I AM motivated to write to your newspaper, inspired by the weather (good!) of the bank holiday weekend and also by an experience of last week.

I had cause to be in Bude Library, upon leaving there I decided to go onto Summerleaze Beach and walk along the tide line — the sea was lapping onto the iron-bridge and the beach river running full. I soon noticed a jet ski on the river heading for the sea and disappearing behind the Barrell Rock, soon to reappear escorting a beautiful white yacht into the entrance to the locks.

The young man on the ski went out to round the Barrell again and then, acting as an expert pilot, guided a smaller yacht, also white, in to join her sister-ship. I then quickly returned to the locks to witness a full-on 'locking-in' of these two lovely boats.

The larger one was named 'Sluna' from Milford Haven and the crews appeared to be young and very, very competent. Also to the amusement of myself, and the other onlookers, there were two Jack Russell terriers on board the 'Sluna', complete with their orange life-jackets, rushing around excitedly and appearing, as did the crew, to have done it all before!

It's certain that to the lock-crews and harbour master, this episode was no great occurrence, it all seemed to be copy-book stuff. However, it took me 'back in time' as I gazed down at the water-levels rising and the bridge gates opening to allow the yachts to move quietly up to their moorings near Falcon Bridge.

'Back in time' that is, to seventy years ago, when as a very small child I clutched my grandfather's hand and watched the same procedure. He was Alfred Barrett, a well respected employee of Pethick Bros building firm and who worked for that firm on many of the major buildings in old Bude. He would often take me to see the ships in the canal, my favourite was the 'Traly' (perhaps because the name was an easy one for a young child to remember).

I believe she replaced the legendary 'Ceres' and was in the ownership of Mr William Petherick; the Wharf was a very different scene in those days, with huge mounds of coal stored there, and the grain in the old granary, all canal side.

Much has been written about Bude Canal in recent years, and all are entitled to their opinions, none more than those who have spent their lives in Bude and have observed all the changes, and have moved with them!

Personally, I regret the 'don't feed the ducks' dictum, so many little children and toddlers love to do just that. Nevertheless, I say well done everyone, the canal, breakwater and beaches, the St Michael's Church, houses, ancient and modern, and the truly awesome scenery of this whole area draws me back constantly. These wonderful assets are absolutely the jewels in Bude's crown.

Boscastle.