Ask anyone local where Polruan is and they will probably say, 'opposite Fowey'. This delightful and much-visited waterside village depends for its lifeline on the ferry across the Fowey River estuary, a four minute journey which is made by tourists, local shoppers and schoolchildren once they reach the age of 11.

The ferry service is master-minded by Angela Toms of C Toms and Son, a family boatbuilding and repair business which has been operating from the harbour since 1922.

Alan Toms, whose son Paul also works for the business, is invariably to be found putting his vast physical strength to use in the boatyard.

He proudly points out the newly-built 40-footer, 'The Isle of Sky', mentioning also that it was they who built the 'Ryder'.

Although, he says, 'we're very busy at the moment, laying up and fitting out the ferries,' he also finds time to act as chairman of the parish council, a task he has fulfilled conscientiously for the past nine or 10 years.

'You can't moan about the village and not be part of it,' he says. 'You've got to fit in with everybody.' Not one for the limelight, he is nonetheless a key figure in the village. 'To be important, you've got to stay in the background,' he insists.

One of his customers, Phil Curtis, has made the hour-long journey from Looe aboard his 38ft trawler, 'Bilander', which he and his brother James inherited from their Polruan-born father Ernie, one of 10 children, and is waiting for a minor repair to be carried out. He had turned the outing into a holiday for his nine-year old son Jamie, due to start back at school the next day and now contentedly swimming in the harbour with the local senior school children.

Pub

Not so lucky were eight-year old Zoe Dolphin and her brother Lee, aged seven, who are still at Polruan Junior School and were trudging down the steep hill in their school uniforms after their first day back.

Zoe is looking forward to making the ferry journey to Fowey once she turns 11.

Their parents Colin and Sheelagh run the 'Lugger' pub on the quay, so going across to Fowey will be an 'easier' journey, says Zoe. The family arrived in the village from Cheltenham, by way of a pub on the North Cornwall coast and are very happy to have settled here.

'It's brilliant,' says Colin. 'Good local trade in winter. The pub is owned by St Austell Breweries. It's very ancient, but there are no official records - they went up in smoke. People are friendly and welcoming.'

On the way down the hill, we called in at the bakery, run by Rosemary and Tony Mynall. They arrived from Banbury in Oxfordshire 18 years ago and have now decided to sell the business as Tony, who gets up very early and works long hours, has been ill.

Founder members of the the Sea Angling Club 12 years ago, 'We don't want to move out of Polruan,' says Mrs Mynall.

Newsagents Ann and Kevin Perry, now in their sixth year of carrying out a trade they had no previous experience of it, are equally adamant that they would hate to live anywhere else. They too moved here from Oxfordshire, although Kevin is originally from the United States.

'We found it by accident,' says Kevin. 'We were looking for the Boddinick Ferry.

'The people in the village are absolutely wonderful.

'We've been accepted very warmly. There's no place we'd rather be. It's such a laid-back place. Things are done at a certain rate of knots.'

Their popular pets, Spotty the cat and their 10-year old dog Beau, are equally popular with the customers and are greeted warmly by all the regulars.

In spite of the fact that they have a 6.00am start seven days a week, the Perrys still found time to be active members of the much-praised, award-winning Theatre Club during their first three years. While Ann's role was front of house, Kevin starred in productions such as 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'On Golden Pond'.

With the illness of Chairman Pat Greaves, the Club has lapsed somewhat recently, says Kevin.

They have nothing but praise for the generosity of the Polruan folk. They keep collecting boxes for the Air Ambulance and the RNLI on the counter permanently and, says Ann 'People don't believe it' when they see the amounts collected from this small community, which has about 600 people on the electoral roll.

Newest of all amongst the traders are Graham and Jean Curry of the general stores, who arrived in December from Canterbury.

'People have been fantastic to us, really supportive,' says Graham, In return, he understands how important it is to offer quality and service to the village (including free deliveries) even though, he realises, they can't compete with the big stores.

'For years this was the only shop,' he says,' a stop for donkeys. It's a real lifeline to Polruan and we try to stock everything people may want.

'Many people come here because parents or friends have a holiday home. It's a good way of life. We enjoy it. You hope the level of support stays with you.'

The village postmaster Nigel Charman is among the few 'natives' in business in Polruan.

Locals

Born in the village, he took over some 30 years ago from his father, Henry, and, having found it more and more difficult to get supplies delivered, because of inaccessibility, decided to give up the general store side which his parents had carried on.

He now lives in Fowey with his wife Janet and commutes across the water every day in the reverse direction to most people. He knows all the locals and has seen a surprising influx of settlers from outside in the past few years. 'Most of the young people weren't born here,' he says.

As a second-generation villager who is now an 'emigrant' he has a unique perspective on village life. 'I know all the skeletons in the cupboard!' he said.

Back on the quay,trippers, tanned a rich brown, and others who have obviously lived here for long enough to have an all-year-round tan, are making the most of the Indian summer.

There are still so many holidaymakers around that the 'Lady Jean of Polruan' has to turn away customers.

Passengers

Ferry operator 'Tosh', who, on October 29, will have completed eight years working on the ferries, explains for the umpteenth time this season that he is only allowed to carry 12 passengers and that another ferry will be along shortly.

Drew Ward of the Winkle Picker, who runs the nearby quayside beach shop with his wife Jenny, confirms that it has been a long but uneven season. Behind the counter is Calvin Dean, aged 14, who goes to Fowey School and has been helping out during the holidays. He says the ferry gets very rough sometimes.

The Wards arrived two or three years ago, again by chance, and fell in love with the location.

Jenny is on the carnival committee and Drew helps out too. 'It's smashing,' says Drew.

'The boatyard's still working. The shop and the pub stay open all year. The winters here are great.

'The whole feel of the village is different in the winter.'

That may be so, but there's more than a strong possibility that visitors and settlers coming to Polruan will be made welcome at any time of the year.