Is there a better feeling than waking up on Boxing Day?

Escape to Trelowarren 

Is there a better feeling in the world than waking up on Boxing Day? 

The house is stuffed with food, the children are playing with their new toys (building the Lego is a drop-in drop-out activity for grown-ups), and there’s a walk planning for sort of mid-dayish. 

From now on, all the chores are nice ones. Getting the logs in, when it involves a relaxed catch up with the grown-up children and morphs into a walk up to the big log sheds to idly chat through the new system, isn’t a chore of any sort. In fact, it combines all of the things I like best – my family, being outside and doing something useful. 

Sitting by the fire and reading the Mousehole Cat to the little ones (I won’t insult you with pronunciation) and then promising a December 27th visit to see the Mousehole lights gives us a path through the next couple of days, especially if I quickly call the Coastguards pub to book a late lunch. No three line whips. ‘The children and I are going to Mousehole tomorrow’ usually gathers a good double handful, but I am equally chilled about those who want to go and see friends. 

A sudden sunny morning and a highish tide drives a picnic or a BBQ. Brace brace brace – it’s time to go swimming. Phone friends, light a fire, take a flask of something warming and plenty of layers for afterwards. And if you don’t want to go in – you don’t go in! But you cheer them on and hold the piles of clothes and join in with the drinking of something warming. 

And in the evenings, by the fire, some people play bridge, some watch (aka sleep-through) a movie, some do the jigsaw puzzle. And best of all the house is STILL full of food and there are willing hands to wash up.