Granny's

17/02/2026

Did you know Granny's had a small cameo on national TV back in the day? We didn't either until we saw ourselves on the telly! 📺
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Posh Rock was a short series on E4 that aired in September 2001 that followed some groups of students around on their summer holidays in the area, and Granny's (then Granny's Grotto) was a firm favourite for their morning brekky 🍽️
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It's bit easy to miss, as the camera comes to the steps Grampy is just on the left, albeit only half of him, Deb is on the right holding a very young Chris (grandson no. 5) and a little later we see a young Tom (grandson no. 2) bringing out the breakfasts 🥓
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Very sadly they didn't go inside to see Granny 🙁 but at least Granny's Grotto became a part of the series, cementing it as the huge part of Polzeath that it was 🏖️
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📞 "We've just been for a Granny's... at the Grotto" 📞
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Watch the full series here, and find Granny's on Episode 7:
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/posh-rock
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📹: E4/Channel 4 (2001)

08/02/2026

Granny's fundraiser has now finished, and we have to say a huge thank you to all who donated both online and at the service for their generosity! 🌸
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The total raised for Dementia UK is a brilliant £499.80! Granny will be so delighted! 🥳
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If we add that to the fundraiser we did for Grampy in 2018, the grand total raised by both Grampy & Granny is a fantastic £1,100.75 - a huge amount that will do so much good, both for Bodmin Hospital's Harbour Ward Awning Fund and Dementia UK! 🎉

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28/01/2026

Just had a chance to listen to Episode 173 of 'The Life and Times of a Cornish Funeral Director', a podcast by R J Bray & Son Funeral Directors.
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There's a small segment talking about Granny and her big day, only a few minutes long starting at 7:35. If you've got a few minutes give it a listen, she'll be delighted to be in the spotlight ☺️🎧

Among topics in this week’s episode are the latest addition to our family and my early years playing music 

23/01/2026

This afternoon Philip, Granny's brother-in-law, joined Granny and Grampy after a short (at request) service in St Michael's Church at Porthilly. He left us only 20 days after we lost Granny ⛪️

Some of you may remember the small wooden boats Granny had for sale back when she was still serving breakfasts, those were handmade by Philip in his workshop at home ⛵️

Donations are open until the 6th March, in aid of Marie Curie and RNLI Lifeboats, you can donate with this link if you'd like to: www.memorygiving.com/philbuse 🌼

05/01/2026

🌹 ~ Granny Came Home ~ 🌹
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On the 29th December, Granny came back home to Polzeath for one last time after not being able to for the last four years.
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We walked with her together through the village, she got to see all the people both who came out to see her off and all the holidaymakers once more in the bustling village, she saw all the Christmas lights and came back to our family home where she spent so much time with us.
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We then drove with her through the village past Ann's Cottage, where she used to work, up to The Polzeath Hotel (now called The Oystercatcher) that she ran with her mother Kath, father Doug & husband Nev for twenty years, she then had one last drive through the village, one last view of the sea, and then on to the big event at St Minver Church.
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At her service we had special readings from Karen Meneer, who read Wrecker Bill's Cornish Prayer - a short prayer written by Granny's Grandfather - and a gospel reading from Martin Taylor. Her hymns included 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' & 'Lord of all Hopefulness, Lord of all Joy'. For her music, we had her karaoke favourite 'Crazy' by Patsy Cline and the song she sang along to a few days before she left us... 'Little Liz, I Love You' by The Fisherman's Friends.
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After the service we all went back to Trevathan Farm for a get-together with food, lots and lots of conversation and the star of the show - a photo reel of Granny throughout the years on the big screen. Granny will have loved it, being one of her favourite places to go out for meals it made it extra special.
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It was so nice to see some of the staff from Beaumont Court Care Home again too, they also came to see her off with us both at the service and our get-together afterwards. We're so glad they made it, they took such good care of her and they're part of our family now 🫂
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💸 Granny's fundraiser for Dementia UK is still open until the 6th of February, it would be amazing if we could match Grampy's fundraiser that reached over £600 so please consider placing a donation to such an important cause if you can: https://www.memorygiving.com/valcole 💸
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We have to thank R J Bray & Son Funeral Directors for looking after both Granny & our family so well, and for yet another expertly accomplished service. Nobody does it like Brays 🕊️
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📷 Thank you also to Claire from Ann's Cottage and Jack from Spar who sent us some photos of us all in the village, and to everyone who's left such lovely messages for Granny 💐

