Words

Send us your best summer holiday photos and we’ll share them with all our followers, you can share them with all of your friends and family, and the photo that gets the most ‘Likes’ by the end of the competition wins the luxury Fortnum and Mason food hamper, just in time for Christmas.

Hamper Contents

Ceylon Orange Pekoe Loose Leaf Tea Apple and Cranberry Christmas Chutney Christmas Spiced Seville Orange & Ginger Marmalade Cranberry Sauce with LBV Port Fortmason Loose Leaf Tea Assorted Squares Chocolate Mulled Wine Spice Bag Rich Christmas Coffee Rich Christmas Spiced Biscuits Piccadilly Cornish Clotted Cream Digestives St James Christmas Pudding

How To Enter

Share your best photographs of your summer holidays to the Perfect Stays Facebook page. Don’t forget to tell us where it was taken, and remember, the better the quality, the more likely you are to win!

Votes will be counted and the winner announced on Friday 6th December 2013.

Terms & Conditions

Copyright laws apply

The competition prize cannot be exchanged for any other or cash alternative

Employees and relations of employees of Perfect Stays may not take part

Offensive images will not be accepted and users may be banned

Perfect Stays withold the right to share and distribute submitted images via blogs and other social media platforms

Entrants must be aged 18 years or over

Perfect Stays’ decision is final

Trebarwith Festival of Lanterns – 2nd November

A unique twist on the usual fireworks night celebrations, the ‘Festival of Lanterns’, now in its 5th year, attracts over 700 people. Homemade lanterns of all shapes and sizes will light up this corner of north Cornwall, from jam jars and pumpkins to Chinese paper lanterns. Join in the procession from Treknow to The Mill House where bushes and hedgerows will be lit up in ornate illumination. Guests can enjoy the beautiful lanterns, BBQ, hog roast, mulled wine and live music before the grand finale firework display begins at 7:00pm. As well as the food being laid on especially for the evening, The Mill House Inn will be serving up its usual fare of locally sourced cuisine. Make a holiday of it and stay just down the road at The Yellow Cottage. 

Polperro Harbour – 2nd November

Picturesque Polperro will once again host their incredibly popular Guy Fawkes celebrations. The fireworks will sit against the backdrop of Peak Rock and light up the harbour, whilst the bonfire will be lit on the beach. A children’s Guy Fawkes competition will be taking place by the fish market at 7:00pm, but make sure you get there early to enjoy the delicious local food and BBQ and to get a good viewing spot!

Falmouth Cricket Club – 5th November

Famed for hosting the biggest annual fireworks event display every year, the Falmouth Cricket Club is organised by Falmouth Firefighters and saw £6,500 worth of explosives rocket into the sky last year. Complete with fire-eaters, fairground rides and refreshments, this is a definite must-see if you’re in the area. Stay nearby at The Emerald.  

Penzance Magpies Football Ground – 5th November

The annual charity fireworks display organised by the Penzance Rotary Club will be taking place at the AFC grounds on Tuesday 5th November. Onlookers can enjoy live music by the Samba Celtica Band and fill up on hog roast before the main event kicks off at 7:30pm. All money raised goes to the Rotary’s chosen charity.

Mousehole Harbour South Pier – 5th November

Taking place with the picturesque harbour of Mousehole as the backdrop, the Mousehole harbour fireworks are taking place by kind permission of the Mousehole Harbour Commissioners. With celebrations due to start at approximately 7:30pm, the fireworks display sees the start of a busy season for the popular harbour village, who’s famed Mousehole Christmas Lights are celebrating their 50th year on 14th December. Live like a local overlooking Mousehole at Porth Enys House.

Have fun and stay safe wherever you enjoy the fireworks this year, and make sure you take plenty of photographs.

Judy and Simon’s duck race attracts visitors from all around, and this year was no different. After a gloriously sunny day, around 6:00 pm, the heavens decided to open and treat us to a spectacular thunder storm. This did not deter the crowds, however, as an impressive gathering of families, resplendent in wellies and waterproofs, came together in the picturesque woodlands of the Whitehay Estate to enjoy the celebrations – local ale in one hand and a home made burger from the local butchers – T H Lobb, in the other. Glasses were never empty for long, stomachs were soon full and the sun soon parted through the clouds.

