Poldark Tours Cornwall
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
In 2012 Chris retired from working at Southwest Water after serving 38 years. A year earlier Carolyn retired from her employment with Orange, one of the largest mobile phone networks in the Uk. Previously to this she worked as a Legal secretary from the age of 16.
Many conversations between us took place as to what we wanted to do in our retirement.
Chris’s dream was always to conduct Photography Tours in and around our beautiful County of Cornwall. After much research and an update of his camera equipment we were ready to embark on a new and exciting journey.
THE POLDARK INFLUENCE
Poldark first aired on our screens, here in the UK, in March 2015. Chris and I were watching and suddenly looked at each other and knew where our fate was going to take us. Chris researched the locations from Series one and photography Tours Cornwall was born.
In June 2015 we took 10 great photographers on Tour of the filming locations and what fabulous fun we had.
Both of us had joined a Poldark group where Chris was encouraged to share his fantastic photos. We both made many friends,during this time, who were like minded Poldark fans.
Whilst in this group we were able to let people know about the filming locations and invited them to join us on Tour. Chris uploaded to the group many photographs he had taken of those locations and quickly many became very interested.
OUR VERY FIRST POLDARK LOCATION TOUR IN CORNWALL
The group comprised many members who were not photographers and that is when we realised we could open up our Tours to anyone. Visitors to Cornwall, Poldark and non Poldark fans. The beauty of Cornwall can be, and indeed has been, shared by all of our guests even those who are not particularly Poldark fans.
Our first two guests were Carol Hall and Lyn Hepplethwaite. Both ladies belonged to the group but had never met. They conversed together and realised they would both be in Cornwall at the same time. Carol came to Cornwall, on holiday with her family, from Mansfield near Nottingham and Lyn was in Cornwall, for a wedding, from Bristol. A suitable day was arranged with them and we collected them both from their accommodation here in Cornwall.
It could be said that they were our Guinea Pigs for the day.
We took them both to as many of the filming locations that we could fit in on one day. They both loved every minute of the Tour albeit very tired at the end.
From that day on we have remained great friends. So much so that they have both visited our home on numerous occasions as we have theirs and we spend holidays together both in The Lake District and at Porthgwarra.
After their Tour Carol and Lyn, who by now had become firm friends, arranged to have a 2 week holiday in Cornwall. They stayed in Bodmin in a holiday let and to this day Carol cannot find the easy route onto the A30 from Bodmin down to the West of Cornwall. A subject that has been laughed about amongst us on numerous occasions.
As they were down here we found out that the senior Admin of the group we all belonged to was also down on holiday with his wife. A meeting was arranged and we all met at Lanhydrock together with Bron Weedon and her husband Paul. A fun day was had and more memories were made.
THE BIRTH OF THE MAGIC OF POLDARK GROUP
Shortly after our meeting the senior Admin began to complain to Chris that he was uploading to many photos to his group page and would he stop. Chris was unhappy about this so decided to create his own page to showcase the beauty of Cornwall and to promote Poldark worldwide. The name he chose for his group was ‘stolen’ along the way so he quickly changed it and The Magic of Poldark group was born.
THE FILMING OF SERIES 2
We were alerted that filming for series 2 was going to begin in September 2015 and soon we were being contacted to take more people out on Tour. Many were hoping to see some filming but, as with the weather, we could not guarantee it. The first series provoked near on hysteria because of a certain young man who played the lead as Ross Poldark. I hasten to add that that hysteria has never waned in fact it has grown almost out of control.
AMERICA COMES TO CORNWALL
Chris was contacted by a group of ladies to commission him to take their photos dressed in period costumes. They were attending a Poldark event in Newquay, Cornwall. Following the event we took them on tour for 3 days. They were lucky enough to see all of the filming locations used in series one.
Patricia and Rick Sowers, Irene Kramer, Denise Ostoin Popa, Danny Buglo, Katherine Dail Jones and her husband Bruce Jones were all overawed by the beauty and history of Cornwall.
CAST MEMBERS WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO MEET
Irene Kramer came back to Cornwall in 2016. Our friendship had grown so much that we invited her to stay with us in our home. Arrangements were put in place to share lunch with Derek Frood (Captain Bray), Rory Wilton (Richard Tonkin) and Emma Spurgen Hussey who played Mrs Zacky Martin. Amazingly friendly people who we have managed to catch up with on other occasions.
During his research, into the locations used for filming, Chris learned that several cast members either live or were raised near to our home. Derek Frood lives in Plymouth, Devon, a few miles from our home and Tristen Sturrock, otherwise known as Zacky Martin, was born and raised in the next village from us, Upton Cross. We are led to believe his mother still lives there. Rory and Emma live in a quaint village (St. Tudy) a few miles from us and Will Mattos (Nick Vigus s1) lives in Calstock , again, just a few miles from our home.