23/12/2025

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VALERIE JOYCE (VAL) COLE (NÉE ROOKE)
Peacefully on 3rd December 2025 at Beaumont Court Care Home, Val, aged 82 years of Polzeath. Beloved wife of the late Neville, much loved mum of Deb and the late Julie, loving granny of James, Tom, Steve, Mike and Chris and a dear sister of Barbara.
Funeral service at St Minver Parish Church on Monday 29th December at 2.30 pm, followed by interment. Please feel free to wear a touch of animal print or something sparkly.
Family flowers only, donations, if desired, for Dementia UK can be made online via the Memory Giving website, by retiring collection or sent c/o R. J. Bray & Son, Funeral Directors, Egloshayle Road, Wadebridge, PL27 6AD. Tel: 01208 812626.
Cheques made payable to ‘R. J. Bray Donation Account’, please.
https://www.memorygiving.com/valcole

22/12/2025

We really can't thank all the wonderful staff and carers at Beaumont Court Care Home enough for all they've done for Granny over the last few years, they have all been so utterly brilliant and it has been such a nice place to be. We're going to miss them all so much, they're part of the family now 👪🏻💐

"If you have to go in somewhere, this is as good a place as any" 🕊️
(Granny, May 2022)

08/12/2025

It's the end of an era... we've lost Granny 🥀
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Just before 11pm on Wednesday night, 3rd of December, Granny left us peacefully as she went on to join Grampy, her daughter Julie and her dog Gizmo. She was 82, but really didn't look it.
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Growing up in Wadebridge, her parents Kath & Doug moved to and became landlord & landlady of The Lugger in Fowey when Granny was 15, where she also met Grampy at 16. When she was old enough Granny worked in the Off Licence of The Lugger - one notable customer of hers being Daphne du Maurier most days under her married name Lady Browning. Later she worked in The Polzeath Hotel, now called The Oystercatcher, when her parents were landlord and landlady from 1964 until 1981 as well as Doug part-running The Swan in Wadebridge for a short time🍺
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After the pub days Granny was manageress in Ann's Cottage, running the part of the shop which is now TJ's when the current Ann's Cottage was still the small old Shell fuel station building, where she famously mis-spoke once when being asked about their Stunt Kites but, as far as we know, covered it up! 🛍️
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She then had her own shop in Rock next to what is now Spar called Allsorts where she sold clothes, gifts, ornaments, knick-knacks, buckets and spades... as in the name, Allsorts! Then the shop moved to her living room which then changed to her breakfast cafe that we all know, Granny's Grotto (later shortened to Granny's after people kept asking "where's the grotto?") which had a cameo in the 2001 Channel 4 documentary Posh Rock and even had some very famous customers over the years... which may include a young Prince Harry! 🍽️👑
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If anybody has some photos from Granny's whether it's out on the patio, the breakfasts or Granny and Grampy themselves we'd love to see them 📷
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We're all utterly heartbroken that she's gone. Hopefully you found this small snippet of her life story interesting, she loved telling her stories when the moment came, just like Grampy. If we think of anything else worth sharing we might post some more, we'd also love to hear any of your stories if you have any 💔
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🕊️ "Val like Nev were part of the fabric of Polzeath, and mine & many others childhood memories" 🕊️

15/07/2022

REGARDING RE-OPENING...

Unfortunately we're not going to be able to re-open for breakfasts. As much as she'd like to, Granny just isn't able to do the work anymore so Granny's will remain closed.

We know a lot of people miss her breakfasts, even going as far to say we're an institution of Polzeath, Granny often reminisces of the good old days and has loved hearing stories from her past customers recently on local Facebook groups.

We'll keep this page online so others can still see this update, but also for the memories. If you have any messages for Granny we'll make sure to pass them on!

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26/05/2019

Hello everyone! Unfortunately we're not open just yet, we're hoping to open later in the year - we'll post an update when we're ready. ☀️🌊🌺💐

12/12/2018

We've had a notification that suggested we change our opening ours (from permanently closed to Mon - Sun: 10:00 - 13:00), we're currently closed for the winter and we don't want to cause any confusion! Rest assured we will update them when we're open again ☺️