Tuesday, 5 July 2016

New Car or repair...........

It had been anticipated after minor thingy went on the front drive widget and a less than chearful Landy specialist's estimate of the replacement of the Freelander's weakness, somewhere whining, at the rear-end!
Booked it in after picking up our rental Fiat 500 that turned out to be a Renault Clio (why do you never get the car you booked)? On the way to pick-up eldest grandchild for a few days sabbatical following exams, the phoned estimate came through at £1500.00, this included a new expensive auto-wing mirror, so not bad and of course included VAT? Reminiscing, I could have bought all the cars I owned from the age of 17 to 25, that include a nearly new Ford Anglia 105e (£250), a yellow Morris 1100 (£350), a classic Morris Oxford (£50), a leaky windows Morris Mini Countryman (£300) and a nice metallic Ford Escort (£550). I suppose I was earning about £12.10s at 17 and about £20.00 after my apprenticeship and VAT had yet to be invented by Lord Barber in the Ted Heath government! Still, keeping the car was on our retirement list of "things we are not going to do" Changing cars, new caravan, new kitchen, new bathroom....the list goes on! Looking forward now to getting on with not doing things.

Sunday, 3 July 2016

Back from the West

Penmarlan farm was also close to Polperro and the coast path that wends it way up and down to it. Parking at yet another Nation Trust carpark we discovered a peaceful campsite well worth remembering. Only drawback is the approach lane with a width approximately the same as our caravan. Path down to Lansallos beach was lined with activity logs, swing and see-saw, tempting the fool hardy (Lesley) to take part. This time we turned right and followed the coast path for several miles before taking a circular route back to our car. The next day we turned right to take the coast path all the way to Polperro where a few grockles were milling in the now, heavy rain. Sheltered in an excellent cafe for dinner before walking around the harbour and back to the coast path before retracing our steps.

Despite a little mizzel on the way back the path was beautiful with wild flowers in abundance. Well earned stop and a cold paddle at the secluded Lansallos beach before finding the car and back to Penmarlen Farm.
Next day was an awning down before a drive back half way to Somerset, avoiding the mass exodus from Glastonbury. Strange little site in the middle of nowhere but just 6 miles from the A303. This was our route back home in the morning, ensuring we get back in time for football.............!


Go West to find the weather!

Wrong! Caravan hitched and off the Stowford Farm near Ilfracombe for a few days stopover on our way down to Cornwall.  Lovely site , facilities and views. Beds DA had a field for a few weeks and we joined a nice crowd on their first visit but our 2nd. This was our first venue with little Ethel, our first baby caravan where we quickly learned the ropes on a gusty night when our "free deal " awning parted company from the caravan at circa 3am. All was not lost as it was soon replaced by the dealer for a better quality, 3 season awning, rather than the 1 season we were given! This awning lasted us unit our caravan and all the contents were stolen a few years later........but that's another story for sometime soon!
Back to the holiday, the weather was a real mixed bag but never bad enough to be a washout, however my togs stayed in the drawer with just a few paddles with the inevitable pain from the sea that had no where near started to warm up above 10C.
Plenty of walks and plenty of breaks in the dullness to get out along the coast path near to Woolacombe.  Bracing air and stunning views with long sandy beaches and a surfer's paradise who unsurprisingly all wore wetsuits.
Leaving Devon behind for a 3 hour drive south to Falmouth,  or a small village just south of the harbour town. Met up with cousins in their caravan who had already  pitched on a somewhat steep slope with our slot reserved next to them on an even steeper slope. No problem though after the farmer bought us 2 concrete blocks in his tractor to level us up. With the nose scarily in the air and the rear buried in the bank, this was home for the week. New awning up and all was good. Plenty  to do as this was the week of the International Shanty Festival which we joined in on the Sunday.
Rain joined us too and apart from the those happy shanty singers on stage everyone was given a good old fashioned West Country ......soaking!
Being British, it didn't dampen spirits and we all enjoyed it more than we thought we would. Falmouth is a pleasant place with too many eating places and grockle shops for my liking and that in turn, attracts too many people. But... we found an excellent coast path walk via beaches and coffee n cake  stops to get it out of our system
Being this far west gave us the opportunity to head to The Lizard via the 6ft wide lanes where the rugged coast should have looked spectacular if only the sea fog would clear. National Trust owned, so free parking, we ventured out on another coast path walk to Marconi's communications hut  just 3 miles away, however.......closed Tuesdays of all things. Fog bound, we strained to imagine the scene below, crashing waves, seabirds swooping by, ships rounding  the treacherous headlands;but no, we couldn't see a thing but at least it was peaceful?.......no, not even that, foghorns were blaring out at all too regular intervals until, it suddenly lifted and they suddenly stopped !
A wonderful cliff-side cafe was waiting for us to take refreshments and take in the stunning vistas all around us.
We then moved on to the next National Trust bay at Kineance Cove, more free parking and a long walk down to the beach. Not content with this walk we took to the rugged coast path once again and a steep assent to get the best view back over the most southerly part of GB, fabulous!
Another cliff hugging cafe for coffee followed by a leisurely drive back to Falmouth.
Scrabble in the evening and Lesley almost won but for some reason the cousins dismissed her word "busty", not found in their 50 year old Oxford pocket dictionary. Day before departure "awnings down the day before" ready for the off back to Boddinick on the other-side of the Fowey esturary but still in Cornwall. Cousins parted 1st for Newquay and we followed to the superb site at Penharlen Farm. Nice facilities and a flat ground for pitching, just a few hundred yards from the small village centre, the Old Ferry Inn pub and a frequent ferry to Fowey. It was a really great location, steep hill back to the site excepted. A walk was needed on the first full day and took the Hall Path round to Pollruin. This fishing village looks a short distance away but by the time the path runs inland, due to an estuary, it was about 4 hilly miles. Another ferry over to the town of Fowey for a browse and a bite to eat before taking the Bodinick ferry back home.