STOP AND LOOK...

Continuing my Covid-19 avoiding theme, the other evening I watched Julia Bradbury`s walk from Padstow to Trevone.  It made for an entertaining programme but I`m not sure it did the walk justice.  It`s another one we`ve done - some years ago now - but we have done it in two stages;  the first from Padstow to Stepper Point and back again and then the following year when we were staying in Trevone we walked to Stepper Point and back from there.

Either way it`s another great walk and I know that Julia`s programme was short of time to show everything along the way.  After all, she scurries along at a fair old pace, whereas we tended to meander, stop awhile and take in all the grandeur of that part of the north Cornwall coast.

I could show some decent photos I took on those walks but the one I took above was during one of our stops along the way. When taking photos, it`s just so tempting to concentrate on the spectacular Cornish coastline but sometimes if you stop and look down you see a whole new world open up before your eyes.  This was one of those times and I hope my photo did justice to the little Cornish community of wayside wild plants that caught my eye.

Anyway, I liked it.   (Please click on the photo for a much better image.)

WISHFUL THINKING ?...

I haven`t travelled abroad very much. A school trip to the south of France 65 years ago;  a week in Portugal when one of my sons was working in Lisbon;  18 months in what was BFPO 16 in West Germany during my National Service defending western civilisation from the threat of communist invasion.  That`s about it really - I don`t suppose a couple of weeks in Wales counts, so I haven`t seen that much of the `wider world,` not that it bothers me unduly as I`ve discovered there is so much to see in and enjoy around this sceptred isle.

Now as the corona virus lock-down took hold it was impossible to get to a bookshop, so I began to re-read some from my own eclectic bookshelves.  Some of the books I have collected over the years are really quite old - I like reading about how things were all those years ago and since most of my `travel books` are about this country I have been reading again some about Cornwall back in the 1940s and the history of the Isles of Scilly.

And the books about those islands reminded me of a memorable day we had about 30 years ago when we were staying in a remote area of far west Cornwall and took the helicopter from Penzance to Tresco, the second biggest of the Isles of Scilly.  And what a day to remember it turned out to be.  The helicopter journey afforded spectacular views of the far reaches of the Penwith peninsula - Mousehole, Land`s End and out beyond the coast across the 26 miles of sea before landing on Tresco.

And us being us, we left the other visitors behind and wended our own way to explore quite a lot of the island, past New Grimsby and followed the footpath along the island coast until we came to Cromwell`s Castle, pictured above, which looks out across the narrow channel between Tresco and Bryher.   Throughout our wanderings around the island I was in awe of the quiet tranquility of the place, the white sand beaches, the tiny flower fields hedged with escallonia, the unhurried way of life and the sights and sounds of what must surely be one of the most beautiful of places to be found in the whole of the United Kingdom.

Eventually we made our way back to `downtown` Tresco and enjoyed a visit to the famous Abbey gardens before reluctantly having to get back on the helicopter and return to the mainland.   

But reading my old books about the Isles of Scilly again and, thanks to Talking Pictures TV, once again watching `When the Whales Came,` has produced a bit of a longing to go back there and recapture that feeling of being in a foreign country, even if I`m not.  The same goes for Cornwall too - a country apart with its own language, history and traditions.

Maybe one day....... wishful thinking?

WISH I WAS THERE...

In these extraordinary times I`m finding it difficult to know what, if anything, to write about.   There is just so much sad news around, some of it a little too close for comfort, and the prospects for the immediate future don`t look too encouraging (I have just seen the UK death figure rising above 10,000 and it`s frightening.)

So, as it would be `insensitive` to comment further about the corona virus pandemic that is confronting us;  as there is no sport to bother me; and as most of the things I might have a rant about have become pretty much irrelevant, rather than close the blog down completely I thought I would indulge myself by posting photos I have taken of places I have been and wish I was there again.

Here`s the first one - it shows, on a perfect Summer`s day, the walk up to the car park from the south west coast path above the village of Portscatho on Cornwall`s Roseland Peninsula.   As I look out of my window now, it`s a glorious Spring day and I can just imagine on a day like this how uplifting and inspiring it would be to be on the Roseland right now.

