The Adventure Unfolds!    

On Friday the 28th of September Lesley began a 10 day cycle trip of some 375kilometres (233 miles) along the entire coast of Cornwall.  She stopped to say hello to the watch keepers at each NCI station along the way.  As well as all the pedaling, she had to navigate and take photos and then each night she wrote up her diary and sent it with the best of the pictures to be uploaded onto these pages.  Its a remarkable story!

Our thanks to all donators.

A good hearty start to the day with cooked breakfast, bacon and eggs a la Geoff .. Toast and excellent coffee a la Sheila. I'm really spoilt . A quick photo stop at the front of the house before leaving for the mostly downhill run to NCI St Ives,

 

I follow Geoff and Sheila in the car (there is most certainly concern from some people with my navigation skills) into the main harbour and stop for a photo outside the Sloop Inn a favourite pub hereabouts .. At one stage the local plumber had his own beer pump plumbed into the bar, ie, he could pull his pint any time he wanted! Lot's of lovely stories about the characters in St Ives. A fully happy and vibrant community.

And this vibrant and happy group greet me at the lookout NCI St Ives is in sharp contrast to the previous lookout stations: you can drive right up to it, you can see it from almost anywhere in St Ives, people therefore love to call in and DONATE. There is easy access to mains electricity, telephone and even sewerage system!!

Excellent equipment including the recently installed, three webcams and Davis weather station all online via the St Ives website. I give these a close inspection and am extremely impressed .. And I know Stewart (webmaster and other half) will be too given his own webcam and weather station struggles! Note the Danger sign on the rain bucket for the weather station, Geoff's idea to help repel potential jokers or vandals who may have ideas about sabotage.

There are a few legendary incidents that involved NCI St Ives, the Green Glory and the Big Yellow… and Ian Ross was involved with both (with us today and no incidents while I was there!). The Green Gory, a 12,000 ton vessel in gale force winds dragging her anchor and heading for East Carracks Rocks and engine problems - Alerted all emergency services and continued monitoring to assist until engines started and held - thanked NCI St Ives for their assistance. And the Big Yellow pleasure boat virtual broke into two with twelve people on board - not really seaworthy .. Again all lives saved.

Time to say goodbye and on to Cape Cornwall for the afternoon, a short and uneventful ride except the quite hilarious sound of my bike with the wobbly wheel. I worked out overnight what must have caused the problem .. Taking some wonderful photos along the Downs, 3 miles or so before Hayle I pulled the bike up from lying on it's side (as there was no stand to leave it upright) and the rear wheel caught in my leg but I kept pulling .. So I think the wheel buckled at that point. So the sound is something like gr gr gr gr ... When I'm going slowly and then gr gr gr gr gr when I'm whizzing along. This makes it very obvious when I'm struggling! And I certainly see a few people look at me strangely as I go by!

Cape Cornwall is all down hill from St Just and with my front brake only I'm very cautious and arrive safely at the car park where I'm greeted by Sue who asks if I'm Lesley .. Yes, how lovely. And then Annie and Cliff along with Polly (their dog) arrive. Again a wonderful happy meeting. I leave my bike tethered to the car park office alongside Sue's. It turns out that Sue and her husband used to own the Central Cycle shop in Penzance that I will be heading for tomorrow to have my bike repaired. What a coincidence.

NCI CC is back to the traditional challenging access of Stepper Point and Boscastle although they do have mains most things. As Annie told me, there is rugged track around the waters edge and then 80 steps (also rugged) steeply up to the lookout where Bill Waite greets me. Bill met my late brother Graham for the first time in Sydney, Australia, so this is a special reunion. We are joined by Alan and Chris and quite a few visitors, who don't need much encouragement to make donations as the entrepreneurial and creative team at NCI CC have a craft shop on the side. There are bookmarks, calendars, booklets and all sorts of high quality gifts made by them and for sale. More on this later.

I missed seeing Christine Bishop, Station Manager, at the lookout as sadly she had to attend a funeral but that evening she joins us, in NCI uniform too, at the Wellington. We have John, (Mum) her friend Chris hiding in this photo, Christine, Bill and his wife Carole, and nearest the camera is Alan and Chris (yet another) ..

Last word on the Wellington and St Just before I sign off. I booked B&B at St Just recommended by The Star Inn (that has no accommodation) right next door. Arriving in St Just I see there are pubs galore including the Commercial, the Miners, the Kings Arms and the Wellington Hotel, and probably more. I am not able to use the telephone line at the B&B and so potter on recommendation to the Library but no way can they help (plus I need connection late in evening). As we plan to eat the Wellington I ask there if I can use the telephone line .. And they couldn't have been more helpful although they didn't know how I could possibly do make it work (using their telephone system).

 

Leave St Just before my B&B could cook breakfast for me! I was looking forward to "full English breakfast" which my mum and her friend Chris had ordered, but because I leave at 8.00am which is the time they start breakfast.. None for Lesley. But I do have a very nice piece of toast and cereal to set me on my way for another day of cycling.