In 2012 Chris retired from working at Southwest Water after serving 38 years. A year earlier Carolyn retired from her employment with Orange, one of the largest mobile phone networks in the Uk. Previously to this she worked as a Legal secretary from the age of 16.
Many conversations between us took place as to what we wanted to do in our retirement.
Chris’s dream was always to conduct Photography Tours in and around our beautiful County of Cornwall. After much research and an update of his camera equipment we were ready to embark on a new and exciting journey.
THE POLDARK INFLUENCE
Poldark first aired on our screens, here in the UK, in March 2015. Chris and I were watching and suddenly looked at each other and knew where our fate was going to take us. Chris researched the locations from Series one and photography Tours Cornwall was born.
In June 2015 we took 10 great photographers on Tour of the filming locations and what fabulous fun we had.
Both of us had joined a Poldark group where Chris was encouraged to share his fantastic photos. We both made many friends,during this time, who were like minded Poldark fans.
Whilst in this group we were able to let people know about the filming locations and invited them to join us on Tour. Chris uploaded to the group many photographs he had taken of those locations and quickly many became very interested.
OUR VERY FIRST POLDARK LOCATION TOUR IN CORNWALL
The group comprised many members who were not photographers and that is when we realised we could open up our Tours to anyone. Visitors to Cornwall, Poldark and non Poldark fans. The beauty of Cornwall can be, and indeed has been, shared by all of our guests even those who are not particularly Poldark fans.
Our first two guests were Carol Hall and Lyn Hepplethwaite. Both ladies belonged to the group but had never met. They conversed together and realised they would both be in Cornwall at the same time. Carol came to Cornwall, on holiday with her family, from Mansfield near Nottingham and Lyn was in Cornwall, for a wedding, from Bristol. A suitable day was arranged with them and we collected them both from their accommodation here in Cornwall.
It could be said that they were our Guinea Pigs for the day.
We took them both to as many of the filming locations that we could fit in on one day. They both loved every minute of the Tour albeit very tired at the end.
From that day on we have remained great friends. So much so that they have both visited our home on numerous occasions as we have theirs and we spend holidays together both in The Lake District and at Porthgwarra.
After their Tour Carol and Lyn, who by now had become firm friends, arranged to have a 2 week holiday in Cornwall. They stayed in Bodmin in a holiday let and to this day Carol cannot find the easy route onto the A30 from Bodmin down to the West of Cornwall. A subject that has been laughed about amongst us on numerous occasions.
As they were down here we found out that the senior Admin of the group we all belonged to was also down on holiday with his wife. A meeting was arranged and we all met at Lanhydrock together with Bron Weedon and her husband Paul. A fun day was had and more memories were made.
THE BIRTH OF THE MAGIC OF POLDARK GROUP
Shortly after our meeting the senior Admin began to complain to Chris that he was uploading to many photos to his group page and would he stop. Chris was unhappy about this so decided to create his own page to showcase the beauty of Cornwall and to promote Poldark worldwide. The name he chose for his group was ‘stolen’ along the way so he quickly changed it and The Magic of Poldark group was born.
THE FILMING OF SERIES 2
We were alerted that filming for series 2 was going to begin in September 2015 and soon we were being contacted to take more people out on Tour. Many were hoping to see some filming but, as with the weather, we could not guarantee it. The first series provoked near on hysteria because of a certain young man who played the lead as Ross Poldark. I hasten to add that that hysteria has never waned in fact it has grown almost out of control.
AMERICA COMES TO CORNWALL
Chris was contacted by a group of ladies to commission him to take their photos dressed in period costumes. They were attending a Poldark event in Newquay, Cornwall. Following the event we took them on tour for 3 days. They were lucky enough to see all of the filming locations used in series one.
Patricia and Rick Sowers, Irene Kramer, Denise Ostoin Popa, Danny Buglo, Katherine Dail Jones and her husband Bruce Jones were all overawed by the beauty and history of Cornwall.
CAST MEMBERS WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO MEET
Irene Kramer came back to Cornwall in 2016. Our friendship had grown so much that we invited her to stay with us in our home. Arrangements were put in place to share lunch with Derek Frood (Captain Bray), Rory Wilton (Richard Tonkin) and Emma Spurgen Hussey who played Mrs Zacky Martin. Amazingly friendly people who we have managed to catch up with on other occasions.
During his research, into the locations used for filming, Chris learned that several cast members either live or were raised near to our home. Derek Frood lives in Plymouth, Devon, a few miles from our home and Tristen Sturrock, otherwise known as Zacky Martin, was born and raised in the next village from us, Upton Cross. We are led to believe his mother still lives there. Rory and Emma live in a quaint village (St. Tudy) a few miles from us and Will Mattos (Nick Vigus s1) lives in Calstock , again, just a few miles from our home.