Gorran Haven & District War Diary by Phil Hadley
Available from Amazon Gorran Haven & District War Diary: 1939 – 1945
VIEW A PROMOTIONAL VIDEO WHICH INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS OF GORRAN HAVEN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHo3WDylaoI&feature=youtu.be

I first met Peter Hargraves four years ago, when I described our interview as more of a “delightful chat with an old friend”. That interview appeared on Roseland online in May 2015. We kept in touch and it’s clear he’s been very busy, writing more books and attracting some excellent reviews.
Despite the popularity of his books, Peter remains modest about his success, although he was persuaded to show me some of the reviews, from which it’s clear that people really do get hooked on his family saga stories
“Having been great friends with EV Thompson …these novels by Peter Hargraves are the closest to Ernest’s books that I have read.”
“…interesting geographical and historical setting…”
“…planning a holiday to Cornwall to feel the atmosphere.”
“…characters you really care about (well most of them)”.
“The Treveage Saga is as good as Poldark.”
Having gathered a loyal band of readers, Peter decided his next task was to broaden his audience, and to this end he now does personal appearances, talking about his writing, where he finds his inspiration, how he writes and his plans for further books, so if you’d like to hear more please do get in touch via Roseland online.
Although he had earlier told me that he’d always wanted to write but had never had the time, he has certainly made up for that since he took early retirement, despite his other interests, which include wood carving, reading (of course) and walking around the Roseland, where he and his wife live.
When we met first, he had written nine novels set in Cornwall in the 18th century. Since then he’s written several more books and he kindly gave me copies of some recent ones, The Treveague Trilogy, starting with The Finality of Tomorrow.
This is a busy time of year for me so, at the time of writing this, I hadn’t had time to do more than dip into them. However, I must admit it was rather unnerving to start reading about the central character travelling on the train from London to St Austell, when I was doing that exact journey. Even more unnerving to read a few chapters later that John Treveague is heading down to his Shrimper, the same boat that I sail. Peter clearly knows his audience!
He had previously said that “I wanted to write a good story that people could get involved in”. Hearing him talk about his latest book, there is no doubt that he gets his inspiration from the world around him, the people who pass by and things happening in the news and I know from reading some of his previous books and from talking to him at length that Peter is “a born storyteller”.
Early in his writing career he was advised that “writing about what you know” wasn’t really a winner, if what you know is based on your career as a dentist. Whilst stories about dentists may not be most people’s first choice for an enjoyable holiday read, he says that “what my previous profession did give me was contact with a wide range of people and their stories. I don’t, of course base my characters and plots on the real lives of people I know, but meeting dozens of people every week over the course of my long career has enabled me to build on my knowledge of human foibles and experiences”.
We talked more about where he got his ideas from and it’s clear he has a wonderful imagination and is able to take snippets from conversations and develop them into full-scale plots. So, for example, we discussed the Paralympics which he said had “led me to spend some time considering how returning forces from Iraq might handle post-traumatic stress disorder and how it might also impact on the lives of family and friends. Reflecting on that led me down a similar, but different, track resulting in the framework plot for a new book”. We discussed the story at some length. I found it fascinating and completely absorbing. I’d love to tell you more about the plot, the characters and especially the denouement, but I suspect that Peter would not be happy with that!
As usual, he wove in his own experiences, in this case, of hearing a station announcement. For most of us that sort of thing is heard and then forgotten but, for Peter, the everyday was translated into an entire plot which sounded clever, creative, original and utterly believable. Mind you, it’s difficult to imagine that, as Peter says “the whole thing was somehow there and it wrote itself”. I was reminded of Arthur Ransome and JK Rowling saying something similar.
So far Peter has gone down the self-publication route and, for various reasons, at the start, he decided it was the route to take. However, it has proved quite difficult to change tack in the middle of a series, since publishers are reluctant to take on board the later part in a sequence of books. That may change as he moves on to writing about other people, places and times.
Peter was keen to stress that his books are “very much a family affair with my wife Jill doing ‘the clever stuff’ typing up the material, preparing it for publication on kindle and so on”. Whilst Jill is busy doing that, Peter is already thinking of a follow-up, covering what will happen next.
For many of us there are actors of whom we say we could listen to them reciting the telephone book and it would be enthralling and engrossing. Meeting with Peter was one of those rare occasions where you could say the same about an author telling you about their latest plotline.
As mentioned above, if any groups would like to check whether my description of Peter as a “born storyteller” is accurate, please get in touch. I’m sure he’d make a great speaker at any local events.
Gorran Haven Memorial Village Hall

The Village Hall makes a wonderful venue for a wedding reception.

The Village Hall makes a wonderful venue for a wedding reception.
BOOK REVIEW – FEBRUARY 2020 – SALLIE EDEN (ROSELAND ONLINE)
No longer perfect by Peter Hargraves – Published 2019 and available for kindle
NEW YEAR’S DAY SWIM 2020
St JUST CHURCH CHRISTMAS FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS 2019
National Trust Press Release
Issued on Thursday 14 November 2019
New footpath at Lamledra Farm, Gorran Haven
Lamledra Farm Estate have teamed up with the National Trust to open up a new footpath through Mariella’s Wood for walkers near Gorran Haven.
The National Trust and the owners of the Lamledra Farm Estate have opened a permissive path that offers new walks to visitors and residents enjoying this beautiful area just south of Gorran Haven.
The path, just under a mile long, starts near the National Trust Lamledra car park, using an green lane which the ranger team had to clear of brambles, crosses a field and then descends through woodland to join up with an existing right of way. This now creates a stunning circular walk down to Gorran Haven and back by the coast. Walkers can also turn left and climb up to Treveague Farm and on to the Dodman, or double back to the car park to make another circular walk. Once hidden views over Gorran Haven are now opened up again and two new kissing gates make the footpath easy for all to use.
Adrian and Cassandra Phillips, who are trustees for the farm estate, said they were delighted that the Trust was willing to join them in this project. ‘We could not have done it on our own land alone. With the help of the Trust, we have been able to open up a lovely area for the benefit visitors and residents.’
Phil White, Lead Ranger for the National Trust says ‘This project was a fantastic opportunity to work in partnership with Lamledra Farm Estate to create a wonderful new footpath providing a link between Gorran and the coast path. The National Trust section of the path uses a historic green lane which had lost its purpose and fallen into disuse, becoming overgrown and impassable. Clearing the lane has revealed some fine stretches of Cornish hedge along with an old well. Thanks to the vision of Mr and Mrs Phillips, the lane has now regained its identity, forming part of this new path which hopefully will be enjoyed by both locals and visitors for many years to come.’
Sallie Eden catches up with local author, Peter Hargraves