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Friday, 19 November 2010

The Ship Inn



Successive Spencers from various corners of the world have reminisced with each other and slaked their thirst in this Public House in Porthleven Cornwall, since the early 60’s.  The ceiling in the bar used to be covered in ancient fiscal paper.  I searched in vain for a $A1 dollars note I stuck on the ceiling in the early 80’s, but unfortunately much of the historic collection of paper money has recently been removed, no doubt to go to a worthwhile local cause.  

Getting to the Ship Inn is an adventure.  In a raging south westerly storm, it’s quite a scramble along the sea wall to get to the pubs alternative and sheltered entrance, the main entrance being firmly secured against wind & waves, for good reason.  Windows at the front of the building have been stoved-in by waves.  Getting back along the sea wall to the shelter of the village, in similar conditions after a few beers, is positively life threatening.  Sadly, some haven’t made it and have been lost.  In the 1989 storm surge, I saw waves breaking over the Institute clock tower.  Not for nothing is the inner harbour entrance protected by storm boards the size of barn doors, stored on the harbour wall and able to be craned in place as the weather & high tide threatens.


Nevertheless, it was a fine evening when six of us, a mix of friends & relatives turned up for dinner and an ale or three.  We went in the front door.  It was crowded as usual and we had trouble finding a table for all of us but after a bit of negotiation with some fellow imbibers, we accommodated ourselves in a comfortable corner spot near the open fire (which hadn’t been lit yet).  The pub is never deserted regardless of the weather conditions and once safely inside there is no better place for a beer and a feed.  The interior is quite small with a number of small spaces connected by the bar.  Service is always cheery and one is never in a hurry to leave.


I had a warming bowl of broth followed by a veg. lasagne.  Suzy had real lasagne, as did the others; there is a wide range of excellent food available and not all fish dishes.

We had recorded the type & variety of beer etc that was available but Suzy accidently deleted the info from her iPhone (wots wrong with pencil & paper).  Anyway, this PH is an institution to the Spencers and a Free House so what is available now probably wont be in the future unless it’s well worth drinking.  I will be returning here for the next thirty years as I have for the past thirty; by that time I probable wont be able to make a run for it along the sea wall in those SW busters.

(thanks Mark for the use of the wave picture)



1 comment:

  1. Tammy Rating - Not valid as I go there to have a ale regardless.

    ReplyDelete