Good Friday is here again and with it the annual tradition of ‘trigging’ in Cornwall.
Crowds of people are expected to descend on the Cornish riverbeds again today, to enjoy one of the holiday’s unusual traditions – which can only be carried out today.
Many make it a whole family day out, bringing lunch with them – which being Cornwall is generally the good old Cornish pasty.
What is trigging?
The old Cornish term for cockle picking, trigging sees people digging through the riverbed at low tide, with the estuary around Helford and St Anthony a particularly popular location on the Lizard Peninsula, while Helford Passage is a favourite on the Falmouth side.
They are looking for cockles and winkles, which live just under the surface and can be uncovered at low tide.
Ancient law states that people are only allowed to do this on one day of the year – Good Friday.
What equipment do you need to do it?
All you really need is your hands and a bucket, although a rake doesn’t go amiss to help remove the top layer of mud and silt to uncover the cockles.
Different people have their own technique, and while some like to rake across the surface, others prefer more of a ‘digging’ approach, displacing a whole pile of mud to then search through by hand.
Welly boots are must-wear attire for the day, however, as the best chance of finding cockles is as the tide is going out, meaning a bit of low-level paddling is in order.
When is the best time to go: tide times
As previously stated, the best time to look for cockles is as the tide is receding.
High tide at the Helford for Good Friday this year (March 29) is 7.23am, with low tide at 1.43pm, meaning late morning and over lunch time should be the perfect time to head down.
Evening high tide is at 7.34pm, giving ample opportunity to find the shellfish and take them home to cook for supper.
Weather forecast
It could go either way today, with the Met Office forecast changing almost by the hour.
It was previously forecasting a dry start to the day at around 9am, but a 40 per cent chance of light rain showers by midday, which could arrive on and off through the afternoon, before it clears up again by 6pm.
However, this changed late on Thursday evening, to give a 60 per cent chance of a thunder storm at 10am, and again at 12 noon and 1pm. Heavy showers are then forecast from 2pm and throughout the afternoon, which could put an early end to some people's cockle picking.
BBC Weather is a little more optimistic, forecasting a mixture of sunshine and light showers across the day.
Edit: The Met Office has now removed the risk of thunderstorms and is now expecting dry weather this morning, with possible light showers early afternoon.
Why Good Friday?
Traditionally many Christians refrain from eating meat on Good Friday, in recognition of Jesus sacrificing his own flesh on the cross, which is why fish is often favoured on this day.
Last year was reported to be a particularly good season for cockles by many pickers, with some heading home with a bucket full to enjoy that evening - although others chose to throw back their finds, going simply for the fun of finding them.
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