We met Will, a well-known local legend and creator of Falmouth Uncovered, to learn more about him and his business.

What inspired you to start your business?

The idea for starting Falmouth Uncovered came from a run with a friend during one of the bleak winter lockdowns in 2020. I mused that Falmouth's history is so interesting, that, when normality returns, someone should really be out on the street telling its story, and that I had half-thought about doing it myself. He immediately threw himself into encouraging me to take the idea seriously, and so... I did! I think it helped that I had no obvious career or life path at the time — I was looking for some meaning, and found it in Falmouth Uncovered. 

What can you expect from a Falmouth Uncovered tour?

People should expect it to be more than a 'here's some information, here are some dates' sort of tour. I am obviously aiming to illuminate Falmouth's history, but the focus is squarely on storytelling and performance. I believe that what you say is less important than the energy with which you say it, and so I always try and imbue each tour with a feeling of passion and possibility. Hopefully, my guests walk away and look at the town in a totally new way.

What is your favourite part of your work?

It's the chance to connect with people. I always try and get to know the guests as we're walking, and over the last few years I've learnt a great deal about the world just by chatting with the people that come my way.  

What are some of your favourite places and people in Falmouth?

Well, Fal River of course! And I'm not even joking, the encouragement Fal River's given me has made such a difference. Though the lovely thing is that lots of businesses and organisations in Falmouth want the tours to succeed — Christian & Nicola at the Dog & Smuggler pasty shop have always had my back, The Poly has always been amazing, and Desney at the Southpaw Dog Store always hurls good energy my way! And there are plenty more besides.

On a personal level, well — it has to be the  Moth & the Moon pub. For there the folk music plays and the sea salt stout flows. 

What is your favourite fact about Falmouth, and what surprises your guests the most?

I think that guests generally have no idea that Falmouth was once a cosmopolitan maritime hotspot, filled with sailors and visitors from around the world. Beatrix Potter visited in the 1890s, and she wrote in her journal that Falmouth's barbers had their outdoor signs in five languages. 

How long have you been playing the melodeon and which came first - learning the melodeon or your history tour?

Aha, well it all started with a conversation in the mens' loo at The Front pub in the tail end of 2019! Long story short, a chap encouraged me to pick up a musical instrument, as I had been worried I was too old to really get started on learning. I eventually bought a melodeon/button accordion from a twinkly-eyed man in St Ives and then, shortly afterwards, the first lockdown started. And so, somewhat fortuitously, I had time to practice. At that point I didn't know I was going to start the tour, but it all fit together quite nicely — the squeezebox and the pirate tour-guide look are aesthetically compatible!

You clearly love your history - if you could live in any era in time, what would that be?

Oh gosh, that's a big question! Realistically speaking, I need to stay put — I'm a type 1 diabetic and am totally dependent on the wonders of modern medical science to stay healthy. But if I could... I'd say a Polynesian island, a few centuries before Europeans turned up and made a mess.

You've recently introduced a Ghost Tour to your repertoire - what has the reaction been like, and have any guests seen a ghost yet?

The reaction has been cheeringly terrific. A ghost tour is a different thing from a history tour: you're not just storytelling, you're working to unnerve and creep out... and it seems that guests are experiencing that! No one has seen a ghost on the tour yet, but a couple of weeks ago someone hurriedly told me that they had experienced the exact phenomenon I was explaining, in the exact same building. She was thoroughly freaked out. 

What is the spookiest place in Falmouth?! Are there any areas that give you goosebumps?

I always feel that Arwenack Manor feels intensely spooky, even in broad daylight. It's somewhere where history hangs heavily, with a very particular atmosphere. One of the residents also told me of a female spectre, spotted in the night, which definitely aids the development of my goosebumps.

Cornwall has a rich seafaring past, and we're really excited to collaborate with you on your new 'Secrets of Smuggling' tour - can you give away any snippets about what to expect?

Indeed, it's going to be a hoot! You should expect to discover how ingenious people used to be at breaking the rules — Falmouth's harbour was once the centre of a vast illegal enterprise, and it's amazing how blatant they were about it.

What is the difference between pirateering and smuggling?

 Aha, well, one is generally less murdery than the other! I think an interesting distinction is the extent to which the pirates or smugglers were aided by normal people. Pirates typically lived beyond wider society, but smugglers were often aided by the citizenry — sometimes even the local vicarage would be used as somewhere to store smuggled goods.

Smuggling was rife in Cornwall, but what goods were being smuggled, when was smuggling at its peak and what was the punishment if you were caught?

An amazing array of goods were smuggled — if there was money in it, people smuggled it. But above anything else, it was alcohol. Many gallons of French Cognac, rum and gin have been brought ashore nearby. Smuggling was at its peak in the late 18th century — it's when the profits were highest, and the forces tasked to prevent it were easily overwhelmed. They didn't mess about when it came to punishment: you could be hanged for smuggling, or transported to Australia. It's worth noting that many smugglers got away with it — Cornish juries had the habit of finding smugglers not guilty.

Thank you to Will for these lovely insights.  More information on Will's exciting tours can be found here:

Book your Secrets of Smuggling Cruise here

Book your History Tour here

Book your Ghost Tour here