NEWS has broken that Flambards’ Victorian Village has been sold in its entirety to a historical tourist attraction in County Durham for an undisclosed fee. It’s fantastic to hear that the village will find new worth as part of the UK's first live-action historical theme park.

Buyer Kynren Kynren in Bishop Auckland packs two millennia of history, myth and legend into 90 minutes, claiming “rebellions, wars, magic, majesty, celebration and heartache are vividly brought to ground-shaking life in a dazzling outdoor-theatre spectacular”.

A spokesperson said the Flambards village will be transformed into “a vibrant, theatrical journey where visitors will feel as if they have stepped back into the heart of Victorian England”, to be opened in 2026.

I’m glad someone has recognised the Victorian Village’s potential and put their money where their mouth is to show it some love. But this relief is tinged with a little sadness.

Flambards has been a bastion of Cornwall’s tourism scene since the 1970s, enchanting people both little and large, locals and visitors alike. One can’t help feeling just a little blue that it will no longer be part of our heritage.

My Other Half has extremely fond memories of Flambards in its previous guise. Every holiday, when asked how he wanted to spend his time, he would request a trip to “the Aeropark”, much to his mother’s dismay. Exhibits included a full-sized wooden mock-up used in the development of Concorde.

Fast-forward to our own parenting, and Flambards was an oft-repeated date on our calendar. We started with the teacups and the merry-go-round – a memorable occasion saw OH and Daughter on stallions bearing majestic names like Thor and Thunder, while mine was called (I kid you not) Ian.

Then we graduated onto the Hornet and the Log Flume, not to mention the Pirate Ship. I once accompanied Daughter on this, and overcame my nausea by singing very loudly. I think she’s just about gotten over the embarrassment.

Towards the end, she took friends so they could do the revolting rides together while we pottered like old folk around the Victorian Village and other exhibitions.

The responsibility of maintaining big rides was huge, and came with rising costs. Our favourite ride, Space Race, closed in 2022 after three people were injured, and several others were retired in summer 2024. This lessened the appeal for teens and no doubt contributed to the decline in visitor numbers. It came as no surprise when Flambards closed abruptly in November.

The sale will continue as planned on March 26 and 27 at Lay's Auctioneers in Penzance, with 840 lots still up for grabs, including Concorde, Britain in the Blitz, the Avro Shackleton cockpit and other displays.

To consider all the other family attractions that went by the wayside last year makes for sobering reading. Heartlands was an amazing resource in its day: delivering a good dose of Cornish mining heritage free of charge, and allowing small children the freedom to run up and down its leats in sodden disposable nappies. RIP: January 2024.

Dairyland, a farm which diversified into an adventure park, soft play area and petting zoo, enjoyed its last hurrah at Halloween, before closing its doors on 49 years of trade, citing the challenges of the pandemic and increasing operating costs. A dispersal sale of historic agricultural machinery raised £100,000.

The Shipwreck Museum in Charlestown was bursting at the seams with around 7,000 shipwreck and maritime artefacts, including a lump of coal recovered from the wreck of the Titanic. Bought by Sir Tim Smit 10 years ago, its contents were auctioned in November, its last Christmas lights event held in the smuggling tunnels in December.

However, let’s give it up for the attractions that are still welcoming visitors. I took Daughter, then 12, to Camel Creek Adventure Park a few years ago. Initially reticent – “It’s for kids” – she experienced a Damascene conversion during a feeding session with the cheeky meerkats.

The rebranded Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery reopened a few weeks ago, and was looking absolutely smashing after a comprehensive revamp. The Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan might be a little expensive, but remember many entrance fees can be converted into annual passes, and there are often special deals on for locals.

And all hail the new kids on the block. The Story of Emily near Liskeard is not ideal for small children, but for older ones with a keen interest in history, it will blow your socks off. It’s the former home of Emily Hobhouse, a Cornishwoman who fought for the rights of women and children during the Boer War in South Africa, and features a spanking new, no-expense-spared museum in the garden. It’s hardly on the tourist trail, but well worth seeking out.

And next time I’m up north, I might visit an old friend who’s moving to Bishop Auckland.