Christine from NCI Cape Cornwall last night tried to give good advice on how to find Gwennap Head and in the back of my mind I remembered her saying something about a duck pond. But I set off having forgotten this knowing I needed to head for Sennen (famous lifeboat station) and on to Porthgwarra. As I get closer I still have seen no sign for Porthgwarra .. Have I missed the turning?

 

My nerve runs out and I wave down a taxi (conveniently coming along these extremely quiet roads) and ask. I say I haven't seen any signs to Porthgwarra .. "No" .. As if to say, you wouldn't. Go around the corner and you will see a duck pond, don't go around the bend to the left but turn off to the right. The duck pond, if only I was paying attention to Christine!

I wind my way into this wildlife heaven and exquisite beach, quite hidden away. NCI Gwennap Head is on the St Auburn Estate and is generously supported by them. This lookout is one that I could find on Google Earth with it's distinctive building, and the long windy road into it now takes shape again. I'm greeted by Bill Watts (Station Manager) at the car park who kindly offers to pop the bike into the back and give me a lift up the trick track to the lookout! Joking of course - but you can drive your car right to the front door of Gwennap, a sharp contrast to most.

There are many visitors here despite being hard to find, mostly walkers and bird watchers. This is a large and well equipped lookout. Brett Farmer on duty today shows a log of: Dolphins x 10, 1/4 mile out; Porpoises, basking sharks x 15+; minke whale x 1.. All in one day.

This area is also well known for the amazing rock formations and some famous rock climbing sites like The Chair Ladder directly beneath the lookout. You can see why Princess Ann would have chosen to visit this station, in 2003, and very knowledgeable and charming she was, says Bill.

 

Brett tells to make sure I get some home-made cake before I leave the car park, which I do along with the purchase of a book by Jean Lawman, a local, on A Natural History of Land's End. The book details plants, birds, butterflies, mammals and describes the environmental influences of geography, geology and weather on the region.

This is for me to read on my flight back to Australia.

Time to cycle again, on to Penzance .. Brett and Bill suggested I take a slightly different route to my Ernie map, cutting up through St Buryan on the B3283. Looks good. Off I go .. But before I know it I'm in Sennen again (Bill and Brett and Ernie will all be shocked at how I could do this) .. I passed the right-hand turning that I should have taken many miles ago. I now have to cycle a circular path all the way back to St Buryan, probably 4 miles more than either of the suggested routes!

 

Finally I arrive, early and visit NCI Penzance which I know from when my late brother's website and weather station pilot, Weather Watch Cornwall, was started here.

A warm greeting from Stephen Phillips, seriously good camera in hand with tripod. John Hicks (Station Manager), Joyce his wife (on watch) and Marilyn all join the group photo.

Then up the familiar steep steps into the lookout .. Not very spacious but definitely cosy, and with tea and coffee-making (but if I remember rightly, dependent on someone bring the water in as there is no running water here). A beautiful cup of tea, strong with a dash of milk Cornish style, is very welcome.

 

This lookout is tucked away from sight and receives virtually no visitors .. Donations are sorely needed. It sits above the main road into Penzance, in front of the Coastguard Station on Ministry of Defence land. There is no radar .. No need because of the location and task being limited to the outer harbour (no commercial shipping) and anyway, there is a row of houses peaking up in front of the Lookout and they would not appreciate no TV reception

!I say farewell with my usual tiny gift, the mark that Lesley was here on the From Down Under Cycle Cornwall for Charity adventure .. An Australian flag with koala!! John graciously accepts it (Marilyn hiding in background) but won't guarantee it will be in a very prominent position after the weekend's Rugby World Cup outcome. I've had this sort of message from most of our Lookouts!Penzance is the most frequently visited Lookout on my trip, I cycled away forgetting by jacket. Later I return to leave my flag and bear for Bill Watts, NCI Gwennap Head, as I stupidly forgot to leave that one behind, sorry Bill.

Now at last to repair my wobbly wheel. What a relief to find Simon, my contact at the Cycle Centre, expecting me for the wheel replacement. Simon Bond, is a champion BMX race rider, five times Cornish champion, twice South West Champion and once British Champion .. Sponsored by the Cycle Centre. My bike is quickly fixed and I'm on my way at last with a quiet bike again with back brakes too!

 

Alan and Sallie at Chiverton House B&B couldn't have been more helpful trying to get me connected to send off my diary, which we finally did at around 11.00pm (for Day 5). I was so impressed they have WiFi and connected with no problems but couldn't send email (receive and web no problem) but finally Sallie strung a long telecoms line from their home into the B&B! All went .. My thanks to both Alan and Sallie for a great night and fabulous breakfast before taking off for The Lizard with my immaculate bike.