Keep safe, be well.

Please click on photo for better image

OH TO BE.....

What a beautiful day yesterday.   Dry, warm, sunny with temperatures in the mid-20s Celsius.  (Will we get Fahrenheit back after 19th March next year, I wonder?)   And during a lull in my frantic day, I looked up the webcam for the King Harry Ferry, which plies its trade across the River Fal in the heart of Cornwall.

No doubt risking a fine for breach of copyright, I took this photo of the image that appeared on my PC desktop, downloaded it from my camera onto the PC, fiddled with it in Picasa3, saved it in a pictures folder then uploaded it on to here.   And it looked like a beautiful day down in Cornwall too and I sat and watched as the live webcam showed the ferry drifting slowly across the river from the Feock side to the Roseland and back again.

It all seemed to sum up the pace of life down there - people were waiting patiently for the ferry to complete its crossing, some got out of their cars and watched the world go by and I was reminded of the Cornish `dreckly` - things will happen when they do rather than in any sort of hurry.

I`ve made that crossing a number of times, the last time returning to our holiday cottage at Rosevine, a stone`s throw from Portscatho on the Roseland peninsula.   That is the side of the river you can see in this photo - the leaves on the oaks are turning into their Autumnal rust and the air of peace and calm made me think how good it would have been to  be there yesterday.   (As ever, please click on the photo for a better image.)

HERE`S HOPING...

I`ve lost count of the number if times we have stayed in various parts of Cornwall and walked various bits of the south west coast path.   And in about two months from now we will be going back to Padstow to resume our love affair with that glorious area in and around the Camel Estuary and the north Cornwall coastline.

In advance of all that, I have ordered this book which promises to include walks that we can still do as we approach our 80s.  I guess I`ll have to wait and see.

But in the meantime, I have come across a quite captivating YouTube channel that sees a couple, sometimes with their dogs and family, setting out on `Cornish Walking Trails` in most parts of the Duchy coastline.  One of the walking guide books they use is the one I have sent for so it should include some walks we can manage.

Here`s a taste of the walks they do - one we have enjoyed doing ourselves over the years - around St. Anthony Head on the Roseland Peninsula.  And, as you will see from this video, there are plenty more where that one came from.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.......

GETTING THERE ?

I know it`s a bit early to start going on about Spring but we are a month on from the shortest day of the year.  In my wander around the parish yesterday afternoon with Barney on our walkies, I noticed, perhaps prematurely and optimistically, that there were a few signs that things might be happening.   The odd crocus peeping up from the odd garden, the occasional forsythia giving a hint of yellow and today brought a bright, crisp, frosty morning, all of which makes me feel a bit less SAD and encourages me that we are getting there and to look forward to the coming of spring and summer.

So I had a look at a photo I took last April when we were staying at Trebetherick on Cornwall`s north coast.   Of an evening I would stroll down the lane towards the coast path and I managed to capture this moment as the sun went down beyond Stepper Point.  Here it is - please click on the photo for a better image:-

Seeing this photo again certainly cheered me up with things to look forward to once winter has had its way with me and I hope you like it too.

FORECASTING MADE SIMPLE...

Living as I do in the good ol` U of K, I suppose I share the national obsession with the weather which can of course, be very unpredictable and ranging from scorchio to brass monkeys and everything in between - if you get my drift.   To quote Tom Jones, it`s not unusual for us to have the four seasons in one day and so, along with our weather obsession, I guess we might also be obsessed with the weather forecasts.

Now some of these are worth watching for their entertainment value - Tomas Schafernaker  (?sp); Alexis Green, the well known Saints babe who presents the weather forecast on BBC South Today;  David Brain who not only does the same on BBC Spotlight South West but also is prone to including videos of well known south west locations;  but by and large, weather forecasts at least on TV tend to be pretty dull affairs, if not a bit complicated for those of us without degrees in atmospheric science or meteorology.  I suppose the most riveting are the forecasts on BBC Radio which include such items as the state of the sea (usually rough or slight); winds (usually light to variable); and visibility (precipitation within sight, etc.)

