Early start to the day today as at 1am Ronnie and MBW share their live location with as as they zone in on Trevedra Farm, I then share ours with them so they can find their way to our pitch.
Beastie has slept all the way down, but woke when being carried in. MBW tried to put her straight down but Beastie was having none of it, so we sit up for half an hour or so until Ronnie has made a warm bottle for her. They move into the back bedroom, Herself moves up front with the dogs and I am relegated to the sleeping annex out in the awning.
This part of the blog will take a slightly different format to the usual. Our days were filled with Beastie things. A lot of time was spent playing with her, making dens in the annex, playing in her camper, awning baths, taking her for bike rides, in between her feeding her face and naps.
We did this stuff over and over and I'll not bore you with the daily routine every day. We did go out every day, our departure usually timed after her bike ride and just in time for her late morning nap.
Evenings were spent enjoying the fantastic sunsets over the site and setting up a projector in the awning for movie nights.
Today we took her to see the donkeys at the Flicka Foundation in Penryn, a charity donkey sanctuary. Not as commercial or clued up as the ones in Devon, but a place with its own charm none the less.
Herself and MBW are both into donkeys, and to be fair, once Beastie got into the swing of it she got well into patting and admiring the rescued beasts.
Sunday 1 September
The site is starting to thin out a bit today with the schools going back next week. A relaxed morning is followed by a spin into Penzance to attend Paws on the Prom. We have a Dogggie Day Out back home, but suffice to say the event the Burns put on at Pembrey is on a different scale altogether than this one.
It didn't hold our attention for long, but I did have a go at the agility with Gwen, and to be fair, considering it was the first time she'd been confronted with something like this, I thought she gave it a pretty good go.
From there it was just a short hope in Toyah over to Long Rock beach for an afternoon of building sand castles and paddling in the shallows.
Monday 2 September
A lot of time was spent running the legs off the dogs in the stunning field over Sennen looking up towards Cape Cornwall before making the short hop over to Lands End.
I'm on dog holding duties while Herself, Ronnie, MBW and Beastie do the attractions.
I didn't mind and sat on a bench watching a load of nutters emerge from the cliff face. I can only assume that the lack of screams and a splash means they got their knots right!
When they're done I take Beastie over to the play park so she can burn off some energy.
Tuesday 3 September
Over breakfast MBW says she'd like to go to St Ives, so with dishes cleared we're on our way. We don't fancy trying to take the 4 dogs onto the park and ride, so it was decided that I'd drop them all off outside The Tate then park up at the rugby club jumping on the bus myself to meet them.
Bonus though, as we approach we spot a vacant space in the car park overlooking the beach, so that drama is avoided.
We walk over to the town, popping in and out of shops as we make progress before bullying out way onto a bench for some drinks and a good old session of people watching, and of course ice creams.
Back on site out tea comes off the Weber before we drop down into the cove for an evening stroll, and of course a drink at The Old Success. This place!!!!!
We're amused by a bloke who has two springer spaniels on a leash and he has no control over them what so ever. Where ever they wanted to go they went dragging him along for the ride.
Wednesday 4 September
Once again I wake to a great sunrise from my pillow. This place has the ability to make you glad to be alive, and wanting to get up and at em!
Herself and I are left to our own devices today as Ronnie, MBW and Beastie have plans to take a spin up country to Newquay, where they enjoyed a day of visiting the Sea Life Centre there before spending some time on the beach to wear Beastie out for the journey back to site.
My day was filled with taking Toyah over to Newlyn Tyres to have a pair of new boots fitted (ouch) before Herself and I gave the van a bit of a tidy and scrub up. Tea was waiting for the trio on their return and we spent the evening back in Penzance in the arcade.
Thursday 5 September
A breezy but fine day and after breakfast we went back down to Lands End for a cheap start to the day. Car park returns are free within 7 days of your first paying visit and we still had unused tickets for Greeb Farm down there.
I'm on dog holding duties on a bench outside just soaking up the views, while the other 4 take their time walking around the attraction making friends with the animals.
An afternoon is spent back on site chilling while Beastie played in her paddling pool as we wait on a phone call or message from Roids and TF.
They have been on holiday in Zante and are flying back today, coming straight from the airport to collect Gwen.
After they've cleared customs we get a message and set off up country, both sharing our location live on messenger and eventually meet up at The Fox and Grapes in Lifton near Devon / Cornwall border. We've struck gold here. It has a lovely beer garden, they serve food and have a great play area for Beastie to rompse.
Friday 6 September
Crap day today, weather wise, so much of the morning is spent Googling something to do inside. After much discussion it is decided to head for Paradise Park near Hayle. The place is primarily a wild life park specialising in exotic birds and animals.
We had a great afternoon dodging the showers and Beastie managed to get up close and personal to a baby penguin.
Bonus here is that it had a huge indoor play / adventure area, and Beastie (as well as us) has a whale of a time on the slides, in the ball pit and on the obstacle courses.
