I have just recieved an email from Adam syaing that his cottage is
now full until 1st September, but free after that. However his Mum
and Dad also have two studio apartments at nearby Trebetherick (near Polzeath) which
are available from 18th August onwards.
If you want to give Adam a call, his number is: 07854 222 671 or
you can contact him by email by the form right here – but to be honest
I’d call him because this is going to get snapped up really
quickly.

Details of the cottage here:
http://portisaaccottages.com/llanbrydyn-cottage
Details of the studios here:
http://portisaaccottages.com/trebetherick-apartments

Despite the series getting a slight ‘diss’ in The Sunday Times last weekend, I thought this episode was excellent. Louisa got her job back at the school and found out more about Martin and Edith’s relationship: they were once engaged. Meanwhile it turns out the head of the school is suffering from Porphyria. So now I live in fear of my pee turning blue!

Wikipedia says: ”

Porphyrias are a group of inherited or acquired disorders of certain enzymes in the heme biosynthetic pathway (also called porphyrin pathway). They are broadly classified as acute (hepatic) porphyrias and cutaneous (erythropoietic) porphyrias, based on the site of the overproduction and accumulation of the porphyrins (or their chemical precursors). They manifest with either neurological complications or with skin problems (or occasionally both). An induced clinically and histologically identical condition is called pseudoporphyria. Pseudoporphyria is characterized by normal serum and urine porphyrin levels.

The term derives from the Greek ???????, porphyra, meaning “purple pigment”. The name is likely to have been a reference to the purple discolouration of feces and urine in patients during an attack

I thought I had to go out tonight, I did, but I managed to make it back in time for the first episode of the new series.  I felt a little sad, now that Louisa had gone and I thought for a minute that the ‘bright orange haired’ surgeon (Edith) was going to be some sort of replacement. How pleased was I to see the return of Louisa in the final scene!

Here’s a quick summary:

Martin has been finding life in Portwenn frustrating since Louisa has left town following their non wedding. Martin considers taking his life in a new direction whilst he runs into ex girlfriend, Edith, who is now a high flying doctor. When Louisa returns to town pregnant, Martin finds his plans in doubt again.

Your decision to stay in the Port Isaac holiday cottages, on the Cornish coast, is the first step into the vast and treasured culture found along its rocky shores. Port Isaac is a delightful, timeless village where today’s harried family can retreat from the chaos of city life and find quality time and togetherness with countless activities to be had just outside your own cottage door.

Fishing:

Known for fresh, delicious seafood, fishing abounds near this quaint seaside town. Pick a sunny spot and learn to bait your own hook or charter a seafaring tour for hours of expert tips and a tasty catch to take back to your holiday home. Whether you’re a novice or an expert angler, you will relish the bounty Port Isaac’s fishing waters have to offer.

Adventure:

Only a short drive from your cottage door you can find a variety of action and adventure with paintball, kayaking, cave swimming, cliff jumping and more! For the action-packed vacation, Port Isaac and surrounds provide it all. Suit up and get set for excitement and fun!

Royal Treatment:

Explore the history and legend of King Arthur’s final battle with Mordred and learn why many believe the Cornish countryside may have been home to the fabled kingdom of Camelot. Children will love the magic and wonder of re-enacted jousts, sword fighting, storytelling and music. Adults will enjoy the history and speculation as archaeologists uncover more of the mystery with each passing year.

Beaches:

Don your togs and go for a family romp on the pristine beaches of Port Isaac and the Port Gaverne cove. A centuries-old fishing village, Port Isaac offers historic coastline and award winning natural beauty. Free from the noise and crowding of tourist beaches, you can truly savour the family fun to be had with waterside picnics and a dip in salty waters.

Some residents in Port Isaac are calling for filming to be banned from the village because an influx of tourist visitors is causing traffic chaos in the narrow streets.

“We have had the golden egg from the filming and we have had enough visitors now,” said one resident, Ted Charles. “Surely they have enough footage of Port Isaac on file so they don’t need to come back?”

The village is used as a location for the fictional town of ‘Portwenn’ in the ITV series, which stars Martin Clunes as a grumpy GP.

On Monday night more than 30 residents filled the village school hall to protest to St Endellion parish council about the parking problems.

They said tourists have been dumping their vehicles by a children’s play area, and are concerned a child could be killed.

Debbie Pattenden, a mother, said: “We need to take this seriously before we lose one of our children. It is extremely dangerous, especially when they want to go to the park.”

Mr Charles added: “We have heard that next year they will be filming from May to August. That would be a complete disaster and the parking problem will only escalate.

“Friends who have enjoyed coming to the village for years have not been able to stay in holiday cottages because they have been rented to the crew.”

A B & B owner, Marion Andrews, said the village had become too busy for regular customers who wanted peace and quiet.

In response the parish council said it was writing to the county highways department to request yellow lines to try and ease the parking problem.

David Phelps, chairman of St Endellion Parish Council said parking had been a problem for years but was being exacerbated by Doc Martin fans.

Port Isaac has previously been used for films and other television shows including the 1970s series ‘Poldark’.

In recent years, the village has become home, for part of the year, to a number of celebrities, including the designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, the actress Julie Peasgood and the presenter Lorne Spicer.

Nearly 40 per cent of properties in the village are now second homes and the cost of the average home has been pushed to £280,000.

A spokesman for ITV said she was unable to comment on the complaints as a series of Doc Martin had not been filmed this year.

She said: “We have not been near Port Isaac since 2007 and have no plans to return until 2009.”

Doc Martin has attracted up to 10 million viewers in Britain and is a hit in more than a dozen countries including Australia, Belgium and Romania.

Local estate agents Estuary Estates said the show had raised the profile of the village and was seen as an added attraction.

