Holiday 23rd June – July 2008
Monday 23rd June
We left home at 0951 hours, Michael driving.
At 1120 hours we arrived at Frankley Services, relieved ourselves and changed drivers. We left the station at 1155 hours. Sue driving with a headache and me doing the crossword in the Express , which we had just purchased.
At 1321 hours and 200 miles we entered Somerset. We had cleared Birmingham and Bristol with no holdups. Great!
At 1346 hours, 227 miles, we arrived at Taunton Dean Services where we relieved ourselves again, filled up with petrol and set off at 1402 hours, Michael driving again.
We arrived at 1615 hours after our best journey down yet. There is now only 2 – 3 miles of two-way road and no roundabouts till the wind farm at Carland Cross, where we pick up the A39 to Truro.
Frank suggested taking me down to Pendennis Point to look at the ships in the docks and the bay but we decided we’d wait till after tea then we could all go, which we did.
Tuesday 24th June
Felt strange, it was as if we been here a long time.
Sue’s 72nd birthday. Daphne and Frank took us out to Housel Bay Hotel for lunch as Sue’s birthday treat.
It’s on the Lizard near the lighthouse
The light is kept on constant now that it’s automatic and the lens is rotating all the time. When the station was manned they used to switch the light off during the day and then, because of the lens, which when stationary focused the sun’s rays, they had to draw blinds round the windows. I was lucky to catch the light flashing.
It was our first time there. We’ve often walked past on the coastal path and I’ve always thought the hotel looked very posh but it’s quite nice really and they welcomed peasants like us.
This is the beach below the hotel – my Cornwall.
Afterwards we walked along the coast path to the Coastwatch station. We looked in at the Marconi wireless station and we were treated to its history by a NT guide.
Frank talking to the knowledgeable guide. He had a wireless set Frank used to use when he was in the RAF.
It rained in the evening.
Watched the football.
Wednesday 25th June
Another fine day. In the afternoon, Frank took us to Godolphin House and Gardens
Daphne questioning one of the guides, who had a local accent. Made a nice change.
Suzie talking to an artist in the garden
Discussing the plants
Daphne and Suzie asked me to photograph this flower then they could find out what it is. It’s in the centre of the photo above.
Is that a rabbit? No it turned out to be a molehill.
Afterwards we called at Little Pengwedna Farm for cream teas.
In the evening, Sue, Frank and I watched the football. Germany beat Turkey 3 – 1.
Thursday 26th June
In the morning we helped Frank to lift the inspection cover on the main drain. They like to do it regularly to make sure they don’t get a build-up which has occurred in the past when they haven’t been vigilant.
In the afternoon Daphne had a computer lesson at the library in Falmouth so we all trooped off to Falmouth.
We went to Marks & Spencers to get some underwear for Frank. Then we walked round while Daphne was having her lesson.
Looking east from the Prince of Wales Pier.
The Flushing ferry approaching the Prince of Wales pier. Flushing is over to the left.
Daphne and Frank went off to visit Muriel at Falmouth Hospital and we went for
afternoon tea in the café next to the library/museum in the Post Office building.
Muriel wasn’t in Falmouth she was at Truro! So they came back and we studied the exhibition of Henry Scott Tuke’s paintings in the art gallery. Some of them were fantastic, especially the ships and boats for me. I believe he’s famous/infamous for painting naked boys. I found the exhibition inspiring and felt the urge to paint, I wrote ‘inspiring’ in the visitors book!
A postcard purchased at the museum, one of Henry Scott Tuke’s ships
Later we visited the art exhibition of Peggy H Pearce’s paintings in the Methodist church across the Moor, the Moor is the main square in Falmouth – more photos on the 30th. Leading off it, next to the church, is Jacob’s ladder. None of us felt up to walking up the steps.
Another semi-final, Spain v Italy, Spain won, convincingly in the end.
Friday 27th June
It was raining lightly on and off, should we go to Lamorran Garden? Last time it poured but this time it wasn’t raining continuously. In the end we decided to go and chose the route via King Harry Ferry.
We had lunch at the Old Watch House Restaurant, St. Mawes.
It was still threatening to rain but we decided to press on.
