Cornwall, England's southwestern county, has a rugged coastline and is immersed in tales of pirates and smugglers. Dotted with quaint fishing villages, the peninsular is both picturesque and treacherous (and the setting for my
Lowenna cozy mystery series). But it is the fishermen in those villages that
Gavin Knight was most interested in and by interviewing locals (especially those who imbibe at
The Swordfish and The Star pubs) he has put together stories of a Cornish fisherman's life, together with some tales, legends and history.
They complain of
European Union regulations that limited how they could fish while allowing other countries to deplete the waters off the English coast. The
pilchard industry suffered both because of depletion and regulations required that all salted fish had to be stored in a separate chill room which small, family run grocers could not afford. But the fish gradually returned and locals, rather than continuing the age old traditions, were able to sell the
Cornish sardines in a decorated steel tin - an industry which grew. Gavin Knight also follows the story of
Nutty Noah, a character well known around
Newlyn and using Daniel Defoe's books
The King of Pirates and
Treasure Island Nutty Noah surmised that Captain Avery and Captain Kidd may have been linked to local landmarks. He thought the Admiral Benbow Inn,
Penzance may have been Cadgwith Cove Inn and Treasure Island may have been
Kennack Sands. A local archaeologist pointed out that any treasure he found had to be taken to the district coroner within fourteen days (Treasure Act 1996). But
Nutty Noah hasn't given up finding treasure.
Note: If you're ever in Cornwall, make The Admiral Benbow Inn, Penzance one of your stops. It's been decades since I visited there, but little seems to have changed and it is reported to have been there since the 17th century. It is also rumored to have a smugglers tunnel from the pub to the coast.