As well as the main event, guests could purchase raffle tickets and children were awarded prizes for the best duck race hat. After selling an impressive 600 yellow ducks, these were then launched from the small bridge and proceeded to charge down river, much to the delight of all the children. Donning wetsuits, children and adults alike joined in the race, chasing ducks and rescuing the odd one that managed to wander off and get lost amongst the reeds. The wiling volunteers then had the great task of fishing all ducks out of the river, which seemed to delight the children just as much as the actual race, armed with fishing nets at the ready in a bid to rescue the most ducks.

When all ducks were safely rescued from the river, the eagerly anticipating winners were announced, with a generous cash prize of £100 awarded for first place. The evening continued to buzz on merrily until people slowly made their way back home – although guests staying at The Watermill or Home Farm wouldn’t have far to go.

Short stays at The Watermill from £500, Home Farm £800. Week stays at The Watermill from £800, Home Farm £1100.

With its own tennis court, croquet lawn, wild orchards, pond and miles of woodland trails, we knew there was something unique about this property. Particularly appealing is the option to cut yourself off from the world and indulge in some serious relaxation, without being more than 10 minutes from nearby Wadebridge and a car ride to the north coast of Cornwall.

The summer was kind to us and granted us a gloriously sunny day to photograph Home Farm and its immaculate and blossoming gardens, really allowing us to capture this traditional Cornish farmhouse in its full glory amongst the breath-taking landscape.

Sleeping up to 6 guests, this traditional holiday cottage has retained its original wood beams and farmhouse appeal whilst incorporating a fabulous contemporary open plan kitchen and dining room that opens out onto the barbecue terrace and gardens. The house is punctuated throughout with classic French and English pieces of furniture, which is then perfectly contrasted with modern minimalistic pieces, such as the fabulous designer Philippe Starck dining chairs.

Boasting it’s very own Home Cinema room with 126” drop down screen and Nintendo Wii, located in the neighbouring converted barn, Home Farm can be rented in addition to The Watermill. Just a 10 minute stroll away, The Watermill can sleep up to 4 guests and, together with Home Farm, is perfect for a group retreat and family holiday.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for regular updates about our luxury self-catering properties in and around Cornwall, Somerset, Yorkshire and Europe. And join us on Pinterestwhere we’re sharing our favourite pictures.

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Where to Stay

One of our best dog friendly holiday homes in Rock is the lovely Rosemain. A renovated detached cottage that sleeps up to 10 people, located on the highly coveted Rock Road, Rosemain enjoys a large patio and barbecue area and boasts 3 acres of fields to the rear – perfect for our four legged friends to have a good run around.

  Rock Beach: Image – John Adams

From Rosemain, Rock Beach is a pleasant 20 minute stroll away on the Camel River facing, picturesque Padstow. Stretch your legs a little further and you can catch the Water Taxi over to Padstow for a bite to eat.

If you enjoy a longer walk, Daymer Bay stretches round the corner from Rock Beach and is also a dog friendly beach with a stretching expanse of golden sand. Alternatively, jump in the car and you’ll be there in no time.

Eating Out

There are a number of dog friendly pubs, restaurants and cafes in and around the Rock area, including the highly recommended Rock Inn where well-behaved dogs are welcome in the garden and patio. Along this same road is the incredibly popular No. 1 Rock Road, where dogs are welcome on the terrace.

If you’re staying in Rock, you have to hop on the water taxi to Padstow where you’ll enjoy a stroll around the breath taking harbour and indulge in some proper Cornish finish and chips.

Day Trips

Pencarrow House by Ripplestone Garden

No one wants to have to leave their poor dog in the car when going on a trip out for the day, particularly in the summer. And you don’t have to if you visit Pencarrow House and Gardens – loud and proud members of The Kennel Club ‘Open For Dogs’ campaign. Dogs are kindly asked to be kept on a lead in the immediate surroundings of the house and café, but are actively encourage to be let off the lead in the extensive gardens and woodlands on the estate.

Cycling the Camel Trail is an absolute must-do, and you can take your furry friend along too when you hire with Bridge Bike Hire, who can provide the most adorable Dog Trailers.

Walks

The best dog walk in the area is the Sir John Betjeman Coastal Walk starting out in Rock Quarry car park. This is a nice and easy 3.7 mile circular coastal walk that affords beautiful scenery and takes you round to dog friendly Daymer Bay.

If, heaven forbid, you do need to leave your dog for an afternoon or evening, our knowledgeable Concierge Team at Perfect Stays will be more than happy to recommend some highly reliable dog sitters. To view more of our dog friendly luxury self-catering house visit the Perfect Stays website. We’d love to see your photos of your dogs enjoying themselves on holiday: share with us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Image: LollyKnits