In the spotlight… St Ives

February 27, 2018

Let us take you on a whistle-stop tour of our favourite UK holiday destinations. St Ives, in Cornwall, is a true gem with sandy beaches, cobbled streets and a rich artistic heritage. To find out more, we’ll hand over to Daniel, one of the crew at our St Ives FatFace store…

Daniel, who works at the FatFace store in St Ives, wearing FatFace clothes on the cliffs of the beach in St Ives

A bright and bustling town

St Ives has always been a place people want to be. The busy streets are full of life and you never know who you’ll meet. Some people are from other parts of Cornwall, others have come as far as Asia or America. I love meeting them and hearing about what they’ve been up to.

A beach in every direction

In St Ives, you’re never more than a few minutes’ walk from a beach. They’re all lovely and on a good day you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Everyone loves Porthmeor – a long sandy beach with good waves for surfing. Porthminster is a little more sheltered, and has a fine stretch of golden sand that’s perfect for families. For something a little smaller, try Porthgwidden which is a wonderful little sun trap.

The beautiful town of St Ives, with sandy beaches, sailing boats and tall, colourful houses

Drifting between the beach and town

Our St Ives shop is on Fore Street, and it’s incredibly close to the harbour and the beaches. Town and beach are one and the same and it’s impossible to take life too seriously. Whenever we get the chance, we’ll head down to the sea. I’ll take my lunch down to the harbour, and if we’re heading out after work then we love a barbecue on the beach or bag of chips.

Poppy, who works at the St Ives FatFace store, taking a stroll down Fore Street where the store is located

Clothes for life

Our FatFace St Ives store lives on the beach so we love clothes that are simple, soft and easy going. Usually that’s a great pair of shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops. Our pretty Serena dresses are also a great summer favourite. Even though St Ives has a touch of the tropics, you never know what the Cornish weather has planned – so we always make sure we’ve got a cosy sweatshirt and a raincoat to hand.

Heading out of town

If you want a beautiful place to watch the sun go down then head to The Island. We call it an island, but it’s really a big grassy hill on a peninsula right next to Porthmeor beach. The views across the bay are stunning. Pack up a picnic to take with you with goodies from local shops and delis. If you’d like to go a little further afield, try the half hour walk along the coastal path from St Ives to Carbis Bay. It’s a very nice route and there’s a gorgeous cove when you get there. For the more energetic, there’s the walk to Zennor.

Daniel, who FatFace at the St Ives FatFace store, taking a stroll along the beach in a FatFace Airlie Sweat

The Art Scene

Artists have always come to St Ives. We’re lucky enough to have lots of galleries, including the Tate St Ives with it’s amazing views out to sea. Meanwhile, the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden is just a few minutes away from our store. On the edge of the town you can find Leach Pottery, where there’s a museum, studio and shop.

The harbour

There’s a lot happening down at the harbour. You can catch a boat to Seal Island – or just eat an ice cream and watch the world go by. It’s also packed with pubs, cafés and restaurants where you can try the local seafood. It’s a great place to spend a low-key evening. Don’t worry about dressing up – our relaxed chinos, shirts, and floral dresses are all you need.