A week in a post

An evening outing to Harlyn Bay. More jellyfish along the tide line than you could shake a tentacle at.

The children enjoyed body-boarding but the breeze was a bit too cool and strong for me.

A cliff walk for Husband and me at Bedruthan Steps, renowned for its rock stacks.

Harbour Cove - I'm told though it's not like a cove or a harbour - an off-lead dog beach so ideal for walks and swims.

Husband, GrandDaughter2 and I took a trip to Tintagel to see the castle, allegedly the birthplace of King Arthur. It's built on an island and until recently getting to it involved going down down down steps and then going up up up steps. Now they've built a bridge, which we used to access the ruins.

There wasn't much of the castle left and it was heaving with tourists. It definitely wasn't worth the roughly £50 we paid to cross the bridge.

The views were lovely but we could have seen them for free, unlike the statue above. Gallos, representing a ghostly knight wearing a crown, was erected on the far side of the island and is only visible once you're on it. It's an 8' tall bronze sculpture by Rubin Eynon. Worth seeing but not at that price.

It wasn't until we were scrambling over the rough path that I remembered I'm not that good with heights. Especially with GrandDaughter2 skipping around and Husband trying to frighten to me. (He's liable to falls but still kept going close to the edge.)

Below the island is Merlin's cave - but that was full of water as it was high tide. But we had nice chips (GrandDaughter2) and pasties. 

Dogs are allowed on Trevone after 6 pm and we enjoyed a couple of evening swims here. Also in the nearby sea pool.

Alternatively you can take a dip in the hot tub back at the house.

A week in Cornwall

Bad stuff first. GrandDaughter1 was very poorly with a horrid throat infection and spent most of the week in bed. By the end of the week, Son-in-law and GrandSon2 were brought down. And GrandDaughter2 and I have come home with sore throats. Plus I only had two ice creams the whole week!

But apart from that, how was your holiday, Mrs Hinds?

Good. Lots of sea swimming, pasty eating, and cream tea judging.

We sampled four cream teas altogether. In reverse order, at no. 4 we had the Harbour Café. Disappointing scones and not proper jam. Didn't really expect anything better as it was in the very touristy on the harbour area. We'd just arrived, too early to get into our accommodation and we wanted to use the toilet!

There wasn't much to choose between the other three.

At no. 3, Rest-a-while café. Very good home-made scones, no complaints.

No. 2, Prideaux Place manor house. Home-made again, and excellent presentation. Sitting eating them with a view of the deer park lifted this above no. 3.

And at no. 1, Bedruthan Steps National Trust café. At first I thought the scones were going to be too hard but I found I enjoyed the contrast of the crisp outside with the soft middle. Lots of cream (all places served clotted of course), lots of jam, and a pleasant cliffside garden in which to eat.

As it was lunchtime we shared a plate of crab sandwiches and a cream tea.

And the inevitable ice cream photo:

Padstow lies on an estuary, and used to be a small fishing village, full of narrow lanes and little cottages. It gained fame when Rick Stein, a television chef, opened a restaurant here. And a chip shop. And a bistro. And probably the corner shop as well. Now it is incredibly busy.

We were six adults, five children, and two dogs, so the house we booked was quite big, the same one as last year.

It includes a hot tub and a snooker room, and it's in the grounds of an adventure park, to which we had access, so the boys spent a lot of time there. Some of us preferred to sit in the shade though.

Lots more to follow but I'll try not to bore you.

I will not buy another book

I walked resolutely past Waterstone's bookshop. I was not going in.

Ten minutes later I was back with the excuse I needed to pass 45 minutes before my haircut appointment. I'd plan to avoid the books and go straight upstairs to the café. Yes, that worked well.

I came out with a leaving-primary-school book for GrandDaughter2, a Japanese novel for me, and a small sketchbook, on the grounds that a small piece of paper is less intimidating than a large sheet. Off on holiday tomorrow so I plan - hope - to do a few sketches. Bearing in mind that I was never good at art but it sounded like fun. And it was just a beautiful simple little book.

* * * * *

A letter arrived for me this morning. In a brown envelope. On the grounds that such letters are always bring or financial I usually leave them for Husband to open because I can't be bothered but for some reason I decided I would open this one.

I wish I hadn't. 

It was to tell me I am to have my state pension reviewed. They will phone me - a call that can last up to 30 minutes - and ask me questions. I am to have to hand the documents mentioned in the letter. Except there aren't any.

I was chosen at random it says. I can't imagine what they will want to know.

* * * * *

The pool has reached a record temperature of 29.5. It's hardly refreshing any more.

Off for a few days tomorrow. Hope my plants survive.

The sweet peas have almost finished. The only left are these with dwty stems.

PYO

Strawberry and raspberry picking at a farm in Scurlage with Daughter and Daughter-in-law.

Rows of raspberries

Strawberries on raised beds.

A field of golden hay/wheat?

Don't know what the dots are

The wildflower meadow

We followed that with lunch at the Wildflower Café. A beautiful morning.

A good time was had by all

Husband asked if I'd heard from the children today.
"Yes, I had messages from Elder Son."
"They all okay?"
"I don't know. We were talking about cheese."

So, yesterday's barbecue went really well. We had lovely feedback from everyone. There was plenty of food - everyone contributed - and the only problem was the cheesecake and pavlova were gone before I had any!

A number of people didn't come because of the heat but we had people from every age group, from the youngest to oldest, and that was lovely.

The one in the middle in the green t-shirt is Jordan our pastor, with Luds (right) his wife. 

I'd planned a mini creature hunt for the children. Find the fairies, the ducks, the fairy house, the rugby-playing gnome, and the big bumblebee. 

Eli saw the bee and said, "That's not a bumblebee. Where's the bumblebee?"

Nothing I or his father said would convince him otherwise. Out of the mouths of babes!

Resigned

I have resigned from the Labour Party. I joined because I believed that being in it would give me more right to say when I thought the government was acting unwisely. 

It's true I had my say but I can have that as easily from outside the party, and the sheer lack of any sign of democratic choice for a new leader has left me frustrated. Like many others, some of whom have been Labour Party members all their lives, I've had enough. 

* * * * *

The gazebos (borrowed) are up and the water is a warm 28 degrees. The forecast is good and we're looking forward to an excellent church barbecue tomorrow.

All for one

The good thing about hosting the church barbecue is that I am incentivised to do all those garden jobs I've been meaning to do for ages. I tell you the garden has never looked so good. I might make a little film to show you - and remind myself in the future how could it can look.

I'll do that now in a minute but first let me grumble. I gained weight this week! 

I have been working hard in the garden so I have one theory: my fat has turned to muscle and is heavier. It's either that or I'm eating too much. That's the trouble with working hard: I feel entitled to eat hard as well.

We've been watching I Will Find You, the latest Harlan Coben on Netflix. We're enjoying it, and I've been gripped by it. At some point I've suspected just about everybody who appears as being guilty of something.

I had salmon on my menu plan, such as it is, for tonight but it transpires I forgot to order it.

Right, I'll go and film the garden now. Don't go away.

Okay, that didn't work as too big. Never mind. Too hot to try again.

On this day in 2008 we were in Auch, in France, where we saw a statue of D'Artagnan, the musketeer who was based on a real life musketeer born there.