Seven gathered at Halvasso weighbridge, destination Lamorna, weather fantastic and an easterly wind to speed us outbound, what could possibly go wrong!? We hadn’t even got to the Helston road before Steve diverted us from our smugness and announced a deflation in the road interface department, this has to be a record? Offering to remain to provide moral support, Robin prompted the remainder to push on, which we did only to be caught and overtaken in Praze.
A familiar route via Goldsithney brought us incident free to Penzance, but not to disappoint we were entertained by an out of towner suddenly doing a three pointer on the dry dock bridge, and almost wiping out Andrew (visiting friend of Sarah) who just previously had been commenting on the patience and good nature of car drivers in Cornwall!
Pressing on to Newlyn we were then directed to scale St Peter’s Hill, I’m not going to say it was steep but I did notice that the gradient sign had fallen over in defeat! Heart rate back below 200, the route then took us along Gwavas lane, a sleepy single lane tarmac track, narrowly missing a sheer drop to the quarry, twixt Newlyn and Mousehole, the proposed site of a new marina we heard from tour guide Robin.
Charlie departed the gang soon after, perhaps frustrated by the absence of flat straight roads and opportunity to drop onto his aero bars.
Quaint back roads took us through Paul (excellent name that!) to Sheffield, long considered by locals to be the defunct source of eating utensils and hence the need to improvise eating methods and the development of finger food, later called the pasty. On through Castallack to lovely Lamorna for lunch.
Queuing for fuel was slow but the brilliant sunshine and Mediterranean warmth made the wait easy, and almost encouraged a side order of something sparkling and fizzy! Ready orders were announced by personal bleepers, very high tech for such a sleepy hollow. Fish finger sandwiches seemed to be the most popular choice, although judging by Amanda’s facial expression possibly not the best. I had a Sheffield sandwich (pasty) which I shared with a scrawny robin (bird variety).
A direct route home was chosen, via Newlyn, Gulval, Crowlas and St Erth, where the ill named long slope up Steppy Downs Road led to The Smugglers Inn, where the thought of a destination watering hole prompted discussion of final routing.
Onward briskly to Leedstown where the author elected to push on ahead to try to catch the end of Falmouth vs Redruth U 11s football at Penryn school, and witnessed 2 goals at one end and a penalty at the other, result 14 – 2 to Falmouth, a close game apparently!
Participants : Robin, Phil B, Amanda, Steve, Sarah, Andrew (visiting), Charlie, Paul
67 v enjoyable miles for me.
Paul