Wednesday 8^th March 2018

We awoke after a great nights sleep, warm as toast to brilliant sunshine and a cloudless sky. Breakfast was a simple affair, Weetabix with mixed fresh fruit. We were on our way by 1100hrs.

Jackie plotted a course for Trewortha and we immediately set off cross country. Well if I thought that was narrow, the last few miles to Dave’s house was super tight. We had followed his directions, the signage was also correct, we stopped, checked the map, yes that was right. Despite this we, I, had taken the ‘wrong’ turning. “Sorry” said Dave when we told him of our route in “Even I don’t go that way, it’s too narrow.” “Tell us about it” we chorused. “I wouldn’t have taken a Landrover down there. Thank goodness no one was coming in the opposite direction”. “Yes, I should have said the second turning”.

Dave introduced us to Pie the rabbit. ‘Chuckle’. Great sense of humour Dave, although Chloe his daughter had named it. It was still a brilliant day and we debated about coffee on the terrace or in the kitchen. The kitchen won. “ I have a new coffee percolator”.  said Dave with a grin on his face. The reference was to his and my attempt at making coffee in Sweden using a Kelly kettle or type thereof. Don’t  know what a Kelly  kettle is? Look it up. On that occasion it had taken ‘hours’ and he and  by association I, were the butt of many jokes for a few days.

Dave had suggested at our last camp in January that Les and I might wish to come and work on his land clearing away scrub and trees and generally tidying up the area. To this end Les and I had put three days aside later this month. I was keen on a recce and Dave was only to pleased to show the area in question. We walked the short distance to the wood and had a tour around. Dave outlined his plans for the future. Coppicing here, new hedge line there, planting Silver Birch and the construction of the all so important ‘Man Cave’. Now this would not be a cave but a wooden cabin constructed from local cut timber and packing/pallets. It was still an exciting challenge. Uncertain as to whether Les and I could live out of our vans nearby or whether we would pitch a tarp for the three days I made a mental note of the pros and cons and decided to speak to Les at Wednesday’s canoe session or Breakfast meet. The Met dictates both. Good weather we go canoeing. Bad, we go for breakfast. Last Wednesday we set out in good weather to The Holland Inn Hatt for breakfast but by the time we had finished we were all but snowed in!

Dave insisted upon giving us lunch and the afternoon started to run away. Still it was very pleasant. Chatting about, Munroes and Wainwrights, the Alps, Pyrenees etc. It was time to take our leave as Dave was away to collect Chloe from school. We agreed that we would meet up tomorrow about 1100hrs Dave would collect us and drive to Falmouth and we would take lunch at Tim’s Resto, The Provedore. Thus we drove off and soon found ourselves at Treloan Farm where we were directed to a lovely pitch overlooking the sea, Plymouth headland miles away in the distance, and thankfully a gravel hardstanding. Most of the ground we had walked over on our site recce with Peter the site owner was soft underfoot. Dave, in an earlier chat about his new all electric ‘Wind’ had been discussing tyres and suggested we might want to investigate a different tread pattern. This we might well do.