Tom tells me that the latest figures published regarding the population of Cornwall records more people died than were born. This is not really so surprising as the west country is somewhere people retire to. It is also one of the counties with the poorer incomes, little industry, (no motorways, and one of the highest water-rates), cheap houses are snapped up as second homes so even finding somewhere to live to raise a family is difficult for young couples. Some coastal towns have reached the tipping point that makes them ghost in the winter because more houses are holiday homes the real homes. I can see the attraction of coming on holiday to a place and falling in love with the life style and wanting to be part of it as a 'getaway' from real life. The problem occurs when too many folk have the same idea, and the the community that was so appealing can no longer survive.

Thankfully Lostwithiel is too far from the coast to have that sort of appeal (although there are holiday homes here) and it remains a real place. It does have a high number of incomers but they are people committed to the place where they live. But best of all it has babies, lots of babies. Tom thinks there must be something in the water, I know it is just because it is a magic place. (An awful lot of people who have moved here have a spooky story to tell as to how they have come to be here, I will tell you mine one day) Watching young people that shop with Watts Trading (www.wattstrading.co.uk) expand their families is one of my delights in life. Selling the nature babycare products means I have an opportunity to watch as their pregnancies develop, hearing of the safe deliveries, seeing babies become toddlers, hearing how they get on with their first day in school, and I love it!