Teddy Pasty™

Coming to @etsy soon! Teddy Pasty enamel pins in Original and Midnight. Wooooop. ✨😍👌✨

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World Class Pasties

What: 4th Annual World Pasty Championships Where: Eden Project When: Saturday 28th February 2015

Arriving at the champs a little later than planned but conveniently bang on pasty o’clock we made an immediate beeline towards the Ale & Pasty Bar. A mind-boggling spherical 'world' pasty dominated an impressive display, beneath which crimped pastry delights cascaded into a pool of, yes, more pasties. Sumptuous varieties of Eden pasties stretched out before us including Spicy Three Bean, Chicken and Ham Hock, Three Cheese and of course Classic Steak. Gluten free bods were also catered for. And If you fancied swishing your pasty down with a pint, some of the finest Cornish ales available to mankind were readily on tap.

Having filled our bellies, a moderately slower pace saw us meander outside to the Charity Stage which hosted a variety of musical delights and hands on demonstrations such as the temptingly titled 'Mexican Sweet Pasties' and informative 'Tricks of the Trade'. Surrounding the stage, local charity stands gave you the opportunity to learn about their work.

Monkey Magic

It was with great anticipation, on a blustery Sunday afternoon, that we headed to Penzance, took our seats at The Acorn and readied ourselves for PuppetCraft's breathtaking production of 'Monkey'. 

We were whisked away on a magical journey accompanied by melodic soundscapes which emanated from traditional Chinese instruments, comedic words written by the poet Michael Rosen (Children’s Laureate 2007–2009) and puppet mastery lead by the director John Roberts. 

The tale of 'Monkey' is inspired by one of China’s classical stories – Journey to the West. Monkey hatches from a stone egg and begins his quest to uncover the secret of everlasting life. Along the way, the cheeky and mischievous monkey learns many fantastical tricks. Flying on clouds and transforming into birds are amongst the powers he acquires which help him defeat a fire breathing dragon. We also come to learn that Monkey enjoys mangoes…and peaches…a lot!

You couldn't help but fall in love with the charismatic Monkey. The energetic voice of John, partnered with the beautiful marionettes he designed and carved, brought the story to life. John, along with two other puppeteers formed a graceful trio. Weaving in and out of each other, they cajoled puppets, cleverly manipulated scenery, voiced the many characters and drew a spellbound audience into their dreamlike performance.

Click here to find out where and when you can catch 'Monkey' on tour.

Our book 'The Bakery' is a popular choice for Story Telling By The Sea at The Old Coastguard in Mousehole. 

CAST Café Helston needs your help!

At TP HQ we are always on the lookout for new surroundings where we can enjoy good coffee and be tempted by home baked delicacies. We'd heard on the grapevine that a likely candidate had 'popped-up' in Helston. Having kept close tabs on their tweets, it all became too much when presented with the promise of 'Mother's Apple Gingerbread, with candied Pecans and Clotted Cream'. We promptly scrambled into the TP-mobile and careered down the B3302 with mouths watering.

The café can be found in the Passmore Edwards building, nestled in the heart of Helston. The building originated as a School of Science and Art. It's also seen life as a secondary school and later as a community centre. In 2012, following a period of neglect, it was taken over by CAST (Cornubian Arts and Science Trust) who are giving it a new lease of life. It now houses artists’ studios, is a centre for CAST educational activities and hosts public events, talks, screenings and performances.

The café space is as impressive as it is beautiful. Exposed bricks, patchworked paint and plaster allude to it's historic abandonment. Huge windows and high ceilings imbue these textures with natural light creating an informal and welcoming atmosphere. The space could easily be lent to hosting events and candlelit banquets (as we believe it already has!). We loved the long trestle tables and can imagine this would be a great place for many people within the community to meet up, work, eat, drink and socialise.

CAST Café is headed up by Dominic Bailey who has previously worked at the Gurnard's Head in West Penwith and The Duke of Cambridge in Islington, London (the only certified Organic pub in the UK). He is also a keen photographer and printer and has a darkroom in the Passmore Edwards building.

Although it's early days for the venture Dom's vision encompasses developing the café as a cultural space and installing a commercial kitchen. This will enable them to open on a daily basis with an emphasis on seasonal, quality, local food. Oh, and great coffee!

On our visit we sampled the aforementioned 'Mother's Apple Gingerbread' along with a slice of 'Beetroot Brownie'. Both of which got our vote. The menu also proffered up 'Potato, Parsley & Nutmeg Soup' and 'Smoked Mackerel Pate with Soused Cucumber and Toast'. If this is a taste of what's to come, then we are already impressed.

Need for heat

One vital ingredient still missing though is a soupçon of heat! The artistic cardboard stand-in, whilst looking the part, does little to warm up the bobble hat adorned customers. However, this is where you can help…

The Hearth for Helston crowdfunding campaign is looking to raise £5,000 which will fund the purchase and installation of a robust and efficient wood-burning stove in the café space. As this post goes live they are already at £3,755, and with 16 days left every new pledge will be thankfully received and edge them closer to their target. Also, if there are any carpenters or upholsterers out there who fancy taking a more hands on approach in aiding the project then check out the 'Pledge Skills' section.

Hear Dom talk about the campaign in the following video…

CAST Café is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9.00am – 4.00pm. Find it in the Passmore Edwards building, 3 Penrose Road, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 8TP.

To ensure you're kept in the loop with all the happenings at CAST Café, follow them on Twitter and join their Facebook page.