Sue & Michael’s Late

Holiday in Devon & Cornwall 2003

Sunday 19th October 2003

Left home just before 1100 hours, as planned.  Light traffic and fine weather - great start.  I drove until Strensham Services when Sue took over after we’d had lunch and visited the loos, 35 minute stop.  Sue drove to the first level lay-by on the A38 after we’d left the M5 at Exeter.

Dorothy couldn’t accommodate us till Tuesday so we were heading for Salcombe, just beyond Stoke Gabriel.

Stopped for £10’s worth of diesel on the way to Salcombe, we didn’t want to fill up because we had a Sainsbury’s voucher, 4p, which was due to expire.

It was getting on for 1755 hours when we arrived.  There didn’t seem to be many likely looking B&Bs so we stopped at the Marina Hotel on the way out of Salcombe.  Very posh, £75 each per night! 

After a cock-up over the room, the first room hadn’t been serviced and the cleaning staff had gone home, we were given an executive room, room 12, it was the same as the original room 6 but had room for a settee!  It was a lovely room and the view from the windows and balcony was over the estuary, Salcombe Harbour on the chart.

Very soon we were pleased that we had chosen the hotel and felt we’d done the right thing and quietly thanked Dorothy for not wanting us.

Got to the dining room, smart casual but even so I was the only one without a jacket, also with a Lancashire accent.  Before dinner I’d explored the swimming pool and managed to get a 25 minute swim before it closed, Sue was too tired.  A lovely warm pool. A bit shallow at one end, 0.8 metres.

The meal was excellent, we only had four of the six courses.  On the next table were two seemingly elder couples, very posh, but whose favourite programmes were, surprisingly, ‘Only Fools and Horses’ and ‘Open All Hours’.

Monday 20th October 2003

Up and in dining room for breakfast at 0900 hours.

Lovely sunny day but cold in the wind and freezing in the shade.

Walked to the National Trust property Overbeck’s.  We were welcomed by a charming lady who gave us guidance as to where to go and what to see.  It was a lovely garden, which we explored before having lunch in the tea rooms, more happy and charming people.

Walking round the garden we met two local people or at least two people who lived locally and they pointed out some ancient wall bounded fields across the estuary on the hill over towards Prole Point.

For lunch we had soup, a roll and a piece of cake.  We were entertained by eaves dropping, again, the conversation of two couples who had sailed across the Atlantic ocean on the QE2.  Sue’s dad had done it on the Queen Mary many years ago.

Even more charming ladies in the shop and museum.  The museum was delightful with lots of natural history exhibits.

We walked back to the hotel and both of us enjoyed a swim in the hotel pool.  I was befriended by a young lady, about 8 years old we think, who attached herself to me.  It turned out she was a little girl with special needs.

Another good dinner, this time we were the first into the dining room, 1900 hours, but it soon filled up.  More interesting eaves dropping.

Tuesday 21st October 2003

After breakfast Sue packed and we booked out of the hotel.  We left the car at the hotel and walked into Salcombe to have a look round and soak up the ambience of the place.  We went to the Harbour Master’s office and enquired about facilities for visiting yachts.  “We never turn anyone away” said the lady on duty.

It started to rain :-(.  We got some paint, iodine, that the chemist recommended for the graze on my shin, which was taking bad ways.

We left Salcombe and drove towards Kingsbridge, a picturesque village/town at the navigable head of the Salcombe estuary.  On towards Dartmouth along the coast passing through Blackpool Sands!  We took the Higher Ferry out of Dartmouth and arrived at Dorothy’s in time for a sandwich lunch at 1300 hours. 

We went into Paignton with Dorothy to do some shopping, Sainsbury’s and Focus.  Dorothy enjoyed being driven for a change - she has to do all the driving now. We were able to use our petrol token but we nno success in focus and had to go on to Preston to get the fluorescent bulb for Dorothy, Preston!

When we got back I walked down to the quay while Dorothy and Sue prepared tea/dinner.  I like to be close to the water and see the boats.  The tide was out but it was still nice.  I was disappointed to find the tea shop closed.   The toilets were locked up too, so, instead of exploring further, I had to retreat up the hill to find relief.

Later I watched Holby City in the bedroom while the others watched something downstairs.

Wednesday 22nd October 2003

William went out around lunch time with one of the ‘Witnesses’, a retired dentist who was full of himself, in a nice way.

Other Witnesses called later, Barry and two delightful young ladies, as different as chalk and cheese, but too nice to be enraptured by the ‘Truth’, as is Barry.  Barry is a postman who looks after his dad and special needs brother.   He doesn’t eat much so he eats everything Dorothy puts before him, sometimes making himself ill, the poor man.

Thursday 23rd October 2003

Dorothy wanted us to go to Stover Country Park so we drove her there, me under protest because there are country parks all round us in Lancashire and I wanted to be near the beautiful coastline which we don’t have in Lancashire or even within a hundred miles.

