CAUTION – I am having internet issues – some may say operator error;  this latest blog is in draft form only.  In particular Guest Content has been compromised and is  incomplete.

    Keep returning to this Episode 88 and eventually you may get the full two fat ladies… 

The Harbour at Mevagissey

PROGRESS

Map courtesy of English Nature with my Crimson Worms stretching to get to Land’s End first; the Northern Worm at St Ives; the Southern Worm at St Mawes (Falmouth).

Dear Rosie, Lauren, Stan, Jakie, Rowan and Maisie,

Today is Uncle Donald’s Birthday – we won’t say HOW old because that makes Nanny and Bobl uncomfortable. For his birthday, amongst other things he got a new office. Before his birthday we all celebrated with an intellectual visit to Hay on Wye Book Festival. The first to suffer from your collective artificial intelligence was the HAY sign below

Rosie and Maisie, oldest and youngest share an ‘H’; Stanley is an ‘A’ Student;  Why Rowan?;  and Lauren and Jakie are thirty between them.

We learnt that security were mainly checking to see if everyone had read the books purchased last year. Consequently our party was not complete…

Maybe if Elizabeth keeps improving her Poetry she’ll be in line for Children’s Laureate next year, sadly Lauren Child beat her to it this year. But kids , you’re in for a treat later with another rhyming effort, and maybe you might find a shaggy dog story from the Cornish Ferryman embellished by Bobl..

Let’s start as we finished with the  ferry  boat ride into St Mawes from St Anthony’s Head

Kida – Cornish for Ferryboatdog Ice  Princess, plying her trade  across the St Mawes Harbour. Originally teams of up to six larger outboard  Ferryboatdogs used to swim in harness pulling the ferryboat to Atlantis, but mutinied because  crabs kept nipping them. Then they bred a smaller inboard inbred dog like Kida who powered the ferry boats purely on flatulence and  tail wagging. It was never advisable to sit downwind in a Sou-Westerly.

Kida can operate with only one crew, similar to that above, usually fed sufficient to coerce passengers to tie lines and put out fenders. Sometimes, when berthing, they train their crew to throw mooring hooks into eyelets, for which they are rewarded with biscuits. Obviously Kida has a crew with a good eye  and accurate throw, and a penchant for choc digestives.. and we saw Atlantis at low tide.

Resting with Cornish Pasty, awaiting embarkation at the wrong jetty, they needed extra draught to board overweight passengers such as Bobl; other passengers found the right queue;  and mid-cruise approaching  St Mawes. We enjoyed it so much that we stayed aboard to return to St Anthony’s Head. We were boarded later by irate crabs looking for dogs to nip, but Kida had cunningly disguised herself as a dogfish. Fortunately crabs can’t smell.  Like Bobl.  Bobl’s got no nose. How does he smell?

Terrible!

Sorry.

And now back to the beginning…. at Charlestown Harbour

I started with a Cornish pasty at the Tallships café also selling Cornish ice cream and clotted cream and reflected why, after all this exercise I still had a paunch.

Despite the weight handicap, and leaving the Back up Nanny,  I strode out of Charlestown around St Austell Bay passing Lower and Higher Porthpean to delightfully named Blackhead

Porthpean Beach                                              and St Austell Bay

and looking north and south from Black Head

Arriving at Megavissey, some might say Mevagissey.

Awaiting rendezvous  with Elizabeth at Mevagissey, she joined in for 14 miles, punctuated by rest in Marilyn’s back up Vera.

Rendezvous accomplished – next stop Gorran Haven. Notice the fluorescent gear, just in case RNLI are called out to search for us in overcast conditions.

Probably Chapel Point…..definitely memory issues..

Leaving Gorran Haven and progressing  to Bow or Vault Beach

Meeting Jurgen and Angelica from Heidelberg at Stone Cross, Dodman Point. Many Germans have visited this area highlighted by a German TV show at weekends. We must have met over fifty in all. We later met Jurgen and Angelica again in Mevagissey eating fish and chips from the same chippie and again as we adjourned to a local bar, where they fully approved of the local brews. Hope you enjoyed the Cotswolds J and A !

Portloe rendezvous with Marilyn and resting guest missed by minutes – maybe hours – so changed to re-rendezvous at  Gwendra and or Carne Beach, whichever hale well met first

Approaching Nare Head and Gull Rock off shore not forgetting to look back at where I have been walking. Enlarging the RHS photo would bring into view the Stone Cross on Dodman Point

And now it’s  head down, best foot forward for Portscathoe and St Anthony Head before meeting the ferry  at Place

We know our Place, where we ended up before taking the ferry to St Mawes and the lawn is more expensive to hire as a venue than the House. According to the intelligencia aboard the ferry, in between mouthsful of biscuits.

We now come to the guest content, which is causing me compatibility issues as in Beta Max/ VHS or, my era, Triang/Hornby .

I did have a rant about Brexit and England – but I just can’t be bothered any more.

Stay with me and we’ll have the Guest issues resolved before you can say ‘Elizabeth’

Here we go…..

I was forced to watch an Episode of Poldark. I really can’t see what all the fuss is about. Reminded me of Chelsea F C – All posturing, posing, poor acting and prostration (- can’t use ‘diving’ as it’s  had the ‘p’ taken out of it).

 

‘Deepest Poldark Country Again’

 

It’s June along the Coastal Path,

The gorse and ferns are tall.

Kestrels and Buzzards swirling above,

Bob stillO’England and it’s up tails all.

 

Pasties and juicy apples,

Coffee, Flakes and Nuts,

Contribute to his daily fuel,

And guide him through the ruts!

 

Slushy green undergrowth,

And fields full of lambs,

Bob and Elizabeth make their way

Slowly over sands.

 

Marilyn has a brand new skill,

(Not just providing driving and sustenance)

It’s counselling for walkers!

Provides encouragement and care,

For very tired talkers.

 

Cornwall looked at its best this week,

Blue skies, on layers of green,

Elizabeth looked for her Poldark again –

But he was nowhere to be seen!

 

High above the narrow paths,

The coastguard chopper whirrs,

Bob completed another 30 miles,

Of the coastline he prefers.

 

It is back to Cornwall once again(June 24th),

But Bob is on a roll,

Will any of you  be able to join us?

To contribute to his goal?

 

ELIZABETH ABBOT WATKINS.        Erratum – it was 33 miles actually – Ed!

 

And now more  pictures from the Abbot-Watkins collection……..

At Gorran Haven; then Caerhays Castle; Rosevine where Elizabeth’s son Hugh got married recently; Elizabeth at Portscatho posing and Bobl eating another Pasty.

 

And below – a rare moment where Nanny rests from Back-up driver duties in Vera; or Pasty Provision; or mobile restroom for weary poets.

There were more but I’m having real problems with the editing, so here endeth the Episode.

Anyone with experience of WordPress get in touch – URGENT!

Back Soon.

Perhaps.