Now  Porthallow in deepest Cornwall marks the mid point of the 630 mile long south west coast path and, as an aid to travellers and locals alike, has installed a weather stone, designed to make forecasting simple, quick and accurate.   Here it is:-

I took this photo on a recent visit but some of the detail  was obscured by the stone itself. Just to fill in the gaps, the forecast for sunny is `shadow on ground;` the one for snowing is `white on top;` foggy is `can`t see stone;` and when the stone is swinging, it means it`s windy.  So congratulations to the good folk of Porthallow for this splendid initiative which, if it catches on, could save the BBC £millions. 

A FORTNIGHT IN AN AFTERNOON..

As usual, the magic of a week away in Cornwall has worked wonders for my essential maintenance and despite being back already in the same old, same old routine/rut of gardening, shopping, car stuff and all the other essentials of modern day living, I find myself looking wistfully back on the days of last week - was it really only last week? 

The photo above is one I took on one of our early morning walkies with Barney our faithful retriever before the summer heat reached scorchio proportions and it shows a look across the creek where the sound of silence was deafening.   I didn`t read a newspaper all week - the nearest shop was a whole world away - but I had access to the red button, so kept abreast of current affairs.

And I saw that Theresa May`s hard time was continuing.  She`s had a rough ride lately - a duff election campaign followed by a duff election result;  the tragedies of Manchester, London Bridge, Grenfell Tower;  the ongoing Brexit wrangles both at home and in Brussels;  the need to stitch a deal together with the DUP - the list goes on.  And as I wandered through the footpaths and around the creeks of that timeless bit of Cornwall, I found myself visualising Theresa`s opening remarks at yet another COBRA meeting.......

"Good moaning.  I`ve been reading that Snopper bloke`s blog and he seems to have found a place where you can spend a fortnight in an afternoon - just the pace of life I could do with right now.  So I said to Philip last night that I`ve had enough of all the ass I`ve got to put up with so I`m buggering off down to Cornwall to live happily ever after.  Over to you Boris, David, Philip..... - `bye."

Well, you could hardly blame her.

Maybe it`s just me but you would think that I would have more `important` things on my mind.  But ever since I posted some stuff about the May Day celebrations in Padstow, the music - as it invariably does - has been playing on my mind, to the extent that I just can`t seem to shift it.  

Now I`m not talking about the hauntingly repetitive song that insistently declares that `summer is acome unto day.`  Instead, I`ve become almost obsessed with the Dirge.  You see, throughout the whole event, the Evening Song and the Day Song are accompanied by massed accordions and pulsating drumbeats and all the while, the Obby Oss twists, turns and cavorts to the beckoning of the Teaser.  

But there comes a point - a lull in proceedings - when the Oss falls to the ground, either out of exhaustion or as a determined reference to the dying of winter.  The accordions and the drums fall silent and the Dirge is taken up, unaccompanied, by the assembled throng.  It seems to consist of a stanza full of unconnected lines, random phrases and oblique references to St. George and `Aunt Ursula Birdwood.`   So you can see why the Dirge puzzles and intrigues me.   It goes like this:-

O where is Saint George

O where is he now?

He`s out in his longboat

All on the salt sea O.

Up flies the kite.

Down falls the lark O.

Aunt Ursula Birdhood

She had an old ewe.

And she lies in her own parc O.

And at about 6 minutes into this video, you can hear it as it was sung in Padstow in 2016........

At the end of the Dirge, the Oss leaps up with renewed vigour to signify that summer has indeed acome, the accordions strike up and with the drums beating again the procession through the town resumes. 

Now I`ve done a bit of digging around and it seems possible that the reference to St. George implies a strong connection with the Solar Deity, whose Saints Day is around 1st May.  "He`s out in his longboat....." might well refer to a funeral ship, thus referring to the death and rebirth of St. George through the choreographed fall and rise of the Oss.  It was often the custom in the distant past to place an important body, along with all his or her worldly goods, in a ship; put it to sea and even set it ablaze.

