Killer gulls in vegan heaven

Not an OGIL ride report
Wednesday 1st July 2020

By an amazing coincidence, nothing at all to do with Dean’s post on Facebook, a number of OGILs congregated at Union Corner on Wednesday, even including Sylvia who claimed she was substituting for Kath (?). We rode in a socially distanced formation towards the Other Place, where strangely more OGILs had arrived simultaneously at the same time. Naturally, there was a fair amount of news to talk to each other about, and it took a while to notice that nobody was thinking about a possible destination. A stern word from our illustrious leader restored order.  As the wind was from the west, a suggestion of Porthleven was not disputed, so we set off on the usual route through Porkellis, Godolphin Cross and Balwest.

Arriving at Porthleven, the place looked very quiet indeed, and despite rumours to the contrary, the Harbour View cafe was closed. Everywhere else seemed closed as well, but nevertheless we rode round the harbour and stumbled upon Clementine’s vegan cafe. What a find! – Yallah coffee and vegan treats galore: heaven. A bit pricey, but worth it. We loaded up with our takeaways and sat out on the benches next to the Roskilly’s ice cream van, which of course was closed. We all very much enjoyed our fare. Except, that is, for Phil (1) who was deprived of his brownie by a swooping gull which snatched it from his hand. Traumatised by the experience, Phil had to resort to a giant iced bun from Philps pasty shop to restore his equilibrium.

A nice leisurely interlude to eat, drink and chat, and it became apparent that the place seemed to be livening up a little. Obviously, life doesn’t start in Porthleven until well after 11. As the Roskilly’s ice cream van was showing signs of opening, we decided to vacate their seating and head back. The usual pavé section then up the hill and on to Penrose. No Strava PRs through Penrose today due to the prevalence of horses, children and dogs, but it is always a pleasant ride. As we rode past the boating lake at Helston we were shocked to see four giant swans moored in the middle of the lake, but then it is Helston.

Through the town, and I was pleased to find that I had managed to ride nearly everyone off my wheel up the hill. Of course, in reality, everyone else had stopped at the traffic lights, but for a while it felt good. On the way back a few spots of rain had those of a more cautious nature donning capes, whilst the rest of us pressed on regardless. Of course, the rain came to nothing despite ominous black clouds, and those who had caped up had to divest to ensure they didn’t overheat. As we approached the Other Place we caught up with Don, the self-proclaimed original OGIL, on his electric bike. Despite being pressed, he declined to pace us home, probably wisely.

A shortish and surprisingly dry ride, with ace refreshments. 65km for me.

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