The Adventure Unfolds!    

Our thanks to all donators.

Preparations for the Big Fun Fund Raising Day

It's hard to believe more than a week ago I put my bike into the Bridge Bike Hire lockup and took to cars again. No cycling gave me more time to spend with my Cornish family.

I helped out at my mum's fund raising (not for the Cycle Cornwall charities this time) skittle night at the Wadebridge Social Club .. We all had heaps of fun in team competition. rolling those heavy rubber balls along the bumpy wooden floors and into the ancient wooden skittles (9 of them .. ). Ten pence in the pot for every total miss, raising over seven pounds for that alone! I sat and listened in on my mum's Bridge Night (with three regular Bridge friends of hers) giggled along with them and suddenly the night become very quiet and serious when the game commenced. I trotted around Wadebridge and collected some raffle prizes very generously donated by various businesses (see our Sponsor page) to help with the Big Fund Raising day. I indulged in a delicious night out, again at the Cornish Arms for their regular Thursday Thai night, created by Ratina's using her totally authentic recipes from her home country.

 

And on Saturday I spent a wonderful afternoon up to the wrists in chocolate and coconut trying to make traditional Australian Lamingtons in preparation for the cake stall at The Cornish Arms, Pendoggett, Fund Raising Day. My decision to make Lamingtons was inspired by Felicity (sister-in-law, landlady at Cornish Arms) reminiscing on her Lamington days in Australia; the sponge base was made by my sister Tamsin Blake and all I had to do was make the chocolate icing and juggle the sticky task of coasting the squares with chocolate and coconut. They looked the real thing! Meanwhile my mum made her sister's recipe (Aunty Ber from Falmouth) for a boiled fruit cake and whipped up a chocolate cake. More on cakes below.

Sunday 14th October - The Cornish Arms, Pendoggett, Fund Raising Day

I stayed overnight Saturday at the pub to be fresh and ready to lend a hand in the morning - 70 people booked for lunch without the regulars and drop ins - that's a big day. I focused on organising raffle prizes (33 individual prizes all up) otherwise I watched Felicity and Jonney and their team rush around in preparation for the huge day ahead.

Music started at 2.00pm in a totally packed bar, standing room only if you didn't get in early, kicking off with Sue Simms who has a clear, strong true voice, singing some wonderfully traditional songs, and at one time accompanied by a friend with his bones! In the photo you will see they are shaped like bones and are played by clapping them together (vaguely like castanets) .. They are traditionally used in the Padstow May Day 'Obby 'Oss procession and have a long history in Cornwall (but I don't know enough about to tell you any more, yet). Our friend rattled these different sizes and shades in his plastic bag (a recycled one of course) as he left the pub reminding me they were his "bag of bones".

The pub was, as they say, heaving and by 3.30pm the long awaited auction got under way. Colin Davey (Station Manager at NCI Stepper Point) and his team brought along a gorgeous, 3 feet long and totally cuddly teddy and also a hand-made model ship for raffle or auction, we opted to add it to the auction. John Davis (Station Manager at NCI Boscastle) also came with a group of supporters and between them and Stepper Point they gave me a donation of just over 59 pounds for the charities, raised at their combined skittles night at Delabole.

Our auctioneer is the renowned Dennis Knight from my Cycle Cornwall adventure (Dennis and Brian drove me to Boscastle and then took my bike 'home' from Rame Head) - also an infamous character in these parts, nothing to do with the Cycle Cornwall! The pub was packed with people from Port Isaac, Wadebridge, Pendoggett, Boscastle, Padstow and many from much further afield .. And I think Dennis knew most of them, and they certainly knew him. The auction was run a bit like a battle.. Of wits. Loud, bantering, uproars of laughter .. but seriously, this hugely generous crowded pub donated a total 536 pounds for the auction alone. The NCI teddy bear and model ship? They reached 30 pounds each! Probably the most interesting item to be auctioned was No. 1 .. Blakey's Farm Bucket .. Brian Blake is a local farmer and another major character, and most of this bucket is fresh from his farm: potatoes, eggs, onions, plus surprises. These included a bottle of red wine, two tubs of Cornish clotted cream and a huge sirloin of beef for the Sunday Roast (but, not being a red meat eater, John (Sammy) Sampson, the winning bidder, opted for no beef so back into the donation pack it went!).

Another burst of singing from Sue and finally the raffle and with thanks to Kathy the Tombola ends the fund raising activities: almost 900 pounds in total.

 

We turn to music, song and.. Later, dance.

Stuart Biddick and Denzil Flew are legends in our part of the world, and the focus of everyone now pours around the keyboard and perfectly tuned Cornish Arms piano in the back bar with sing-along in full tilt. Apparently Denzil hasn't played like this for several years (due to poor health) and having him AND Stuart tonight is very special. They donated their time to the day and the two charities. There were many outstanding, impromptu solo singing performances including Denzil's wife Elaine and daughter, and a beautifully harmonised duet.

The evening drew on and Denzil and Stuart finally left, but that was no excuse for the rowdy ones to go home, lead by the Boscastle scrum, the fun continued

 

And the final song and dance, on bar stools, to the words of Sunshine Mountain.

Just when I thought I could stop singing and dancing and relax my brothers Dean (who arrived later in the day from Daventry) and Jonney and Felicity announce they have something for me. You will see my dear family have well and truly marked my Cycle Cornwall adventures in a way I will always treasure. It's a sculpture that immediately made me feel the essence of my journey: I was cycling mostly on my own but never alone. Through my journey I've had tireless help and enthusiastic support from my family and friends (from near and very far), and from sponsors and donators everywhere. I had a warm welcome wherever I cycled and I made many new friends. To me the family's sculpture to mark the big adventure shows the effort of everyone pushing those peddles along behind me, in tandem! And I had my brother Graham with me.

FUNDS RAISED

The Cornish Arms Fund Raising Day achieved almost 900 pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support and our Cornish National Coastwatch Institution lookouts.