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Leslie
Hunkin is a County Councillor for St Austell West and a live-long
villager in Mevagissey.
Up
until five years ago he was a full time fisherman.
He
has two sons who are still in the trade and now Leslie is Chairman
of Mevagissey Boatman's Association. He is still very involved in
the life of the harbour.
"I
have always been involved in fishing," says Leslie. "My family has
been in Mevagissey since the 1400s. We have many arguments between
fellow councillors as what we call a 'local' It is very hard to
define as a lot of my generation's mothers were war brides. My mother
came from Kent, but my father was from Mevagissey. One advantage
for me of being a County Councillor is that I know the area and
things that have happened in the past so I am able to recall events
and issues."
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| Spectacular
cliffs in Mevagissey |
Leslie
was born in Mevagissey, he has never moved more than 1000 yardsfrom
his first home.
Today
he lives just off School Hill in the village, he spent his early
childhood years in a house at the bottom of that hill.
"The
locals laugh when they hear the title the Lost Gardens of Heligan,
because for us they have always been there," smiles Leslie. "I remember
when we used to play in the jungle area as kids. It was great fun."
"I
can remember when the house I now live in was built, I was 12-years-old
at the time," he says.
"You
see the village progress. I have watched the fishing industry go
through its boom and bust periods."
For
Leslie growing up in Mevagissey was a dream childhood.
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| A
fishing boat in the busy working harbour |
"I
think our generation had more freedom as children," says Leslie.
"Now as a County Councillor you get the scenarios when people want
to stop youngsters playing in the streets and skate-boarding. Living
in the village as long as I have you can remember when these same
people used to do the same thing as children! Things don't really
change that much from generation to generation."
Mevagissey
remains a working harbour which is loved by locals and holiday-makers
alike.
"I
would say the tourism industry has been bigger in the past," says
Leslie. "I worked for one of the local boats who used to take people
out on day-long fishing trips. Back then we were booked two years
in advance. Now we are down to one angling boat. People go abroad
now and expect more entertainment. Years ago the fishing trips would
be regarded as great entertainment which would be talked about for
a long time afterwards."
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| Narrow
streets in Mevagissey are popular with tourists but cause problems
for local industries |
"I
would like to see Mevagissey grow," he says. "Still with
a fishing industry but it has got to be modernised. There is a big
lobby throughout the world to keep places looking quaint. Our fishing
industry today suffers greatly because of the narrow streets and
poor access. We have got to address the issue of access to the harbour."
also:
Find
out about plans for Mevagissey
Meet a local boatbuilder
Meet a memorabilia expert
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