THE FINER POINTS ...

• HOUSE OWNER CONTACT : 0787 907 6677 or 01273 383569

• EMERGENCY SERVICES : There is no telephone in Smuggler Cottage.

Police Emergency 999

Looe Health Centre 01503 263195

Floodline 0845 988 1188

Gas Emergency 0800 111 999

Police Station 08452 777444

NHS Direct 0845 4647


Western Power 0845 6012989


S.W. Water 0800 169 1144

Council Services 01579 34844

• WHAT'S INCLUDED : Your rental fee will include :-
  • 
    - a tray on arrival (tea, coffee, milk, sugar, biscuits)
    - all bedlinen
    - sufficient towels for each person (bring beach towels)
    - a few £worth of gas and electricity to get you started
    - all cleaning charges are included.
    - to allow the cleaner a good 'go' at the cottage, please arrive after 3pm and try to vacate by 10am on the changeover day - thanks.

• BOOKING & PAYMENT :
  Pay a deposit of 15% of the cost with your confirmation of booking. This is non-refundable. A further deposit of £75 is also required, which will be fully returned at the end of your holiday, subject to the cottage being left in a satisfactory condition. . . We'll nudge you any balance due, about 6 weeks before your holdiday.

• COTTAGE KEYS : Pick them up at The Bullers Arms - just at the end of Middle Market Street. They keep a 2nd set for emergencies. If, for any reason, they are closed or you need it : a spare set is kept with Emma at St Johns Court Hotel, East Cliff, just around the corner and up the hill.

• GAS & ELECTRIC : ELECTRIC meter is in the cupboard to the side of the front door and the key to charge it will be left for you on the kitchen table. Charge the key up until 10pm at night at the LOCALPLUS shop with the PAYPOINT (PP) sign outside near the top of the town.
  GAS meter is in the corner of the kitchen by the sink, on the floor. There is a torch left by it ! The card to charge the meter will be left for you on the kitchen table. Charge the card at LOCALPLUS (see above) or (closer) at the Post Office on the main street.

• If for any reason the gas has not been used for some time - make sure you read the instructions (by torch) on the meter - some pressing and holding is required to restore the supply.

• FIRE : Remember this is a very old house there is only the one door to leave through. If you lock the bottom lock over night - leave the key in the lock. There are smoke alarms around the house and a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

• WATER : The stop cock for the bathroom is under the shelf in the sitting room - of course! The OFF for the whole house is outside at the corner of the house nearest the kitchen sink and the key for it is by the gas meter in that same corner.

• INTERNET ACCESS : This is an old Cornish cottage - not Mission Control! Just joking - go through the alley opposite, turn left and a few doors along on your right is the Enterprise Office - you can buy some time there. If you are taking your laptop there to plug it in, and you don't have 'web-based email' then you'll need to ask for their outgoing SMTP address in order for you to be able to send. Change it in Outlook Express in TOOLS / ACCOUNTS / PROPERTIES / SERVERS make the OUTGOING (SMTP) whatever they use - look it up on one of their computers. Make a note of what yours was first so you can reset it later. . . . If you need any expert computer advice, purchases or repairs (and need to speak to friendly people who know what they are talking about) go see the boys over the river at Quay PCs 01503 264296 . . . . . There is free internet access in Looe Library.

• MOBILE TELEPHONES : You may be on a network that has no problem here, but mine (T-Mobile) only gets a signal out in the street or parts of it anyway. In the house, in the corner by the window of the sitting room I can get signal. If you can get a signal there it is a good idea the leave the mobile in that corner! Top Bedroom can be ok too.

• SMOKING : This is a NO SMOKING house - thanks.

• REFRIDGERATOR : TURNING IT ON .... please don't pull it out - like I first did. Inside the fridge is a dial : 0 = OFF, trial and error depending on the outside temperature, but it'll freeze milk at 9.. . . Should be ok around a setting of 4.

• CENTRAL HEATING : For ON and OFF just use the thermostat on the wall at the entrance to the kitchen. The timer overide and other controls is in the cupboard by the TV - please don't mess in there unless you really have to. .. The Central Heating boiler also supplies hot water to the sinks.

• LAUNDRY : Across the river in West Looe on Princes Street is a Laundry who will do a 'service wash' for you. I think they might do a 'Collection and Delivery Service' too. Call them on 01503 263810 - please let me know how you get on with them. I think a big bag, wash & dry is about £10.

• PETS : We will accept small well behaved dogs.

• TELEVISION : At the moment there is a small colour TV with just 4 channels - with a good picture, there is also a DVD player.. . . .We cannot have a satelite dish fitted without it showing too much and decided that it would look dreadful on the cottage. Digital tv is on the way !!

• MYSTERIES : The ceiling light that won't come on in the sitting room : it has its own switch on the lamp itself.
• The lights on the landing work by a combination (flip/flop) of the switches at the bottom and at the top of the stairs. If one of them seems not to work - use the other!
• The bottom tap in the showers is the temperature setting. Turn it anti-clockwise for HOT, changes take a little time - be patient - it does run hot, really!
• New showers being fitted soon.

• RUBBISH : The dustbin opposite the front door, with Smuggler painted on it - that's ours. It is emptied Mondays. If you produce extra, you'll see early morning waste men around in small trucks : offer them 'a few bob' - they'll take a bag or 2 for you.

• PARKING / UNLOADING : Although you can't park premanently by the cottage, but you can get quite close to unload. Nobody except permit holders can park in the town.

  To unload, when you arrive at Looe, drive into East Looe (i.e. don't go over the bridge, but drive into town with the bridge and the river on your right) Go through the traffic lights into the one-way loop around town. Now, follow the one way system down Fore Street and around until you reach the quay, immediately before the second set of lights (and opposite the Bullers Arms) pull over on the right (at the end of Middle Market Street) and park there to unload.

• PARKING : The quay at the top of the town is closest and quite expensive. . . Don't even think about taking the odd chance, it is patrolled almost constantly and the fine is £60. There is no option for a weekly deal.

  Over the bridge and by the Millpool is cheaper - an enormous car park and you can park there for a week for £20ish.

  Just before the Millpool is Pearns Boat Yard usually the cheapest place to park.

  It's a nice walk over the bridge anyway!