Leslie Hunkin is a County Councillor for St Austell West and a live-long villager in Mevagissey. Up until five years ago he was a full time fisherman. He has two sons who are still in the trade and now Leslie is Chairman of Mevagissey Boatman's Association. He is still very involved in the life of the harbour. "I have always been involved in fishing," says Leslie. "My family has been in Mevagissey since the 1400s. We have many arguments between fellow councillors as what we call a 'local' It is very hard to define as a lot of my generation's mothers were war brides. My mother came from Kent, but my father was from Mevagissey. One advantage for me of being a County Councillor is that I know the area and things that have happened in the past so I am able to recall events and issues."  | | Spectacular cliffs in Mevagissey |
Leslie was born in Mevagissey, he has never moved more than 1000 yardsfrom his first home. Today he lives just off School Hill in the village, he spent his early childhood years in a house at the bottom of that hill. "The locals laugh when they hear the title the Lost Gardens of Heligan, because for us they have always been there," smiles Leslie. "I remember when we used to play in the jungle area as kids. It was great fun." "I can remember when the house I now live in was built, I was 12-years-old at the time," he says. "You see the village progress. I have watched the fishing industry go through its boom and bust periods." For Leslie growing up in Mevagissey was a dream childhood.  | | A fishing boat in the busy working harbour |
"I think our generation had more freedom as children," says Leslie. "Now as a County Councillor you get the scenarios when people want to stop youngsters playing in the streets and skate-boarding. Living in the village as long as I have you can remember when these same people used to do the same thing as children! Things don't really change that much from generation to generation." Mevagissey remains a working harbour which is loved by locals and holiday-makers alike. "I would say the tourism industry has been bigger in the past," says Leslie. "I worked for one of the local boats who used to take people out on day-long fishing trips. Back then we were booked two years in advance. Now we are down to one angling boat. People go abroad now and expect more entertainment. Years ago the fishing trips would be regarded as great entertainment which would be talked about for a long time afterwards."  | | Narrow streets in Mevagissey are popular with tourists but cause problems for local industries |
"I would like to see Mevagissey grow," he says. "Still with a fishing industry but it has got to be modernised. There is a big lobby throughout the world to keep places looking quaint. Our fishing industry today suffers greatly because of the narrow streets and poor access. We have got to address the issue of access to the harbour." also:
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