Meet the newest engine at Lappa Valley Steam Railway

Posted on Thursday 17th August, 2017

Lappa Valley Steam Railway received a very exciting delivery on Tuesday 8 August in the shape of our newest and largest steam engine, Ellie. Ellie is a welcome addition to the already impressive rolling stock held at Lappa Valley.

Joining the other recent addition, the diesel City of Derby, Ellie will be working on the mainline taking visitors in and out of the leisure park.

Ellie is a 0-4-2 tank engine built in 2006 by the Exmoor Steam Railway. Originally built for a private garden railway in 12.25" gauge, the locomotive was only ever steamed a handful of times. Ellie returned to her builders at Exmoor where she remained for a few years, until the winter of 2016-17 when Ellie was rebuilt and re-gauged to work at Lappa Valley Steam Railway. Ellie arrived in August 2017. Although very similar to the other resident Exmoor engine 'Ruby', Ellie is considerably more powerful to haul the heavier trains and slightly larger, making Ellie a very comfortable locomotive to drive and be pulled by!

NEW FOR 2017! Alongside Ellie, experience the NEW diesel engine 'City of Derby', NEW rolling stock, NEW Play Fort at East Wheal Rose and the NEWLY extended play area at Benny Halt with the NEW climbing frame and NEW ride on trains, meaning more fun before you even board the train! Do you need more of an excuse to go and visit?

Lappa Valley is open daily from 9:30am.

Visit lappavalley.co.uk for full details.

Newlyweds Celebrate their Honeymoon with a Great Cornish Adventure

Posted on Monday 14th August, 2017

Newly married couple Simon and Monique Allam from Chertsey, Surrey celebrated their honeymoon at Camel Creek Adventure Park near Wadebridge, giving their children who suffer from hypermobility a Cornish Adventure of a lifetime.

Camel Creek provided two weeks of welcoming hospitality at their campsite adjacent to the Adventure Park. Their three children Aimee, Callum and Harry all suffer from a genetic condition which leaves them out of breath and unable to participate in activities that other children can due to their joints moving beyond the normal range.

Monique Allam said: “This is such a fantastic way for us to spend our honeymoon with the family. The children absolutely love the rides and the animals, and staying in the nearby campsite gave them the freedom to relax and take a break when needed. We will definitely be spending our 1^st anniversary here as the staff can’t do enough for us”.

The family spent most of their afternoons on their honeymoon break competing against each other on the water slide ‘Raging Rivers’, pumping their adrenaline on the swinging Pirate Ship ‘Viking Warrior’ and interacting with the array of animals on the park.

Save up to 20% online when booking in advance at www.camelcreek.co.uk and take advantage of 7 days of fun for the price of 1.

Stonefish Twins are Stars of Newquay's Blue Reef Aquarium

Posted on Monday 14th August, 2017

The world’s most deadliest fish are on display at Blue Reef Aquarium, Newquay. The Towan Beach attraction has moved their stonefish to a new display making them a star attraction.

The stonefish babies first arrived at the Blue Reef Aquarium on 7th January 2016 and were closely monitored by the aquarium aquarists until they were able to feed properly and have now been moved to a prime location to be enjoyed by public.

Lara Heaney displays supervisor explains "The two stonefish were really small, only about 10 cm long each when they first arrived here. We had to persevere with the feeding programme introducing them to foods such as squid, sand eel, krill, mackerel and sprat to find what they preferred. Their daily diet now consists mainly of mackerel and sprat as they go straight for it.  Now they have both grown to at least 20cm long, they are much bigger and have become real confident characters, often sat right up at the front of the display. We've moved them to a larger exhibit to give them more room, but even in the wild this species are not overly active creatures preferring to lie around on the ocean bed waiting for their prey to arrive."

Since arriving at the aquarium the stonefish have always been a favorite of the visitors. They are masters of camouflage and blend into their surroundings to look like, what their name suggests, a stone or a rock. The public enjoy trying to spot them and are often amazed by their clever disguise.

Stonefish have rightly earned themselves the label of 'world’s deadliest fish'. They have thirteen dorsal spines that release a toxic poison when threatened or even stepped on. It can take less than an hour for the poison to kill a human if untreated by anti-venom. 

