Retiring to Cornwall honestly: the two Cornwalls, coast vs community, real costs, healthcare geography — and the road home without wealth that my own father took.

Cornwall in December: the mildest midwinter in Britain — harbour lights at Mousehole, Padstow's festival, storm drama, Boxing Day beaches and the year's best prices.

Cornwall in November: the county's quietest month — mild but wet, storm drama, lantern parades, firesides and empty lanes. What to expect, pack and honestly do.

Cornwall in October: mild days, the first Atlantic storms, a sea still warmer than spring and empty half-term beaches. What to expect, pack and do.

Cornwall in August: the warmest sea and longest evenings of the year — and the biggest crowds. Temperatures, rain, swimming, what to pack, and how to beat the queues.

Cornwall in September: warm sea, mild days, thin crowds. Temperatures, rain, sea swimming, and exactly what to pack for Cornwall's secret season.

Four Cornwall road-trip routes — our own south-east loop, the north coast, the south coast and the Lizard, and the A30 across Bodmin Moor — with the honest realities of Cornish lanes.