We parked the car and set off walking through the trees with me muttering away.  Dorothy wasn’t sure which way to go so we just followed the paths which seemed likely ones.  We came across a lake and a canal, not for boats, for decoration, and eventually came alongside the river Teign, which we walked along for some way, just like the Lostock but a bit wider.  I was a bit anxious because we didn't know the way so I sort of marched on ahead but Sue and Dorothy didn't mind as they chatted away confident that we would find our way back.  It was getting near  twilight but we got  back to the car having walked well over five miles, which itself was quite enjoyable.

Friday 24th October 2003

I’d read about Coleton Fishacre in Salcombe and today seemed a good day to go.  We persuaded Dorothy to come with us.  William had said that he couldn’t paint with people in and around the house so we told him that we were going out so that he could paint.  He’s started trying again,  not that he isn't always trying!  He had ‘sold’ Dorothy’s painting of the poppies that he did for her at this year’s village art group exhibition.  He promised to paint Dorothy another one but was painting one with sheep in, he didn’t feel he could attempt to paint the poppies again just yet.

It was a lovely day and we arrived in time for lunch in the cafe, the former chauffeur’s cottage I think.  After lunch we toured round the house built in 1926 for the D’Oyle Carte family.  Through the windows there were lovely views of the gardens, which we enjoyed walking round next.  Similar to Glendurgen/Trebah but not quite as wide.  Views of the sea and cove from the house were now obscured by the now mature trees but there were many sea views on the way down the paths, the view from the gazebo being particularly romantic.

The path down to the cove were the family had sunbathed, bathed in a specially constructed pool under the cliff and sailed from the beach, was closed due to a rock fall so we walked westwards along the South West Coast Path, along the cliff tops at this point.  It was lovely to be alongside the sea in the sunshine and breathing the sea air.  Dorothy was very brave and traversed several parts of the path where it was very close to the cliff edge.  The sea was fairly calm and we were too high up to hear the waves breaking against the cliffs   but it was good watching the birds and  the few fishing boats tending their lobster pots.  I ventured down to the rocks while the ladies rested but I couldn't get near enough to paddle.

We returned along the path and back up to the car and home via Sainsbury’s on the Paignton by-pass.

Saturday 25th October 2003

We, Dorothy, Sue  and I, walked down to the quay planning to enjoy an afternoon walk.  At first we walked along the pebbly beach  to the quarry.   We considerd walking along the shore but decided to walk back to the quay and over the ‘cliff’ path towards Duncanon.  We hadn't gone far when we met the Vicar and Mrs Vicar to be, they were to be married soon.  I told her she didn't know what she was letting herself in for, or something like that, moving next door to William and Dorothy.  We contined round enjoying the autumn colours on the trees and bushes and looking out for the birds.  We rested for a while on a rough bench and then left the path and continued round on the shore till we reached the corner where the steps up to Duncanon Lane are.  It was low water but we watched a tourist pleasure boat sail past us and up towards Totnes.   We walked up the path through the trees and on to the lane where I left them to walk home while   I walked up the lane and down to Duncanon.  It was a lovely late afternoon and I sat on a stone and soaked up the atmosphere, I do love being beside the water, looking at boats and dreaming of when we'll have ours on the water and be able to visit all the lovely bays, harbours and anchorages down here in Devon and Cornwall.

Sunday 26th October 2003

Got up and had breakfast early.  House still very cold even though heating came on at 0730 hours this morning, the clocks having ben put back it came on an hour 'early'.   William was up early too as he was going to ‘the meeting’, Barry would be calling for him at 0900 hours. 

While Sue and Dorothy prepared lunch later, I went for a walk, it was about noon.  Sue didn’t want to walk as she wanted to save her poorly knee for walking with Frank and Daphne.  Dorothy wanted to walk but felt she couldn’t leave Sue on her own.  It was a lovely morning.  The tide was out, probably low water, much lower than yesterday.  I set off up Duncanon Lane, walking in the reverse direction to yesterday.  Didn’t meet anyone.  Got down to the river’s edge and walked all the way along the shore to the quay and mill pond and as it was still early I decided to walk along the shore towards Greenbank.  There still weren’t very many people around.

William, he likes to be called William now, not Bill and definitely not Billy, was home early and surprised to find that we were still there despite being told several times previously that we wouldn’t leave until he’d come home - Troon gene.

Meanwhile I’m missing the AGM at the sailing club - hooray!

We left about 1445, driving into the sun, still the sun was shining, a good omen but the forecast for the next few days was wet.  I was driving and we didn’t change as the traffic was good and everything was going smoothly.  The traffic increased, surprisingly to us, as we got past Bodmin.  We arrived to a happy welcome just before 1800 hours.

After a good tea we talked and watched TV till bed time.