At the Blue Reef Aquarium this summer visitors can learn all about the ‘Dangerous Creatures’ that can be found in the aquarium, from the snappy dwarf caiman and ferocious piranha to the spikey sea urchins. There’s a fact finding trail and a hidden shark trail for visitors to take part in as well as frequent daily talks featuring all these dangerous creatures.

www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/newquay

Eden joins more than 70 local businesses supporting sustainable seafood project

Posted on Wednesday 9th August, 2017

The Eden Project has joined Nathan Outlaw, Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall restaurant, St Austell Brewery and more than 70 other local businesses pledging to help towards healthy seas and support sustainable fisheries by joining Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Cornwall Good Seafood Guide.

An eco label has been produced – the recommended symbol – which can be used by supporters to clearly show consumers that the seafood they are being offered is sustainable.

This label will now be on display in Eden restaurants and cafes, highlighting the sustainable seafood on the menu.

Eden’s Sustainability Manager Amelie Trolle said: “Sourcing and serving local, seasonal and sustainable food is one of our cornerstones at Eden. We are very pleased to be joining the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide in an effort to support our Cornish fisheries, healthy seas, and to promote the visibility of the label.

“Our visitors will find the CGSG label next to some of our most popular dishes containing fresh Cornish seafood, such as the Seafood Linguine and Roast Mackerel. We hope that many more visitor destinations in Cornwall will join this important scheme too.”

The Cornwall Good Seafood Guide has been produced by Cornwall Wildlife Trust in partnership with the Cornish fishing industry. It is packed with information on fish and fishing methods to help consumers see what's currently in-season and most sustainable to eat.

The guide also features tasty seafood recipes, a directory of where to purchase great local seafood and a series of ‘meet the fishermen’ videos. The Cornwall Good Seafood Guide can be found online at www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk

Local businesses across Cornwall are now being encouraged to become supporters of the project as a way of highlighting the great local seafood they sell, at the same time as educating the public on the best choices to go for.

But it’s not just high-class restaurants and visitor destinations backing the guide.  The Wildlife Trust has support ranging right across the industry from beachside cafes, to fish and chip shops and fishmongers. 

Matt Slater, Marine Awareness Officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: “The Cornish fishing industry is something we should all be proud of but knowing what fish to buy can be a complicated issue. Having the support of local restaurants and fish sellers gives people the confidence that they will be offered ‘good’ seafood choices by these businesses.

“This in turn promotes demand for sustainably-caught Cornish fish, and helps make the future that bit more secure for both fish stocks and our inshore fishermen.”

Matt added: “Gaining the support of so many local businesses shows that these companies really do care about the seafood they sell. We are delighted that Eden has pledged its support to this project and it’s fantastic to be working with people with such a passion for sourcing the most sustainable seafood they can.

“We would also like to show our appreciation for all our supporters, big and small, and encourage the public to visit the ‘buy Cornish’ section of our website to find details of all those who have got behind this important project.”

You can find out more about the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide online at www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk and how Eden uses works with local suppliers here: www.edenproject.com/ethical-buying

Photograph from left, Matt Slater, Marine Awareness Officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Eden’s Sustainability Manager Amelie Trolle and Eden’s Head Chef Tony Trenerry

New 5D Film ‘Time Out’ Premiers at Cornwall’s Greatest Adventure Park - Camel Creek

Posted on Tuesday 1st August, 2017

Camel Creek Adventure Park near Wadebridge, have launched their new ‘Award Winning’ 5D film, in the state of the art ‘5D Super Sim Theatre’.

Members were treated to an exclusive premier during their annual ‘Members only BBQ’ event on Tuesday 25h July, where the release of the time travel inspired film, coincided with the start of the Park’s ‘Summer of Science’.

The anticipated new 5D experience, now open to the general public will continue to show throughout the summer season. A magical tale and multi-sensory journey, that follows an accident-prone clockmaker, as he travels through time; inside one of his spectacular clocks.

Inspired by NASA technology, the £1.5m 5D Simulator allows riders to experience movement, sound, 3D vision and sharp bursts of air throughout. The purpose-built balustrade in the theatre also allows smaller guests to experience the 3D film from the comfort of static chairs.

Camel Creek member Savannah McConnel said “It was the best and I would go a million times a day. The 3D picture was clearer and the pods moved more. I liked the change of subject!”

Guests can save up to 20% online when booking in advance at www.camelcreek.co.uk and take advantage of 7 days of fun for the price of 1.