The garden is laid out on a hillside, which drops down to the sea although the garden is prevented from reaching the sea by a row of dwellings on Castle Road.
The first thing you see as you enter the garden is a water feature:
Full of lots of large colourful fish.
Normally, well presumably it doesn’t always rain, one can sit here and look out over the approaches to Carrick Roads and Falmouth. St. Anthony’s Head lighthouse is barely visible today.
One of the many erotic statues.
It wasn’t really a good day to look round
By the time we’d been round the garden the rain had set in so we set off home
via the newly refurbished King Harry Ferry, but stopped at Trelissick for afternoon tea, this time with flapjack for me.
Afterwards we walked round the gallery at Trelissick. There were some interesting objects and paintings but they were very expensive. Couldn’t resist looking round the shop.
The National Trust shop at Trelissick, plant section but that’s obvious.
Saturday 28th June
Today was a trip to Sainsbury’s at Truro where we had lunch.
After lunch Sue and I walked down into the town to the Royal Cornwall Museum to look at some of Leonardo’s drawings. Daphne and Frank had gone to visit Muriel in the Trellis hospital.
We were surprised to find another Henry Scott Tuke exhibition with more delightful paintings. They couldn’t visit Muriel, it was rest time on the ward!
We journeyed home and watched the tennis on television, Jankovic, my favourite. We had tea and then watched more tennis.
I took a few photos from the balcony:
The view from the balcony. The trees at the bottom of the picture have now obscured the view from the living room downstairs and the trees in the middle of the picture are gradually obscuring the view from the balcony. You can see Penryn Rugby Club, Carrick Roads, Pendennis and St. Mawes Castles and the English Channel.
This is an enlarged section of the above photo and you can see the white blob in the centre which is the superstructure of a ship in Falmouth docks. See later photo.
Later we had our first game of Scrabble.
Sunday 29th June
Early rise and off to Church for 0930 hours, St. Laudus in Mabe. We had a stirring sermon and communion. Frank and Daphne are established amongst the congregation and took part in the ceremonial part of the service.
It was Judith’s birthday so when we got back we all sang happy birthday to her over the telephone.
For lunch we had sandwiches and mid-afternoon we set of to Glendurgan Garden only to find it closed! We drove on to Trebah. After high tea, as it was late, we decided to go down to Helford Passage rather than pay the exorbitant entry fees, we can get into Glendurgan free.
Just up the road from the Ferry Boat Inn
The tiny figures on the left are: Frank, seated; Sue standing and Daphne standing to the right.
Climbing back up to the car park.
Smoked haddock and spinach for tea.
The European Championship final, Spain v Germany. We were all delighted when Spain won, I think Daphne even watched some of the game.
Monday 30th June
Almost half way through the year already and the nights are closing in!
Had my first shower of the holiday – it’s not been hot yet. I love showering but hate cleaning the shower out afterwards!
Another slow start. Had an omelette for lunch. After lunch we went down to Falmouth again for Daphne’s computer lesson. She says her and her tutor spend most of the time gossiping! Daphne still hasn’t let me see her e-mail facility, seems to be anxious about the computer, still I’m just the same.
The lesson was at four-o-clock, the teacher’s last lesson!
Daphne seemed to want us to go to Trago Mills outlet near Custom House Quay. So the three of us walked along the main street, along the sea front on the Gas Works car park, and looked around the small art section, reason for sending us there. There was nothing of interest so we went across the road to the Great Atlantic Arwenack Street Gallery. Frank said to the gentleman on the desk, he was busy on the telephone, “Do we have to pay to go round”. The man jokingly replied “No, if you buy an £8,000 painting.” Well the highest price painting was £9,950 and there were some that said P.O.A. We liked one of them, over £8,000, but not enough to even consider buying it if it was 20 times cheaper.
I walked off round Custom House Quay while Frank and Sue ambled back towards the Moor where the car was parked, Frank has a disabled permit, and wait for Daphne.
This is the Maritime Museum seen from Custom House Quay.
Further round to the left is the ship whose superstructure can just be seen from the penthouse flat at Penvean and in Thursday’s photo.
