it to have a rummage through the images and let me know your favourites. Portnadler to pasties, which images do you prefer?

Cheers

Chris