Just coasting

Published on Tuesday 19 February 2008 14:09

MUM, THIS GOUJON IS not so nice – it tastes of fish!" My husband John and I burst out laughing. Having spent 20 minutes in a queue outside, we had finally been given a seat at Rick Stein's fish and chip shop in Padstow.

I looked up, beyond George's cross face, and out through the window across the quayside at a column of grey clouds coming in from the sea, and juggled three thoughts.

Had years of telling the children: "It's chicken!" really come to this? Was 40 for fish and chips in takeaway boxes on a bench not a bit excessive for a family lunch? And how was I to persuade the two eldest to cycle five miles back to Wadebridge, now that the rain was coming down in thin sheets?

We were in Cornwall for a winter break, and given the appalling weather it could have gone down in the family holiday archives as another disaster. And yet our break on the coast, in temperatures that never rose above five degrees, was one of the happiest we have had.

Much credit must go the Retallack Resort and Spa, six miles inland from Padstow, atop the endearingly named Winnards Perch, which became our home for five days.

"Self-catering" and "holiday" were two words I always thought sounded like a forced marriage. I would never envy friends who'd take off at half-term, their cars laden with children and Tesco carrier bags, protesting at how much fun they were going to have cooking, cleaning and washing up in a home away from home. (The only time we'd booked a self-catering holiday was in August three years ago – I spent virtually the whole time in a dingy kitchen and slept in my socks because the bedroom was so damp.)

But I get it now, or at least I get the five-star version. Our four-bedroom chalet, with its state-of-the-art kitchen, king-size beds, fluffy towels and dressing gowns, flat screen TVs, solid oak furniture, Danish sofas and sweeping views towards the coast somehow converted me. As the wild weather raged around us, it was so warm and cosy and clean.

When I think of it now, I have this picture in my mind of George and John sitting on the sofa together, John doing his sudoku and George his word puzzles. Let's say it's an image of harmony and intellectual endeavour that's not so common in our real life.

The resort is run by 29-year-old Amy Tucker Brown, a property developer's daughter from Cheltenham, and her fiance, ex-professional rugby player Jason Keyter. Amy's father owned the 52-acre site, Jason knew about building and in 18 months it has gone from rolling farmland to a resort of more than 40 landscaped properties.

In the mornings we'd watch dawn break over the eastern horizon through the huge picture windows, enjoy a relatively stress-free breakfast and then head over to the clubhouse for a swim in the heated 15-metre pool.

Enthusiastic and charming, Amy and Jason have huge plans for the resort and there remains much to be done, including another 40 or so chalets, a massive indoor children's play area and a separate 5 million artificial surfing centre, the first of its kind in the UK.

What is already there includes the pool, a small spa and the only steam room I've been in that doesn't smell of old socks. While the children played in the pool, we'd take it in turns to escape to this eucalyptus-smelling sanctuary with its twinkling ceiling lights and mosaic tiles – costly additions demanded by Amy, who used to dabble in interior design. But then I get the feeling that what Amy wants, Amy gets. The result is a resort of fastidiously high standards that should worry the rest of the Cornish rental market.

It might not be on the coast but Retallack is perfectly placed for day trips to Cornwall's most famous beaches and fishing villages, which is how we came to be on our bikes in Padstow, having cycled down the Camel Trail on the south side of the estuary opposite Rock. And, yes, Alice and George did cycle five miles back in the rain, surprisingly without complaint. Sure, it would have been nicer in the sun but I felt I'd learned something new about the children.

In fact, there's a lot to be said for visiting Cornwall outside summer, when the roads are packed and the coast is heaving. On another day we returned to Padstow, this time avoiding Rick Stein's stranglehold on its food outlets (he has a seafood restaurant, bistro, patisserie, caf, deli, and fish and chip shop), and had lunch in an unpretentious restaurant called Custard that served delicious warm granary bread and where the staff didn't mind the children spilling things.

But the Londonisation of Cornwall is happening so fast that I imagine such places will become harder to find. In 2006 Jamie Oliver opened up another of his Fifteen restaurants in Watergate Bay (the location for ITV's Echo Beach), just north of Newquay. The place was fully booked for lunch and supper, so we drove over for breakfast. Despite the jawdropping sea views, the food was disappointing. The big "Fifteen fry-up" was on the mean side and included a solitary egg and one pre-cooked sausage, the fresh orange juice was all ice and the lattes were in those annoyingly small Italian cups. The bill was 42 excluding a tip.

Much more of a success was the Eden Project, truly worthy of a day – the children loved it. But in truth there was enough fun at Retallack – one afternoon Amy and Jason threw a kids' party with possibly the best face painter I've seen, and during the November half-term they kept 92 little ones occupied. With tennis courts and a mini golf course already up and running, in slightly warmer conditions I could have spent two weeks there.

If there was just one celebrity attraction that could have lured me away, it would have been a two-day cookery course at Stein's Padstow Seafood school. Apparently they also run some for children. I'm sure I know a small boy who would benefit from that.

Factfile Cornwall

How to get there

Rail travel to Bodmin Parkway Station starts from 26 single from Edinburgh, 30 from Glasgow and 36 from Aberdeen. Visit www.thetrainline.com

Where to stay

The Retallack Resort and Spa is in Retallack, five miles from Padstow, Cornwall. Weekly tariff starts from 375 for a two-bedroom chalet and 475 for a four-bedroom chalet. Tel: [phone] or visit www.retallack365.co.uk

and there's more

Stein's Fish & Chips, South Quay, Padstow, Cornwall. Tel: [phone] or visit www.rickstein.com for details.

Custard is at 1a The Strand, Padstow. Tel: [phone] or visit www.custarddiner.com

Scotsman Reader Holidays has three-day trips to Cornwall, various dates, from 295. Tel: [phone] or visit www.holidays.scotsman.com