Thursday 8th September - last minute preparations for our Cornish visit, list made, cases out of the attic and most packing done.

Friday 9th September - Packed the car as soon as we'd finished breakfast and we left on time, well a few minutes late but that's a record - 1014 hours.

I, Michael, was driving and we had a clear run through to Frankley Services, where we relieved ourselves and changed drivers.  Again we had a clear run until the other side of Bristol when there must have been an accident. We seemed to be stop/crawl/stop for ages until we almost reached Junction 20 then we were free again. We were surprised to see long queues heading North at various points?  (Need to think about what's the best time to start back home to miss these hold-ups.)  We stopped at Taunton Deane Services, changed drivers and put ten litres of fuel in the car - we'd left Leyland with 48 miles less than a full tank.  I drove on in the mist and rain, cloud, until just before Jamaica Inn on Bodimin Moor when we were stop/crawl/stop again until the start of the two-way traffic section. Released again we drove on. We re amazed at the traffic queue waiting to get onto the A30 at the 'windmill roundabout'.  Still free until just past the crematorium on the A39 when once again we stop/crawl/stopped until we reached the traffic lights just above Truro.  At last we reached Mabe, a queue again at the double roundabout, Redruth to Falmouth road - 1845 hours.

We had a lovely welcome from Daphne who seemed really pleased to see us.

Saturday 10th September - Daphne insisted that we have her bed, it's a king-size divan allegedly bought that size because of when I visit.  We were too tired to argue and it worked out well because it meant we could use the upstairs room, the captain's bridge, as a sitting room.

We had a lazy start to the day and, as the weather was inclement to say the least, we accomplished our first task.  On our previous visit, last year, we'd agreed to separate the bunk beds and make two divans.  Judith and Daphne had already done this earlier in the summer but there were still some adjustments to be made and to move them into a different, slightly larger, room, which we managed to do without any trouble.

It was mostly dull with occasional short bursts of sunshine but the worst of the rain held off until late afternoon.  it didn't affect us though as we'd had quite a satisfying day, probably too tired from the journey down to venture out anyway.

Sunday 11th September - Daphne and Sue went to church in the morning and I attacked the Breathe Easy exercises with enthusiasm.  

My second task was to fit new batteries into the smoke alarms, which I thought I'd do before they returned from church but I was thwarted in this because I couldn't remove them from their mountings.  When they returned, with the help of the instructions, we managed to change the batteries.

I decide we'd got to Trebah for lunch, free entry, and then visit Glendurgen but Glendurgan was closed. Glendurgan is National Trust so free entry for us and Trebah is privately owned.  We had our lunch and Daphne paid our entry fee to the garden - £21 but the tickets were to last for the next week.

Suzie can't pass a dog, neither can Daphne for that matter.  This lovely beast was dying to get into the Coy pool.

Second from the left is me indulging in my first paddle.  The boats are moored off Glendurgan, east of Trebah - both gardens lead down to the Helford River.  The horizon on the first two photos is Falmouth Bay.

Monday 12th September - After a wet and windy night it was little calmer this morning and dry with the occasional flash of sunshine - not good but better than forecast.

Daphne went off for her first art class of the autumn only to find it had been cancelled. After lunch we all went to ASDA to stock up.

In the evening we all went down to the waterfront to see if we could find My Cloud, John Broadhead's Oceanis 311 cruiser.

That's the Harbour Master's pontoon and My Cloud is somewhere amongst those boats.  A lady kindly let us on to the pontoons and we eventually located My Cloud, having walked right past it initially!

Daphne drove us home via the Marine Drive

Looking across the commercial docks to the pontoon and boats.  There appeared to be two Navy boats being fitted with new bridges and superstructure.

Tuesday 13th September - Another easy start to the day, still considered too wet and unpredictable to start on the Kiwi bush (tree).  We had a smoked mackerel salad for lunch and decided to do the woodland walk round the outside of Trelissick, a National Trust property on the River Fal.

