I was just having a look at the Polygon Bear Design website and was delighted with the products they have for sale. One in particular intrigued me and I got my old thinking cap on and via Piskie ether penned this story about their ‘Kittys Corner’ piece:

ST IVES, Cornwall: The Mysterious Tale of KITTY’S CORNER

St Ives, with its golden beaches and azure waves, is known for more than just its seaside charm. Nestled among its labyrinth of lanes and alleyways, lies a quaint little nook, known to locals as ‘Kitty’s Corner’. But, who was Kitty and why does her corner stir whispers among the elders of St Ives?

In the heart of the 18th century, Kitty Trevarrack1 was a well-known figure in St Ives. Not because she was a wealthy aristocrat or a talented artist, but because she had an uncanny knack for predicting the weather. Fishermen would seek her counsel before venturing out to sea, and more often than not, her forecasts, drawn from old Cornish lore and a touch of intuition, proved accurate.

Kitty’s Corner, so it’s told, was her favourite spot. Overlooking the harbour, she’d sit for hours, watching the skies and the seas, her cat, Tamsyn, always by her side. Some say it was Tamsyn who whispered the secrets of the weather into Kitty’s ear.

As years went by, Kitty’s legend grew. Not just a weather prophet, tales spun around her being a white witch, one who could heal ailments and protect the town from misfortune. And so, Kitty’s Corner became more than just a spot by the harbour. It transformed into a place of pilgrimage for those seeking wisdom or a touch of magic.

One fateful day, after a fierce storm had ravaged the coast, Kitty was nowhere to be found. Some say she had been taken by the sea, while others believe she simply vanished into the mists that often shroud St Ives. But her legacy lived on.

Today, a weather-worn stone bench stands at Kitty’s Corner, inscribed with the words, “In memory of Kitty Trevarrack, St Ives’ Whispering Seer”. It’s said that if you sit on that bench on a quiet evening, with the winds gently brushing your face, you might just hear the soft purring of Tamsyn, and perhaps, even catch a whisper of the morrow’s weather.

Footnotes

The character of Kitty Trevarrack and her backstory is a fictional creation for this narrative and has no historical basis in St Ives.