The Best Laid Plans…

The SW Ultra Tour is looming, but more training disruption for Rob came in the form of a nasty two-week chest infection. Stuck at home with antibiotics, Night Nurse and a fistful of Kleenex Balsam, Rob’s been reading training manuals out of sheer desperation. One states that ‘Studies have shown that running 100+ mile weeks does not increase one's chances of finishing a 100-Mile run’. But does that mean that running just 39 miles in two weeks, most of them spent doubled over coughing and looking like a bubonic plague victim, will increase the chances of finishing?

Once again, the chances of a successful sub-24 hour race hang in balance…

With just 11 days to go, Rob has yet to do his practice night run on the coast path. Tonight, 10th June, is looking like a good opportunity – after several days of howling winds and lashing rain, the weather has calmed and there’s a hint of a clear sky. So after a day at work, a quick trip to the curry house for essential running fuel and a change into running kit, he’s heading for the SW coast path at midnight for a long lonely jog in the dark.

Summer Days

25th June 2011.

Where has the summer gone? I suppose we should have known it would be like this – Wimbledon and Glastonbury, it was bound to be windy and rainy. Bear, resident shop dog (pictured) has spent the past month with constantly wet fur from the drizzle.

Weather forecasters talking about a repeat of the summer of ‘76 seem to have got it as wrong as last year, when they promised a  barbecue summer.

But we have a plan. You know how every time you buy a bikini, the temperature plummets? And how when you buy a ski jacket, the snow melts? We think that if everyone buys one of our fab Patagonia Torrentshell waterproof and breathable jackets, we’ll get another lovely dry, hot spell. Come on, play your part in getting the summer back on track – get your raincoat here!

O’Neill summer wetsuits are here!

The water is just about warm enough – well, it’s hit 12 degrees, what more do you want?! – so it’s time to get into a 3mm suit. We’ve got a range from entry level to top of the range, from O’Neill Reactor to O’Neill Psycho 2, and everything in between, so whatever your budget, there’s something for you. Now’s the time to buy, as we’ve got the full range of sizes for both men and women. We still think O’Neill wetsuits are the best – try one to see why!

31st May 2011.

It’s here…

howies is here! Finally, our much-anticipated new brand has arrived. We’ve got a range of classic howies pieces for men and women, including jeans. This is a brand we’ve wanted in the shop for ages, so we’re thrilled to have received our first order. Hope you like it too! See the howies range here.

See ya, winter, hello Spring!

  Spring must be just around the corner…the sun is out on the beach and there are even a few brave souls sunbathing! It’s that brilliant time of year in the shop when all the new stock is arriving, with exciting new stuff coming through the door every day. We’ve got some great new brands – Lazy Jacks, Pachamama cotton summer wear and Ness, either already here and available online, or coming any day. If you’d like to know when new kit arrives, or find out about special offers and sales, sign up to our newsletter (it’s on the homepage) if you haven’t already.

Coming Soon has arrived!

You may have already noticed, but there is a new tab on the homepage which links to our great new “Coming Soon” feature.

On this page, you’ll find products that we are expecting soon but that have not arrived.  Each product has a picture, a short description and an estimated time of arrival (ETA).  If you check back and something has gone, don’t panic, it just means that the delivery has arrived and you can buy your much awaited item!  If you want to stay one step ahead then give us a call and you can reserve it!

At the moment on the “Coming Soon” page you’ll find some lovely new Patagonia kit for men and women – we’re quite excited about that!  Keep an eye out as well for new brands such as Ness and Howies!

If you want to keep informed of new arrivals as they happen then you can follow us on Twitter or Facebook for an update!  

New season, new kit on the way!

There’s going to be lots of great new kit arriving at Shop on the Beach over the next few weeks, with new season ranges from Patagonia, Joules, O’Neill and all the other brilliant brands we stock. We’re about to launch a new category on the website, ‘Coming Soon’, just to alert you to what’s on its way. It’ll be a handy way to keep up to date and plan your season’s purchasing in advance, and if you spot something that’s on your ‘must have’ list, you can call us to reserve it.

Over the autumn and winter, we sold out of a number of Patagonia lines, leaving some people disappointed, so why not follow us on Twitter or Facebook so you’ll be among the first to know when great new kit arrives? Just go to the home page to sign up.

Happy Christmas!

We’d like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and thank you for your custom throughout 2010! With best wishes for a great 2011 from all of us the Shop on the Beach.

Merrell Wakefields are back in stock!

At last, we’ve received a delivery of the much-awaited Merrell Wakefield waterproof and breathable jackets. We’ve got both the Perfect Plum and the black colours in stock…These beautiful coats are cut to flatter yet keep you warm, dry and comfortable too. Get your hands on one today!

New for 2010 – O’Neill Psycho RG8 Wetsuit

We’ve just unpacked O’Neill’s latest state-of-the-art neoprene technology, and it looks amazing. The Psycho RG8 5/3mm winter steamer has some fantastic features, including single zip front entry, 100% RG8 Ultraflex neoprene and single seam weld. This has to be the most flexible, stretchiest winter wetsuit on the market. Everyone who tries the Psycho RG8 comes back to the shop and just says ‘Wow!’.

We’ve got them in stock, and we’ve also got some available for a free demo, so give us a call on 01637 860051 if you’d like to try one of these astonishing suits.

Sunshine and Snow Showers

We’re revving up for the Easter weekend with a very mixed weather forecast…Right now, the sun is shining, but only yesterday there was snow falling on Bodmin Moor, just a few miles north. It looks like it will be a smorgasbord of climatic conditions, with rain, hail and gales forecast along with some more sunshine. So although we’ve got our new Reef flip flop range out on the shelves, we’re not putting the woolly hats, gloves and scarves away just yet.

But whatever the weather brings this weekend, we’d like to wish you a really happy Easter, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing!

The winter that just won’t end…

I realised today that none of us here had posted a blog for a shamefully long time…It’s just been so busy this winter. The weather has been challenging here, just like it has been everywhere else in the country. We’re just not used to it in Cornwall - we had deepish snow on the sand for 5 days straight, which has never happened before. Given that Watergate Bay lies at the bottom of a very steep hill, getting to work was no easy task. Getting home again afterwards was even harder! We’ve pretty much sold out of down jackets and warm winter boots…

Staff have been thin on the ground, too – Frenchi, our shop manager, had a cliff path running accident and has had major surgery on her knee – she’ll be off for at least 10 weeks recovering. Hannah and Nadine have both been in Sri Lanka surfing for a month (I’m trying not to let envy overwhelm me!).

We had our busiest Christmas ever, and our January sale kept us on our toes, too.

But enough of the excuses. There’s lots going on down at Watergate Bay now the sun is starting to peep out. Lots of lovely new stock is piling through the door – Patagonia, White Stuff, Salomon, Merrrell, Oxygen – it all looks great. We’ve also got two new women’s brands – Giggle and Mudd and Water, both of which are ethically sourced ranges using organic cotton. They’ll be on the website soon, so keep an eye out for them. We’ll be doing a little photo shoot on the beach with these new ranges, and we just need the temperature to get into double figures so the models don’t become hypothermic!