We started off from the car park into the meadow intending to do the walk clockwise.  Daphne and Suzie studying the flora.  This is Lamouth Creek, on the right of the first picture, looking out towards the River Fal.  It's low water.  Now we've rounded the corner and are looking dow on the River Fal, Smugglers' Cottage is on the right of the picture.  Again there are many large ships moored up out of commission, the 'watchmen' on this one are just leaving.

Halfway round.  We're crossing the road to start the southern half of the walk, this is King Harry Ferry.  There was a gate into the garden proper so we took advantage and used the loos.

Suitably relieved we set off again.  This tree reminded me of a Bonsai tree and as I tried to make Daphne and Suzie understand what I meant, the act of straining looking upwards caused Suzie to nearly choke.  She had an anxious few minutes trying to get her breath back!

Walking on, Daphne quite concerned for Suzie, we got to the southern point of our walk.  There were several pleasure yachts sailing around but this traditional one was anchored in Channals Creek.

Sue and Daphne playing on the sculpture before one last look back towards the sea, we had some lovely skies during the holiday.

The Hawthorn tree was covered in a mass of berry's and we couldn't identify this lovely yellow flower.  Meant to look it up when we got back.  It was windy but the weather had stayed fair for an enjoyable day.

After tea we went down to Custom House Quay to see John, John and Ian, we'd got them a little bottle of rum to help them across the Bay of Biscay.  John Glynn was already there but Big John wasn't due to arrive back for a while and Ian wasn't due until around 2300 hours.  We left John Glynn after several minutes because he wanted to get on with the victualling of the boat.  The weather was promising to be kind to them for a couple of days after the strong winds and gales on the last few days.

Wednesday 14th September - Today the weather promised to be dry so we attacked the kiwi tree - I didn't take any photos - why?

We did quite well until I got stung, when we decided to call it a day.  

Today I decided we would go to Glendurgen !  We all talked about where to go but it seemed that I always got my way - I'd worked so hard cutting the tree down that I think they humoured me - or to stop me sulking.

As we started down the paths this is what Glendurgan looks like.  Another of the trees that I thought looked like a Bonsai. The second two photos include the maze, which is a feature Glendurgan likes to boast about.

Hydrangeas seem to be the main flower in bloom at both here and Trebah.  Views from the walk as we neared the shore.

I had another paddle and these are the boats moored of Durgan that we could see from Trebah's beach.  I learnt later that the sea is at it's warmest at this time of year.  Thought about swimming before we went home but it didn't work out.

In the evening we watched Manchester United play Benfica - Daphne isn't all that interested in football but she didn't mind us watching.  just for the record I'm not a Manchester (Salford) fan and their manager is not one of my favourite people.

Thursday 15th September - I cut more pampas grass down and Daphne took three bags of leaves etc. to the recycling centre just round the corner.

It was promised to be the best day for weather so I persuaded Daphne to take us to the Lizard for crab salad lunch.

I've never seen the water so low here, this is taken on the way down to the cafe - it boasts it is the most southerly cafe in Britain.  The cafe is the is the building on the top right, line of windows showing.

We walked northwards along the west side of the lizard, Kynance cove is hidden in the inlet in the top right of the third picture.

Unfortunately Suzie got stung along this path, didn't see anything just felt the sharp sting.  Daphne removed something from Suzie's neck, which afterwards we decided must have been a bee's sting.  We had no antihistamine stuff with us so we cut across the fields to Lizard Green to see if we could buy anything.  We managed to get some Savlon, which helped a little.
After an ice cream each and an abortive attempt to buy some pasties from the famed 'Anne's' we set off home.

After tea we watched the last episodes of the American Killing with Suzie.

Friday 16th September - We were all up early and into the garden. We managed to cut down most of the tree and some of the pampas grass, in which there is the wasps' nest.  We filled both cars and ferried some of the waste to the recycling centre.  We also took the cut-up table and chairs - in bad condition and beyond recovery but Daphne wanted new furniture anyway.

We had a makeshift lunch, cheese on toast with beans on top, and despite the pessimistic weather forecast, we could feel a few drops of rain too, piled into the car and Daphne drove us all down to Falmouth to catch the ferry to St, Mawes.

