Mackerels & Mowzers...

These fine, fishy specimens I came across at the beginning of the summer, having seen the solitary fisherman come into the tiny harbour of Mousehole, early one morning, with these mackerel as his catch. Having just caught a cold, coughing to the point of losing my voice and feeling caught up and completely overwhelmed by the work load right now, wouldn't I just love to go out for a long, long walk along the coast... regardless of the weather. Well, since that's not very likely to happen, I'm looking over my photos, determined not to let another month slip by with minimal posts.

These are the usual nets that I see in Newlyn, left there year in, year out, or so it would seem, and I just love their colour. Likewise, it was the bright colour of the fisherman's clothing that caught my attention initially at Mousehole...

As I went about the village, looking at all the sights that I took totally for granted when I was young, and duly photographing them, the fisherman went about his fishing routines...

He landed his catch just beyond the old Lobster Pot guest house, that once housed the newly-wed Dylan Thomas and his bride. The fisherman kindly let me catch him in the following photo, along with the close-up of his fish.

His pose recalled that of the statue at the seafront entrance of Newlyn green, and reminded me that the weather is not always as calm and clement as it was that particular morning. The ravaged Wherrytown beach attests to that...

It also made me think of the legend of the Star-gazy Pie, the speciality of Mousehole, served in memory of Tom Bawcock, the fisherman who had braved winter storms to save the local population from certain starvation. The dish's distinctive appearance, with its pilchards' heads poking through the savoury crust, observing the stars above, themselves in a stellar formation, features in the childrens' book by Antonia Barber, illustrated by Nicola Bayley - The Mousehole Cat. 

The Mousehole Cat published by Walker Books Ltd 1993

Mozwer, Tom's cat, plays a central role in the heroic endeavours of her owner, ensuring that finally the villagers were able to bake "half a hundred star-gazy pies. Then, people and cats, they feasted together, until the hunger was no more than a memory..."

The star design of the infamous Cornish pie seems to repeat itself around the village itself, bursting out on the pavements or in the wrought-iron ...

Meanwhile, anywhere fish is to be found, Mowzer's distant relatives will never be far away...

Either waiting patiently to be let in, after a night's marauding around Mousehole, or looking out intently from the safety of the home, as Mowzer herself, observing her beloved harbour.

The Mousehole Cat - Antonia Barber / Nicola Bayley Walker Books Ltd 1993

I suppose I should admit at this point that I have never actually eaten Star-gazy pie, however nothing beats a good old smoked, peppered mackerel!