Looking back to the Custom House
The visitors pontoons looking west
Before meeting Daphne we’d arranged to meet up in Marks & Spencers café for tea.
I went looking for an art shop to get Sue a colour wheel for her birthday but it was shut. This is where I found Daphne and Frank.
Sue was in the Methodist Church looking at a new art exhibition. The artists were all members of Falmouth Art Group.
This is the library where Daphne had been, the art gallery, which we’d been to on Thursday last is the top floor. This is just behind where Daphne and Frank are above.
We got home in time to see Murray beat …et.
Tuesday 1st July
Really half way through the year now.
Once we’d had breakfast, washed and got going we started to cut the top off the kiwi fruit tree which was growing wild over their gazebo.
This was taken on Sunday. Between us we cut off all the top branches from half way up the photo. I didn’t take an after shot.
It was threatening to rain but fortunately it didn’t however after a lunch of liver and onions we decided to go to Glendurgan again and just after we’d checked in it started to rain. I was allowed to go down the valley to the beach while Daphne, Frank and Sue went to the refreshment area.
I walked down the west path and came out at the cottages. The tide was in, strange though it may seem, even after many visits over the years, I’d never seen this.
A tender came ashore with two elderly people in it and possibly their son. Another gentleman and myself offered to help them, firstly land and then pull the dinghy on to its trolley but we were completely shunned by the party.
Some of the boats moored in the Helford River
I walked back up the valley on the east side, the path to the maze viewing point, first time I’d been that way.
As I neared the top I bumped into the others; they had not gone to the café but had sat on a bench sheltered from the rain. They estimated accurately the time I would reach the point where our paths crossed.
We had tea, me a cream tea, in the refreshment area. They did lunches, for future reference.
More tennis then salad butties and scrabble later.
Wednesday 2nd July
Daphne’s birthday and our last full day. (Suzie had decided that we would go home tomorrow.) We lit the candle on the miniscule cake we had bought and took it into their bedroom and sang Happy Birthday, well Sue sang and I mumbled.
Frank had to go to see the physiotherapist to learn exercises for his sphincter muscle.
While they were out we scattered the debris from the tree pruning over the fence among the trees, to create a wild life sanctuary – ha ha. Then we set about cleaning the glass panels on the balcony.
It was our turn to treat them so Daphne and Frank had decided on the Cornish Inn at Frogpool. We got there, a little late really, but they were happy to serve us.
We settled down with drinks and the food arrived. Sadly Frank suddenly went faint. A diabetic hypo? It was a long time since he’d eaten. We finished our meal and decided to go home and not continue with our afternoon out.
I finished off the book I’d borrowed, The Hungry Tide and then watched some more tennis. Sue finished cleaning the French windows on to the balcony.
After tea I felt a bit off so I walked round the ‘block’, about forty minutes to walk off some food.
Thursday 3rd July
Would have been my mum’s birthday.
Frank and Daphne went off to a routine visit to Frank’s heart specialist while Sue packed and I packed the car.
We went down to Rowe’s on the industrial estate to get pasties for lunch, Frank was being allowed a treat. On the way back we filled up with petrol at ASDA for the journey home.
We left around 1607 hours with Michael driving in glorious sunshine and with heavy hearts.
We had to queue up the hill into the roundabout outside Truro and queue for over ten minutes to get up the hill out of Truro on to the A39.
We joined the M5 in light rain at 1807 hours and 200 miles. At 1826, 123 miles, we arrived at Taunton Dean Services, relieved ourselves and left at 1835 hours with Sue driving and me doing the crossword in the Express. At 1907 hours we’d done 156 miles; 1937 – 188; 2007 – 220; 2041 – 255.
At 2048 hours, 262 miles, Sue stopped at Hilton Park Services, relived ourselves, put in eight litres of petrol.
On the road again at 2100 hours with Michael driving again.
2135 – 300 miles. At 2141 – 306.6 miles we came upon a queue, an incident ahead the signs reported. Up to now, once we had left Truro, we’d had a delightful run. At 2154 hours and 308.7 miles, we were free again and romped home arriving at 2234 hours after 349.7 miles.
Sue phoned Daphne and Frank to tell them we’d arrived home safely.