Leaving Falmouth behind; St. Mawes South Cardinal Buoy; approaching St. Mawes.  The crossing was 'interesting', was it rain or sea spray?

Our ferry the Queen of Falmouth on her way back to Falmouth.

We walked up the hill, past the castle to Lamorran Garden - a description of how the garden was created.  It was touch and go whether it would rain or not, we've visited this garden twice before, the first time it was pouring down but surprisingly we didn't get too wet.  We were lucky the rain held off.

There are surprise views as walk down the hill, I love to see the boats, Daphne and Suzie are much more interested in the plants.

Daphne in pensive mood then brightened up when Suzie sat down.  We had toasted teacakes, the cream teas were feeling a bit rich.

We got the last ferry back, 1715 hours, a bit early but the season's coming to a close now.  We hadn't paid on the way over, the crewman said pay on the way back - nice to be trusted.

There was a little excitement among the ferry passengers as there was a dolphin in Falmouth Harbour.  Our Ferry called a Custom House Quay on the return journey.  We saw the dolphin swimming/diving round one of the moored boats.  The boatman said it was injured and had been around for a few days.

Penryn fish and chips for tea - not very appetising and lay a bit heavy.

Saturday 17th September - RAIN & WIND

Sunday 18th September - The ladies went to church and I resolved to do one of my favourite walks, which may have been to long and hilly for Suzie, well she wasn't very enthusiastic when I mentioned it.  We all left the house together and I drove to Mawnan Church, the makeshift car park was full so I had to turn round and park in the lane a hundred metres or so back.  I walked back to the church and into the field.  The weather forecast was pessimistic so I was fully waterproof.

A few metres into the field I took this photo to prove that I had had some sunshine.

Soon the view of the Helford River opened up and I was in heaven.  The boats are moored off Durgan and you can see the concrete D Day platform of Trebah Beach.  Over the hill you can see the boats moored between Helford Passage and Helford Village.

This is looking round to the left and towards Helford Village.

I'm down at see level now.  Durgan beech is about a fifth of the way in from the right edge of the photo.

I'm walking along the coast path up the hill eastwards.  In the centre of the photo is Glebe Beech, the first beech Frank took us to when we first brought the children down in 1975.

At the highest point now of this section of the coast path. There were several commercial craft and sailing cruisers.

Photo 2, a last look back over the Helford River.

Falmouth, Castle Beach, Pendennis & St. Mawes. The large ship is hiding St Antony's lighthouse.

Last look back at the sea over Rosemullion Head

Against all forecasts I'd had a lovely walk in mostly sunny conditions.  I was so glad I'd decided to walk come what may.

Got back to Penvean and Suzie & Daphne had also just returned form Church.

We didn't venture out again except to go down to ASDA for more provisions.

Monday 19th September - our last full day in Cornwall.

Daphne left early for her art class in Falmouth.  We went into Falmouth at lunch time and met up with Daphne to have lunch at M&S.
After lunch Daphne took us for a walk from Flushing round the estuary to Mylor where we had ice creams - again.  We were expecting a bad weather but again our walk was mostly in sunshine.  Considering what had been forecast for the last ten days or so we only had a couple of doubtful days.

Falmouth across the harbour

Approaching Mylor and the inner harbour

Something wrong with Daphne's boot?

The view of Mylor moorings from the picnic tables

We spotted these birds on the walk back and didn't know for sure what they were.  According to our books they are Cormorants - we thought they may be Shags but Shags are black all over.

Tuesday 20th September

We were promised rain all the way home until we reached Cheshire.

We left Daphne at 1400 hours, Michael driving.  We changed drivers at a lay by on the A30 just before we picked up the M5.  We changed again at Michael Wood Services and again at Hilton Park.

We arrived home at 1922 hours after a good journey.

The rain stopped for a few miles as we joined the M5 but was soon pouring down again.  It finally cleared after Birmingham.

Wednesday 21st September - the autumn equinox, the end of summer.  

It's Wednesday 28th as I finish this and I still haven't got back into our routine - I love Cornwall