Monday 27th October 2003

Lazy start to day.  Late morning we were going to see Auntie Babs at Mount Pleasant home in St. Agnes.  Daphne and Sue went in to see her and Frank drove me down to the shore, Trevaunce Cove.  We sat and watched the world go by for twenty minutes or so and then went back to the home.

Frank drove us into Truro and we had lunch at Sainsbury’s.  After doing some shopping for provisions he drove us all the new Marks & Spencers where I bought some track suit bottoms, two tops and Sue got a new cardigan.  Daphne got some tights.  We then wandered over to the Hall for Cornwall and booked some theatre seats for Daphne and Frank.  Next we walked to the museum for a cream tea to find it was closed so we ambled back to F..... and they were closed too so we ended up nearer the car having a snack in Marks & Spencers 'Revive' cafe.

Back home for tea and TV, after showing them our photographs of Malta, North Wales and our previous visit in Spring.

Tuesday 28th October 2003

Weather still holding so Frank suggested that we go to Pine Lodge Garden on the other side of  St. Austell.  First we visited Second Hand City, the second-hand furniture shop near Falmouth Marina.  We were lucky they had just what we wanted and after Frank had bargained the proprietor down, we loaded the computer table in the car and shot off back home full of ourselves.  Frank and Daphne have been given a computer, old but a quality IBM model,   by  Fred and Muriel,  a couple from the walking group.

Setting off for the second time we had lunch at the Britannia Inn, just along the road from the garden we planned to visit.

The garden, or gardens, were lovely.  We were met by an elderly gentleman, ha! ha!, about same age as us, who advised us on the best way to see the gardens.  It was fairly dull but the rain was holding off.  We followed the recommended route roand the cottage garden, through the arboretum, admiring the pineatom and down to the lake.  We wandered round the lake and back up to he Japanese garden where we washed away our troubles in the pool at the entrance and found calm and serenity as we journeyed through it, relaxing in the shelter looking out over the field, trees and lake.

We  had  the obligatory Cornish Cream Tea and found our way back to the car throug hthe slave garden.

It wa a lovely garden, the work of the wife of the gentleman whom we had met on our way in.  He told sue and Daphne that it was mostly her creation and design, he'd just helped her wlong the way.

On the way home we called at St. Austel ASDA for more food.

None of us were hungry so we set to work cleaning the new table and moving the computer into the office.  Meanwhile Daphne prepared a fruit salad for later.  After successfully setting it all up and a short lesson we watched Holby City, well Daphne went upstairs to read the paper, and then I went to sleep on the couch.  The others watched Life of Grime etc.

Wednesday 29th October 2003

Up with the lark, except we didn’t hear him, and on to the computer.  Some instruction.

Weather not as bad as forecast but not good.  We didn’t venture out till after lunch.

While I was helping on the computer, Sue started to remove the screws in the shelf in the bedroom where the computer had been.  This shelf had been put up many years ago by Frank and me to house the old word processor.  Sue eventually filled all the holes and painted the bare places where the shelf had been.

Daphne wanted to go to see her mum and Frank had to go to the doctor’s.  Sue went off with Daphne and Frank and I went to the doctor’s in Penryn.  By now it was raining hard so we drove under the cover to drop Frank off.  I then made my way to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, at the other end of Falmouth, not without encountering unexpected road closures, one way streets and making wrong turnings.

I enjoyed pottering round the exhibits and eventually Frank joined me for a cup of tea and scone.  He’d come down to Falmouth by bus and got some Polyfilla to complete filling the holes that Sue had started in the morning.  He'd had no luck at the doctors and had to make a morning appointment as the sample they needed needed to be despatched in a morning as it couldn't be kept in the fridge overnight till the next collection.  Now he has to go again next Tuesday, first available appointment.

We made our way back along the Marine Drive round Pendennis point, not many ships or boats around but St Anthony’s light was winking at us.

Sue and Daphne arrived home some time later having done some shopping on the way home.  They had spent more time with Auntie Babs than they’d intended.

Read a little before watching the news and being informed that IDS had failed to get a vote of confidence and there was to be a new leader of the Tory party.

Thursday 30th October 2003

Howard’s 44th birthday.  Frank went off to the dentist for 0930 hours an ended up having a filling.  Considerable discussion as to what to do as it was pissing down, excuse the profanity but it was rather heavy rain.

Eventually agreed to Frank’s suggestion of  Carnglaze Caverns - Any weather attraction it was billed as.  Carnglaze is three underground caverns set in 6.5 acres of woodland hillside of the Loveny valley at St. Neot, near Liskeard, a long way for Michael and on the way home which he never likes.  However, considering the heavy rain we all set off in good spirits.  A small deviation to Ponsharden for the lowest priced diesel in the area.  With a full tank  we set off to St. Neot, where Frank had planned we would have lunch at The London Inn.  Traffic jam on the new road at Indian Queens!  We arrived in time for last orders for food and enjoyed our meals, all except Frank who for the rest of the day complained that the Stilton cheese was lying heavy on his stomach, too dry he said.