Thank goodness Jonney and Felicity (brother and sister-in-law) are going to meet for lunch and come with me to the Lookout. The journey from Penzance (leaving around 9.20am) is very monotonous as it's mostly main roads with cars and trucks flying past at scary speed and often just about scraping my pedal. One tractor with massive trailer behind wasn't going to slow down (I could hear him coming up behind me from a long way off) despite oncoming traffic and I ended up stopping and leaning into the hedge to avoid the trailer taking me out! The only real fright on the trip, so far. Later in the day, returning from Bass Point I had a similar experience on the narrow exit road from The Lizard but this was more manageable .. I heard an extraordinary noise which turned out to be two massive red/orange fire trucks (maybe amphibious vehicles?) with Royal Navy Fire & Rescue written across them.. Again I pulled over into the hedge and they gave me a very jolly hoot (never heard a sound like it before) each one as they went by

The area around Helstone (I go through this town twice as it's central to my route) is dominated by RNAS Coldrose and the airfield and not far off is the Goonhilly satellite earth station (apparently the largest in the world) at Goonhilly Downs. Many of the unusually large amount of houses I see as I cycle into The Lizard are supporting these 'industries'. The ride is mostly relatively flat, a few steep hills but nothing like the north coast into Newquay and down to St Ives. I can really press on and arrive at The Lizard way ahead of schedule to meet Jonney and Felicity (I'm there mid-day). This is a small tourist centre (more than other places I've visited) being the most southerly point in the British Isles. The beauty of the area is the coves, caves and reefs (extremely hazardous for boating of any size) and wildlife. Lot's of folklore about hidden treasures in the caves here due to wrecks, accidental or on purpose as history says there were deliberate 'wreckers' around luring ships onto the rocks with false signals. The Marconi Memorial is nearby marking one terminal of the first transatlantic wireless transmission in 1901.

I had excellent instructions to find the Bass Point Lookout, almost a page in email from Treve Harris (Station Manager). The starting point from The Lizard town is through a farm, straight into an "unmade and potholed" (to quote Treve) lane about half a mile to the NCI reserved space.. A rough ride where I worried about a punctured tyre but all OK. With two extremely interesting looking 'buildings' visible from the car park Felicity was keen to set off for the Lizard Lighthouse blinking away at us..

Then perhaps the striking Signal Station ..

 

No, the lookout is tucked around the corner of the cliff along a narrow path, perched on the edge of the cliff, not suitable to take the bike.

As we approach the lookout we see Malcolm Stewart (on watch) standing on the 'deck' welcoming us up. Malcolm has been with the station since opening and Bass Point was the first of the NCI stations to open back in 1994. It looks like it needs a good coat of paint (they're not alone there) - and have been waiting for the promised maintenance man to show up for ages .. It will be done 'dreckly' is the expression around Cornwall.

Coming and going inside the lookout is interesting, it's vaguely similar to Penzance in that it has steep steps to get to the lookout deck, but really it's more a ladder than steps.

And as Jonney and Felicity climb down to leave we welcome Peter Sandford who comes to welcome me also (I was early) and Treve.

Bass Point is well equipped and Malcolm walks us through every device at their finger tips, similar to other stations who need to track commercial shipping - including AIS (Automatic Identification System) which links with the radar. What I'm really taken with are the massive brass-looking power binoculars named Eagle Eyes (20 mile range) mounted on a tripod of equal power. Apparently they are from a Russian Destroyer.. Purchased in a second-hand shop for a massive 1500 pounds but excellent value. As I'm looking through these amazing lenses I can't believe how fast the current runs .. "Yes, five knots" says Treve.

Bass Point waters are extremely busy with local fishing boats through to international commercial shipping who sometimes try to take a 'short cut' around the point to get into the English Channel more quickly and/or save on fuel. A key role taken on by NCI Bass Point is looking out for the local fishermen. Every day the local boats are recorded and positions tracked through the day. If there is any concern that a large commercial ship is nearby (and unlikely to see the relatively tiny fishing boat) NCI help communicate their location.

After a really perfect cup of tea (from the dedicated and totally organised Galley) and biscuit I head off for the next stage of cycling which is a bit daunting as I'm on my own, on these busy (angry feeling) main roads through to Falmouth around 20 miles (32 kms). An event still to come .. Another bike problem.

Cycling furiously down a hill and getting into the third position, as my MP3 trainer told me, ie, standing up to put serious effort into the uphill rise, an almighty crash and crunch along with the bike coming to a standstill was a huge shock. I imagined major gear breakage, major flat tyres.. But it was the pannier bag on the right-hand side dropping onto the spokes of the rear wheel. All the rest of the journey (most of it) was with a worrying scraping noise - checked many times to see what it might be but I could only imagine it was the mudguard. Treve passed me at some stage during this period along the road he is waiting to check on whether I'm OK .. Thanks Treve .. There was nothing too much to worry about.

On arrival at last and safely with my Aunty Ber Denley in Falmouth (greeting me with my mum alongside), at around 5.30pm (left The Lizard 3.15pm), she asks Ernie next door to have a look. He tweaks the mudguard and all is well!! My hero, and a generous donator of cash to the charities also.