The Torrey Canyon oil tanker Environmental disaster 1967

Cornwall

2008-12-11T05:37:00.000-08:00

Mike Darracotts new book Proper Cornish Childhood is an amazing story of a young boys life in Cornwall in the mid sixties, the middle part of the book covers the bombing of the Torrey Canyon oil tanker.

Mike was on a cliff top when the ship was bombed, it must of been an amazing site to behold.

The Author Michael J Darracott

2008-10-15T05:37:00.000-07:00

I read with interest the story of Michael Darracott from the book Proper Cornish Childhood and it takes you back to mid sixtys Cornwall, I thought I might add this ....

Proper Cornish Childhood

A true story of a young 10 year old Cornish boy called Michael, who back in the late 1960s watched from the Cornish cliff tops, while the huge Torrey Canyon oil tanker was being bombed. The tanker had become snagged on rocks on the Seven Stones Reef, and Michael saw the wreck being bombed. This was an amazing sight to Michael’s eyes, it was like having an epic blockbuster movie being made right in front of him.

Later in the book follow through Michaels eyes, the devastation it caused to Cornish beaches. Michael’s story starts when he was just 10 years old in 1966, and covers his family’s wonderful early years living in Trereife Lodge, a small delightful cottage found a little way up Newlyn Coombe.

Michael and his family enjoyed many family Christmas's in the cottage, and the trip once a year to see the Mousehole lights, was a highlight of their entire Christmas celebrations.
Cornwall a land of myths, legends, and folktale, definitely filled young Michael’s imagination, with pirate stories being one of his favourites.

This book covers what it was like growing up in the late 1960s, and how he enjoyed learning to cook in particular pasties with his mother. A skill that later allowed him to be one of the chef’s in the world-renowned Lobster Pot hotel in Mousehole. The book as a great Cornish pasty recipe in it also.

He writes about the fishing trips to Trereife woods, hoping to catch the elusive Big one with his brother Peter, and of his love of the bird sanctuary in mouse hole. Trips to lands End, Marazion, Newquay, and Newlyn, and summers on the beach in St Ives to name just a few. Michael tells of his great love for all animals and how living in the Cornish countryside brought this about.
Follow Michael and what he experienced from 1966 to 1967, and the way of life in cornwall in the 1960s. Finally, follow his life in mainstream school and what that turned out to be like for him.

Torrey Canyon oil tanker environmental disaster 1967

2008-09-25T05:04:00.000-07:00

Torrey Canyon oil tanker

The Torrey canyon oil tanker, got it self snagged upon rocks between Land's End and the Scilly Isles, on March 29th 1967. It was a very sad days in Cornish history, and as a boy of just 10 years old, I watched the drama play out from high above the Cornish cliffs. It had actually landed on top of the seven stones reef, and it was doomed to break up, spilling its thousands of tons of oil into the sea.

The order eventually was given to have the ship bombed, and I saw huge bombs dropped on the ship as well as rockets lunched at her. Finally the eight Royal Naval Buccaneers stopped the bombing and napalm dropping. It was hoped that the fire would burn up all the oil, but the fire went out and all the oil started to spread out into the surrounding sea.

Before long oil was being washed up on the entire South coast and parts of France, and many other places. It was a huge environmental disaster, affecting thousands of sea birds and creatures, and Cornish beaches by the mile.