Weathering: to expose or be exposed to the effects of wind, Sun and rain, etc; to alter or be altered in colour, texture and shape
Weather in Cornwall is not as unpredictable as you’d think: we get all the weather, but seldom snow. This week, however, on the last day of November, snow returned. For us it was a complete surprise. Imagine the entire Cornish population staring at up at the clouds in awe, and you’ll get a little closer to our collective amazement.
Ordinarily, the temperatures hover around a relatively mild 10°, and barring the odd ‘cold snap’ this is what we can expect throughout winter. And whilst 10° is not the -7° being experienced in Hamburg right now, I personally long for warmer weather, longer evenings and the return of Spring. But I have made a firm commitment this year – to enjoy the Winter, whatever the temperature, to embrace the time with my family over Christmas, play a little music with my friends, and delight in the place we live. I love St Agnes, its people, its atmosphere, and the startling natural beauty ‘on tap’ every season.
Winter light in Cornwall is particularly striking. With sunset around 4pm in December, and the air temperature equal to that of the sea – the visibility is incredible. Whist walking the coast path this week, we were even able to see the Scilly Isles – the tropical Cornish archipelago just 28 miles off our coast. The night sky is just as spectacular. St Agnes is not only an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but is also a Dark Sky Discovery Site enabling an unbelievably clear view of the Milky Way; constellations appear to have been scattered in their multitudes. Our position globally means that on occasion we even get the Northern Lights. Our friend, photography expert, adventurer, and guide Chris Lucas, captured Wheal Coates when the aurora was in full bloom in October. What a photograph!
The great natural beauty of St Agnes is precisely why we offer the programmes that we do. We recognise that our very special context is a gift, and we are mindful of how fortunate we are to live and work in this place.
This year has been positive for Skool. Our small classes and adult only ethos has captured the imagination of our clients. It is our appetite to continue running small classes, and to do our absolute best to deliver quality English lessons. We have a very special staff of incredibly experienced teachers; working with this very special group is a real boon. As many of you might remember from our introduction – we believe learning is fundamentally a two way process. Our clients (you) help to create this special atmosphere, and we promise to work hard in cultivating the very best learning environment. We believe that language learning should not be abstract or merely functional, but about making real connections, encouraging real conversation about the stuff of life, and work. After all, there’s no point to learning language that is not useful.
We continue to offer three unique afternoon programmes (which you can combine): walking tours of the South West Coast path, our Art and Cultural tour, and Water Sports. Each of these programmes enable conversation, learning English outside of the classroom, and connection to place. And that connection is crucial. We want to celebrate St Agnes and Cornwall with you, but not to offer our courses as a product, not to offer something ‘off the shelf’, but provide the circumstances in which you can really experience Cornwall. Our clients can always expect to learn in small groups with learners at similar English levels: whether that is in our classroom on the cliffs, on the coast path, in the museums or galleries, or even out and about in our friendly Cornish village.
We are excited to welcome you next year: to celebrate our location, our skies, sea, and even weather! As winter takes hold, sometimes it’s hard to imagine the bright colours of spring will return to the Cornish cliffs, or long balmy summer evenings at Schooners overlooking the beach, but they will return. And whilst I have often been guilty of wishing for the summer, I am realising more and more that every season in Cornwall offers something unique and special. The seasons are dynamic and the special context of the school means that there is magic throughout the year. Yes, we should look forward positively (and compassionately) to the future, but we recognise that what we have right now in the present, is just as marvellous; we continue to be grateful to those of you that visited this year or those who are planning to make the trip. You make our little school possible.
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