Back on site it has started to clear up a bit, and while I'm outside cooking tea on the Weber I'm treated to the sight of small aircraft flying low overhead approaching the airport.
Saturday 7 September
Weather much improved today, so some time on the beach is planned. Armed with a plethora of buckets and spades Ronnie, MBW, myself and Beastie set about constructing a fairy tale castle, a seat and a boat in the sand down in Sennen Harbour beach.
It was lovely and warm in the sunshine, sheltered from the wind by the sea wall.
Herself had her work cut out on dog holding duty.
Ronnie and MBW want to look around a few boutique shops so we head to Porth Leven. Herself and I take a bench overlooking the harbour and watch the world go by while the others do their stuff. Once done we walk over the other side to have drink outside The Ship Inn before returning via the stocks where Beastie and I take a seat and wave to the WWW watching on the live web cam.
It is too late for us to be bothered with cooking this evening so a treat is agreed and we head off over to The Lands End Hotel for a bar meal, which Ronnie and MBW insisted was on them, and drinks before returning back to site late on for a movie night in the awning with Beastie cwtching up to Herself as she dropped off into the land of nod.
Sunday 8 September
Another glorious sun rise and a fine day in store. First off we go back to Lands End for Ronnie, MBW and Beastie to get an official photograph at the sign post.
Beastie gets to play in the park and I totally forget a few essential facts before foolishly jumping off one of the apparatus. Firstly I forgot that I am the wrong side of 50 years of age. Secondly I forgot That I am the wrong side of 20 stone. And thirdly I forgot to estimate correctly the height from which I was about to jump (5 1/2 foot). The result was not pretty.
Once recovered we make tracks up country to Newquay. We don't get there until mid afternoon and parking is surprisingly easy. We make our way through the town darting in and out of shops. MBW is bad influence, but I score a huge slice of sticky toffee sponge to take back to the van that has probably got enough sugar in it to put me in a coma!
I'm amused by an old hearse parked up with slogans written on it. I have a dark sense of humor, but it seems I'm not the only one. I posted the picture on the book and got a reply from a friend who tragically lost his partner when on holiday last summer. Nice to see that even in the darkest tragedy some can still retain a sense of humor.
We're all hungry so waiting to get back to the van for food is out of the question. A trip over to Bowgies for food and a slurp it is then.
Monday 9 September
A damp start to the day today, and when I take the dogs over to our usual early morning spot I can't even see Cape Cornwall up the coat, let alone admire the view.
It starts to clear up, and as MBW want to pick up some gifts it is decided that the best place would be Perranporth. We find a parking spot somewhat easier than when Herself and I came up here last week (or was it the week before? Losing track of time here). We have no interest in the shops so volunteer to look after Jax while they browse the shops at their leisure.
We have an ulterior motive though, and as Ronnie has volunteered to be "Des" we take full advantage of the situation and adjourn to the nearby Steiners Arms where Herself and I set about growing old disgracefully by spending the afternoon quaffing pints of Rattler and G&Ts,
By the time they join us we've hardly a leg under us and after the short hop up to Healey's I'm more than ready to visit the little boy's room.
We're on the look out for a pub serving food on the way back, but get all the way to Penzance before abandoning Toyah and luckily grabbing a free table at The Pirate Arms just before the Scillonian docks.
The decision is made over dinner that Ronnie & Co will drive home tonight after Beastie goes to sleep rather than have an unpleasant journey tomorrow with a wide awake and unhappy Beastie strapped into her seat.
With tears in our eyes and a lump in our throats we are waving them off at about 9.30pm as they set off for home. It's been a real pleasure to have them down here for an extended period of time.
Tuesday 10 September
It blew a bit last night, but the rain has stopped, and we wake to blue skies, dry ground and more importantly a bone dry awning.
No time is wasted in breaking camp and loading Toyah up for the long tow home later on today.
Herself wants to pick up some gifts so we make tracks over to Marazion. The gift shops didn't have what she wanted, but the trip was not wasted as we enjoyed a superb lunch on the terrace of the Godolphin Arms with a view over to the mount.
Back on site we complete breaking camp and are hitched up and off by 5pm.
The tow home, while uneventful, was not straight forward. We hit a wall of tail lights on the A30 and we sere stop start as we crawled back up country, taking 2 hours to complete the first 35 miles!
As we approach Brizzle we are greeted with signs that the Second Severn Crossing is closed (I refuse to refer to it by its new name) and we face a 15 detour onto the old bridge via Chepstow.
It is 11.30pm by the time we've completed the 281 mile tow, broken only by a pee stop at Taunton, and by the time we've pulled up outside "Home is where you drag it" Towers I'm knackered and in a bit of a mess.
It's been a fantastic break again down at Trevedra. The place never fails to deliver. We'll be back again next year without doubt.