As for Aunt Ursula Birdhood, her appearance in the Dirge might allude to the Saxon Bear-Goddess, Ursel.  The constellation of the Big Dipper, Ursa Major, is often called the Great Bear.  Ursel is another Deity, this time the Moon Goddess, who was canonised and made Saint Ursula by early Christians.

But, these speculations aside, the mystery of the true origins of the Dirge remain and so when I am next in Padstow, in October, I will pay a visit to the local museum so that my inquisitive mind might be satisfied, at least until next May.

MAYDAY, MAYDAY.....

"With the merry ring, adieu the merry spring,
For summer is acome unto day,
How happy is the little bird that merrily doth sing,
In the merry morning of May."

Well, it`s the first of May and I look out of my window and it`s raining, grey, dull and a measly 12 degrees.  Bit never mind, the good folk of Padstow in Cornwall have been up all night celebrating adieu to the merry spring and the little bird is happy now that summer is acome unto day.

The origin of the Padstow May Day celebrations are lost in the mists of time but each year they provide a raucous, passionate glimpse if what it means, especially for curmudgeons like me, to know that summer is on the way.   There`s no way I can hope to do justice to the traditions of Padstow and the Obby Oss, but here`s a short video of what it`s about:-

There`s no denying that the music of the day song and the night song is both haunting and hypnotising and the more I hear it the more compelling it becomes.  So here`s a longer version which perhaps captures the real atmosphere and charm of being part of it all.......

All of which makes me wish I had stayed in Cornwall for a bit longer rather than coming home last Thursday to deepest Kent with its dull, grey, rainy 12 degrees and its May Day `travellers` gumming up our village green..

WHEREFORE ART THOU?

I`m reliably informed that the recent BBC series, Poldark, has come to an end, which seems to have caused a degree of consternation among his feminine devotees.  This reminded me of the filming locations in Cornwall which have now become increasingly popular destinations for Poldark buffs as well as providing local entrepreneurs with the opportunity to arrange Poldark Guided Tours.

One of those locations was the out-of-the-way fishing hamlet of Porthgwarra, at the foot of Gwennap Head, and we visited there a few years ago when I took these photos.  The first shows Porthgwarra in the rush hour, whilst the second shows Mrs. Snopper looking for all the world like Miss Woodruff in The French Lieutenant`s Woman wandering the Cobb at Lyme Regis in the forlorn hope that her hero might one day appear.    At least Mrs. S. has another Poldark series to look forward to.......

(Please click on photos for larger images)

SNOPPER `S ORNITHOLOGICAL SNAPS...

I``m quite pleased with some of the `wildlife` photos I took whilst we were walking the Cornwall coast path a couple of weeks ago.  This one caught a kestrel in flight, hovering over Beacon Cove just south of Mawgan Porth...........

.......and at Mother Ivy`s Bay I spotted this seagull waiting patiently for something to turn up.......

......please click on pictures for better image.

LAST ONE - HONEST...

This time last week (almost to the minute) we spent roaming along Constantine Bay to Booby`s Bay and back.  Another glorious morning, the only `incident` being yours truly being tackled from behind by a young golden retriever;  one minute I was admiring the sea, the next flat on my back admiring the clear blue sky.  No harm done and no animals were harmed during this episode, but maybe a yellow card for a reckless tackle from behind?

Here`s what Constantine Bay looked like last Friday morning from my vantage point.....

.....and then the long, 300-mile drive home through half of Cornwall, all of Devon, most of Somerset, bits of Wiltshire, Hampshire and Surrey and finally home to Kent, leaving behind memories of yet another unforgettable week and hopes for many more to come.......

THIS TIME.....PART FIVE...

To Crantock and up to West Pentire;  then down to the unspoilt, wonderful, Polly Joke, which has many attractions, not least being the complete absence of any `facilities` whatsoever.  So it`s just you and the beach and the tide and the cliffs and that fresh, clean Atlantic air.  When the tide is low, which it was when we visited, there are caves to explore and here`s a photo I took looking out from one of them......

.... and then on to Kelsey Head for a view of Holywell Bay but also to venture just off the coast path to look down at the seals lounging around on their own personal territory, The Chick.   Here they are.......

