“Best. House. In. Falmouth.”
Pauline is a warm-hearted, spirited woman living just a walk away from the high street. Our meeting resulted from a spontaneous knock on her door when I walked the streets of town, in hopes of finding someone who’d be willing to let me interview them about living in Falmouth.
Her house was an immediate contender; with its baby pink exterior complemented by white accents along the sides of her windows, I was immediately intrigued by who the owner could be.
Pauline standing in front of her pink home, photo by Angelina Ortega.
After knocking, a woman with short blonde hair answered the door. I complimented her house, asking if she’d be willing to take on a short interview about residing in Falmouth. She shared brief anecdotes about her also knocking on doors for interviews back when she did Journalism in college and said yes.
She had owned her home for 20 years and had since been renting it up until recently when she moved in with family. “We came from the countryside to Falmouth because we loved boating and boats. We don’t own a boat right now, but my son loves fishing and paddle boarding.” She had shared that her house truly became a home when she had moved her children in. “You add children or teenagers, then suddenly the middle areas are playing the Xbox, doing the ironing and bedrooms are used for homework and revision. I think a house becomes a home because it has to accommodate the lives of the people living in it.”
“Are there any challenges you’ve faced trying to raise a family here?”
She had described Cornwall as a great place to raise a family, however it can be a bubble and leaving to go out into the ‘real world’ could turn you mad. “My oldest son finished school and went to Thailand for a year and seemed to cope alright, but to go from a place like Falmouth to bonkers Bangkok is a bit of a leap.” Pauline has had a discussion with her sons, saying that she’d be disappointed to see them stay as we had both recognised the lack of large corporations, meaning lack of exposure and discovery to new things. “It’s a great place to be and it’s got thriving businesses that work at a particular level, but they don’t really make enough money to pay young people good enough wages. That’s the challenge of bringing up a family and bringing up kids who like paddleboarding, boating and fishing and then, if they kneecap themselves for their future earning potential, I said you can go away and find a place to come back but don’t try and live here. I think there’s a massive compromise choosing to be here before you’ve been out and made your fortune.”
I asked her about what she thought of the community in Falmouth. “It’s a really good community, I know all of the neighbours. When we first bought the house, they were mostly occupied by families and students. Now they’re being bought out and rented for ‘airBnB’s’.” The occupation of second homes and rented homes have increased in Cornwall, with 1 in 20 dwellings being classed as a second home (Cornwall Live). “I think that reflects what’s going on in Falmouth. It’s more lucrative now for people to have shorter lets for holidays.” Pauline is a member of the yacht club; she is a team player within the community, doing work for Cornwall College and other places. She is also a volunteer at Age UK Cornwall.
“Are there any places you recommend in Falmouth?”
“I recommend the yacht club which I am a member of and really enjoy and accept non-members. I work at home, I walk the dog and I go out with friends, so I would recommend the beaches and walking in either town. There are some really great places in town but I think that hospitality’s been so hard that I don’t really recommend it because the chances of them still being open in a month or two’s time seem to be quite slim.”
We discussed more in depth about whether Falmouth needed to change anything. “Well, I think it’s a great place but I’ve got a thing about Cornwall Council digging up roads incessantly to put in cycle lanes; we are in the darkest, wettest, windiest part of the UK and there are so many women like me with care and responsibilities. Sorry, but my elderly relatives are not gonna get on a push bike, I need the car.”
In efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, Cornwall Council is making attempts to encourage biking and walking. However this is not always possible in an area where many older people need assisted care. Pauline also added that the people making these choices are misinformed and don’t spend enough time in the community. “If I’m working, I need to get in and out really quickly. I think it’s really easy for people in offices to say ‘oh, lets go green! Have cycle lanes! Let’s see everyone walking!” But what if you can’t? Or can’t use a bike and need a car to get around? We’re a rural county so when they bang on endlessly about cycle lanes, let’s just think ‘yeah, no that’s great if you’re male, aged 40, able-bodied and you haven’t got a ton of stuff to organise.’ That would be my ‘what’s wrong with Cornwall’, they’re too anti-car”.
Before ending the interview, I asked Pauline if she could describe her house in a few words. “I’d use four words: Best. House. In. Falmouth. That’s what I’d say to the board,” She says, laughing. “It’s a beautiful property; it’s made entirely of stairs so sometimes it’s like living in a lighthouse, although it really does take the brunt of the easterly winds. It’s got a lot of history and heritage but it’s also really near the town centre, so it is a lovely house in a lovely spot and we’re really glad to be here.”