As we got to the caverns, just down the road, the rain had stopped.  After a few minutes wandering round the Enchanted Dell waiting for the tour to commence we set off into the bowels of the earth, well a gradual walk 100 metre into the hillside down to 150 metres below the surface.  Frank and Daphne vaguely remembered coming here when they first moved down to Cornwall over thirty years ago.  Our guide briefly described the workings of the mine and some of it’s history whilst we were all seated in the upper cavern, a place with remarkable accoustics and the venue for conserts and theatricals.  We then set off into the lower cavern and were eventually impressed by the underground lake.  There was a spring in a pool in the second cavern  which drained into the lake.  Water was dripping from the roof in some places but there were stalactites as  the rock was slate  not limestone but there was a group of what  the owners called 'rusticles', needles of rust.  There  are deposits of iron pyritees in the slate. 

Sue said she was glad we’d come and we all agreed with her.

Off to Trago Mills for a cup of tea, sadly the tea shop in St. Neot closed at the end of September.  Home to do more computer instruction.

Michael Howard has announced that he’s going to contest the Tory party leadership and so far no one is set to oppose him.

Sue painted the filled holes in the bedroom.

Friday 31st October 2003

A promise of a totally different day, sun shining and feeling warm.

We all got going about 1100 hours after struggling with the crosswords and getting washed, dressed etc.

Frank and Daphne went off to Mount Pleasant and we drove into Falmouth via Penryn motorists’ accessory shops, bought some cable ties to tidy up the computer wires.  Then on to the natural foods shop for Jaja’s fruit pastilles.  Parked on the Church (Gas Works) car park and dashed up to he museum for a few postcards for our ‘holiday report’.  Slight misunderstanding, Sue thought I was waiting at the car until she arrived, I’d dropped her off at the Prince of Wales pier to go to the bank and get the sweets, we got some loppy discs so that I could bring this back home.

We got back to Penvean just before Frank and Daphne and we all set of for Trebah or Glendurgan.  Trebah won because the dining place is inside.  However Frank questioned the value of the coupons in the local paper and we learnt it would be half price from Sunday so we had our meal without paying an entry fee and removed to Glendurgan.

We wandered down to the beach where I attempted to paddle, excruciatingly painful to he tops of my feet so I gave up.

We wandered back up the garden again and had a cream tea in the alfresco cafe.

Home via the Helford ferry office at Helford Passage but we were disappointed to find out that the ferry had just finished operating until next spring.  We were thinking of going over to Helford for lunch tomorrow, Sunday.

No one was hungry so we played on the computer, read a little and ended up watching the 1953 Storm on TV guzzling toast, biscuits, whisky and cider.

Saturday 1st November

November already, where has the year gone?

Frank went down to ASDA first thing to restock with yoghurt.  He’d said the night before that he’d like to go to see the wreck of the German ship Mulheim at Sennon Cove so that was the only suggestion on the table, except perhaps a visit to Trebah which was now half price as from today.

After struggling with the crosswords again and other things we left for Praa Sands were it had been decided to have lunch at the former England cricketer Chris Old’s fish and chip bar cafe.

On the way Frank took us to Gemoe church, just across from Praa Sands.  We had a good nosy round and bought a post card, some notelets and a short history of the church.  There was a feeling of déjà vu about the place and rummaging through our files at home a few days later I found the 1989 version of the booklet that we bought confirming that we had been there before!

 We stopped at the haunted castle but it was closed for the season, except by appointment.

I had my usual two lightly battered cod and peas.

As we arrived we saw what appeared to be a multitude of surfers.  After the meal we wandered down to the shore.  Sue counted over a hundred surfers in the water.  We saw a few good runs.

We arrived at Sennon Cove and found the road up to the ‘viewing point’ but it was clearly labelled “Residents and Visitors only.  Others will be clamped. To see the wreck part in Sennon Cove car parks and walk to wreck.

We’d were down at the cove but decided to ignore the notice and set off up the hill.  Frank eventually found a place to park and we walked to look at the wreck.  Only the rear part of the hull was clearly visible but as the waves rolled back we could see more of the broken up hull and part of the fore deck, well part of the deck towards the front.

Up to this point it had been a lovely sunny day but the clouds were moving in and blotting out the sun.

Frank then drove us to St. Ives for a cream tea overlooking the harbour, parking in a car park behind the front after refusing to pay the £3.50 on the harbour wall.  It was low water so Sue looked over the wall for seals but there were none.

We came home, just as the rain started, and watched Casualty, Silent Witness, the News, Parkinson and the football.

Sunday 2nd November 2003

Today we start home, the end of our holiday.