.....and to complete yet another memorable day, we returned to Polly Joke, had a pit stop and took the coast path around Pentire Point West and back to what passes for reality. (Sigh.)

THIS TIME LAST WEEK, PART FOUR.....

A quiet(ish), restful(ish) day when we decided to go to Padstow, well, because it was there I suppose.   Problem with Padstow is that it is so darned popular - people everywhere, dogs, `iffy` shops selling all the essentials required of the modern day holidaymaker, pasties, fudge, coffee in those annoying cardboard cup things, seagulls and quite the most exorbitantly priced `cakes and pastries` courtesy of a certain Mr. Stein.

Not for me really - I much prefer to be away from all that - but I was interested in the comings and goings in the harbour, which seemed to provide a haven of tranquillity from the hustle and bustle of the quayside...

(Please click on photo for a larger image)

THIS TIME LAST WEEK, PART THREE....

To Rock so as to call in at the letting agents to confirm our holiday booking for next Spring.   Then on to Daymer Bay then a walk along the Greenaway to Polzeath.   Along the way we dropped down to Broadagogue Cove to look for cowries.  

Polzeath is famous for its surfing beach but the village has little else to commend it, so we ventured inland alongside a big caravan park.  All around this area there are memories of Sir John Betjeman and we arrived at Shilla Mill, a watermill built in 1591.  I`ll leave it to Sir John to describe it far better than I ever could:-

From where the coastguard houses stood

One used to see below the hill

The lichened branches of a wood

In summer silver cool and still;
And there the Shade of Evil could
Stretch out at us from Shilla Mill.
Thick with sloe and Blackberry,uneven in the light,
Lonely round the hedge, the heavy meadow was remote;
The oldest part of Cornwall was the wood as black as night,
And the pheasant and the rabbit lay torn open at the throat.

And I felt, as we staggered through the eerie silence of the wood, how he must have felt and that, away from the surf and pasties of Polzeath, the `oldest part of Cornwall` is there still.  We found our way back to the tranquillity of Trebetherick and wandered down the lane passing next Spring`s holiday haunt and I felt at home again and at peace.

Anyway, here`s the photo I took of Shilla Mill, now - almost inevitably - a holiday let....

Th

THIS TIME LAST WEEK, PART TWO.....

.....saw us on the coast path again, this time from Harlyn Bay, around Cataclews Point, on to Mother Ivy`s Bay and up Trevose Head.   Another glorious day.  Well, the sun shines on the righteous?    This was Monday morning on the start of our walk at Harlyn Bay. Manic Monday?  I don`t think so.......

THIS TIME LAST WEEK....

.......we sat having a rest after walking the coast path from Mawgan Porth in Cornwall, high up on the cliff looking down on Watergate Bay.   As you can see from my photo, it was a glorious place to be on a glorious day.   Oh well, that brings an end to my Cornwall visits for this year.....but we`ve already made a booking for 2017.   When you see this, who can blame us?.........

ONE TO REMEMBER...

A couple of years ago, round about this time of the year, we were wandering along the bit of the south west coast path around Pentire Point and I looked down and was very taken not only by the sheer drop down but also the vivid, contrasting colours between the rock-face, the sea and the grasses at the edge of the path.  So I took this photo.  I remember it so well that I feel an urge to make a return visit.......

I`M NOT HERE.....

I always seem to be wistfully drawn back to certain places, one of which is, in my mind at least, one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I have ever known.  It`s a quiet, unspoilt lane - a dead end that leads down to a wonderful beach and the whole point of it is that there`s nothing there, except a few cottages and, curiously for such an isolated place, two rather good hotels. 

The only `public facility` is a telephone box that is really a remnant from the days when they were all red and they all worked.  Anyway, I took this photo which shows a different perspective of my favourite lane but which really sums it up.  Oh, by the way, if that phone ever rings, I`m not there.......

Please click on photo for larger image)

Some years ago the `Planners` thought it would be a good idea to designate certain country roads here in Kent as `Quiet Lanes.`  Trouble was, wherever you are in this part of the south east, there is always the competing noise between high speed trains and Motorways - so much for quiet then.   My photo shows what a proper job they make of quiet lanes in south Cornwall.