A spokesman said: “They are making a fourth series of Doc Martin, so we always mention this in the particulars. It is a very sought after area.”

Speaking previously, Clunes said: “I love working on Doc Martin, being in Cornwall, and being able to work with my wife Philippa, who is the producer.

“At the end of the day’s filming we were able to go back to a beautiful house along the coast from Port Isaac, which has stunning sea views.

“And it means I was home before my daughter Emily had to go to bed, which doesn’t happen when I am filming in London.”

The historic fishing village of Port Isaac, on the north Cornwall coast, played the part of Portwenn in Doc Martin. Registered as a fishing village in 1338, Port Isaac has always offered the safest harbour along this part of the coast, a vital refuge from Atlantic storms. But it also provided the perfect backdrop for filming. Its plethora of holiday cottages became temporary homes for the cast and crew, and local people were used as extras.
The Platt, the Cornish name for a market square, is at the heart of the village, by the harbour, and was the location for the lifeboat day gala in the first episode of Doc Martin. The Platt was transformed into a colourful carnival complete with cake stalls, merry go rounds, and a local jazz band. The Old School Hotel and Restaurant was returned to its former purpose, as Portwenn’s primary school, where Caroline Catz’s character, Louisa Glasson teaches. The old school, built in 1877 closed in 1976.

The exterior of the doctor’s surgery is a detached cottage up a steep hill overlooking the harbour, and with stunning views out to sea.

The Golden Lion, the only actual pub in the village, became the Crab and Lobster in Doc Martin. The interior of the 18th century building was taken over by cast and crew for several days during the shoot. The Old Drug Store, which is now a gift shop, was transformed into the local pharmacy. Ours, the coffee shop in the centre of the village, stayed open all night to keep the cast and crew supplied with cappuccinos and hot chocolates during night shoots. And the Cornish pastie shop next door did a roaring trade during the day.

The village hall was the setting for the Portwenn dance, and a farm just outside Port Isaac became Aunt Joan’s smallholding. A barn on the outskirts of the village was converted into a studio for some of the interior scenes.

Port Isaac is the one of the most remote villages in the UK- the nearest town, Wadebridge, is ten miles away. In 1820 it was described as “secluded from the rest of the world”. Access to the village is via narrow winding roads, which will only allow one vehicle at a time. So much of the movement between locations was done on foot.

The Doc Martin TV Series is a British comedy drama starring Martin Clunes. Created by Dominic Minghella, it is filmed on location in and around the fishing village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, with filming of most interior scenes and production carried out in a converted barn at a local farm. At the time of writing (February 2009), there have been three series of the show, and a feature-length special that first aired on Christmas Day 2006. Shooting for the third series, which was seven episodes in duration, finished in July 2007, and it began airing on 24 September 2007 on ITV. A fourth series has been commissioned and began production in September 2008 with filming set to start in May 2009

Martin Clunes plays Portwenn’s local GP, Martin Ellingham, who was once a successful London surgeon until he developed a phobia of blood that prevented him conducting operations. After retraining as a GP, he applied for a post in the sleepy Cornish hamlet of Portwenn, where he spent childhood holidays.

Much of the show’s humour revolves around Martin Ellingham’s interaction with the local Cornish villagers. Despite his surgical brilliance, Ellingham lacks vital personal skills and any semblance of a bedside manner, and often fails to understand other people. Dr Ellingham (referred to as “Doc Martin” by the friendly locals), much to his disgust, finds the surgery is in disarray. The medical equipment is beyond repair, and the patients’ records are a mess. To top it all he inherits the world’s most incompetent receptionist, Elaine Denham, who clearly resents Doc Martin moving in.

As the village’s new doctor steps into the village he is encountered by a dog who seems to become besotted with him, following him into his house, car, surgery and even in his bed throughout both Series 1 and 2. Despite Doc Martin’s bitterness towards the dog, he ends up reluctantly liking it, after giving up with the villagers thinking Doc Martin is its owner.

The community is united in horror at their miseryguts of a new GP. Doc Martin soon finds he needs all the allies he can get as he tries to negotiate his way around village life with humorous consequences.

Martin is joined by a cast which includes Stephanie Cole as his Aunt Joan, who provides him with emotional support in the face of the disquiet among the villagers. Caroline Catz plays feisty primary school teacher Louisa Glasson. Doc Martin is attracted to her, but he is hopeless at personal relationships.

Martin Clunes’ character was originated as Dr. Martin Bamford in the 2000 film Saving Grace. He then appears in two “prequel” television films made by BSkyB, Doc Martin and Doc Martin and the Legend of the Cloutie, in which viewers learn that Bamford, a successful obstetrician, finds that his wife has been carrying on extramarital affairs behind his back with his three best friends. After confronting her with the news, he decides to leave London and heads for Cornwall, which he remembers fondly from his youth. Shortly after he arrives, he gets involved in the mystery of the “Jellymaker” and, following the departure of the village’s resident GP, decides to stay in Port Isaac and fill the gap himself.

Although the original deal was to produce two television films per year for three years, Sky Pictures folded after the first two were made, so Clunes’ company tried selling the franchise to ITV who generally liked it, but felt the character of Martin Bamford needed a little something more to him than just being a “townie” who is a little out of his depth in the country. ITV wanted something a little more edgy, so Martin Clunes came up with the idea of the doctor being unusually grumpy. In the process, the doctor’s last name was changed from Bamford to Ellingham, an anagram of the last name of new writer Dominic Minghella who was brought in to re-work the Doc’s backstory and create a new village of supporting characters.

Quite often during the series there are references to people being “a bit Bodmin”. This is a reference to the fact that Bodmin was once the centre of mental health care for the South West, and was based at the former St Lawrence’s Hospital site and now at Bodmin Hospital.