I took the 8.30 ferry from Falmouth to St. Mawes (I was the only passenger) and then the motor boat ferry to Place. The boatman, Mike, was very kind & made no charge when he heard I was walking the SWCP in aid of the RNLI. Thank you, Mike. I will forward the fare at the end of the walk along with others who have foregone fees such as camp sites.
There were two other passengers on the motor boat, Dave & Jason. They are schoolboy friends & have been enjoying walking holidays for years. They said these holidays were magic as apart from walking they could leave their wives, kids, dog & stressful jobs behind in Kent.
Many moons ago when I was a teacher I had a very naughty boy in my class. One day as a punishment I said "Johnny, I want you to write me a poem which includes the name Timbuktu". Not an easy task for a boy in a junior school. After a while Johnny says "I've got a poem, sir". I said, "read it to the class, Johnny". He didn't really want to but I insisted, so this was his effort:
Tim & I went down to Kent,
We met three women in a tent.
We couldn't think of much to do
So I bucked one & Timbuktu.
(The old ones are the best).
Couldn't believe the walk today, it was completely out of character; basically dry paths with just a few muddy bits & the weather, was just right for walking. I was able to walk most of the way with Dave & Jason before they escaped into Pendower Beach Cafe. Thanks for your company D & J. I enjoyed it. Best of luck for the week ahead, especially tomorrow.
Hi Pete,
ReplyDeleteit was great having your company for the St Mawes to Pendower stage. Sorry we didn't manage to catch you up after lunch, those pasties just slowed us down too much! I think we must have been slowing you down in the morning. We just caught a glimpse of you at the descent to Portloe though, but we were still a fair way behind.
We are now safely home and already looking forward to next year. Sunday (Portloe to Mevagissy) was "interesting", but we made it safely. A bit hairy around Dodman Point mind. We thought of you curled up in front of the telly watching the footie with a brew as the icey rain lashed our faces at gail force speeds.
Thank goodness for the open fire and warm welcome in the Rising Sun Inn that made it all worth while.
Good luck with the rest of the walk, and remember, "always look on the bright side of life..."
Jason
Hi Pete
ReplyDeleteAs Jason says, it was good to meet you and we both enjoyed your company.
I think in the end we were only about 10 minutes or so behind you at Portloe (you had a good pace on in the afternoon and I hope we weren't slowing you down in the morning.) We dived straight into the The Ship for a quick pint - half expecting to see you in there wiating for Lyn. We thought the Lugger looked a bit 'posh' for a couple of reprobates like myself and J. I guess it was a 50/50 chance.
Sunday was a tad damp and blowey as you probably saw from the comfort of your armchair! We got to Port Mellon around 2:30 on Sunday with no lunch stop (Goran Haven was shut!)- typical it was the one day we couldn't get into the B&B before 4:00 either. A couple of pints, a pork pie and the roaring fire in the Rising Sun was very welcome where we sat and steamed for a while....
I'll keep an eye on your blog for tips on some of the river crossings coming up in Devon...not all have a Ferry.
Anyway, best of luck with the rest of the walk and I hope the weather improves a bit for you.
Cheers
Dave