Parkruns are the best!

Fowey is such a friendly place, that we often find ourselves socialising most nights of the week. Dino feared all this hobnobbing could affect his waistline and he would not cut such a fine figure in his speedos this summer. We needed to burn off all those excess calories... Parkrun was the answer.

Most Saturday mornings, regardless of the weather, we drive out to the most beautiful of settings, the Lanhydrock Estate and run our local Parkrun. It is a 5 km run, that is held all over the UK, at 9am, sharp! 

We are lucky enough to run through the spectacular grounds of the national trust house, it is a magnificent late Victorian country home, with over 890 acres of wooded land. 

 We also just happen to have, the BESTEST Parkrun Team EVER! The organizers are ALL so chirpy and happy and positive, and just a delight to be around. 

There is my Dino, on the far left, speeding for speedos!

Once you start running each Saturday, you cannot stop. We are always keen to better our time, from the previous week, it is quite difficult, however when a PB is attained (that is, a Personal Best for all you novices ) you feel just so "special" for rest of the weekend.
Maybe we will see you there.

All good things must end

Sculpture of the Month - Max the Multitasker

Max the Multitaker is very talented, he has always been able to do many tasks at once. Max works as our local ferry driver, along the Fowey River,. He acts as the skipper, ticket collector, mechanic, and maintenance man. Whilst a student, he managed to write, direct, act and paint the set, of the school play, for 5 years in a row. Max is  an accomplished all rounder at the game of cricket - he bowls, bats keeps wicket and fields with equal ease.
He also delights in entertaining the children at the local hospital, so he puts on a clown outfit, gets in his unicycle, finds his friend - Monkey, brings along his props... and off he goes!
He is wonderful.

Painting of the Month - Encore !

This is Victor the violinist, he loves all things Cornish. 
He grew up in a little village called Par, in a good Cornish musical family, he was the youngest, in a family of 9 brothers and sisters... Richard, Beryl, Jan, Clive, Josephine, Rosalinda, Charlie and Ross.
Victor loves the colour red, he only eats butterscotch flavoured ice cream and he listens to Fleetwood Mac whenever he can (did you know that, Mike Fleetwood, the drummer, he was born in Redruth)
Victor has just completed his tour through Cornwall, last night was his final performance and what a great reception he received at the Par Parish Hall! 
The crowd were just so thrilled, they threw red roses on stage, had tubs of ice cream waiting for him in his dressing room and called out "Encore Encore Encore!"
Victor was truly touched.
                  

Quiz nights, with good ol' Graham and Carol

If it's Tuesday night, it must be QUIZ NIGHT at the Safe Harbour Pub! Thanks to the super Landlords Graham and Carol, the place is bustling, so one needs to get in early, to get the best tables.
It's a bit of a hike up the hill (I like to call it the mountain) but it's worth it.

Our quiz team name is THE SPONGE HEADS, Dino says that his brain is like a small sponge, that has become completely saturated. He has not been able to absorb or retain any new knowledge that he's acquired since the mid 1980's.
His field of expertise is the life and times of Bjorn Borg, gondola questions and space shuttle crashes.
Needless to say, he's not much help at the table, but he's pretty enthusiastic, plus he buys the drinks. 
It all kicks off at about nine o'clock at the Safe. The pens NEVER work well and people are forever chatting when Graham is reading out the questions, but we keep coming back for more.
We know we don't stand a chance, Dino has finally realised that the questions are culturally biased... "Why don't they ever ask about Italian wines?"

So come and see my little half Italian, as he waits keenly for the question "Who was Wimbledon champion from 1976 to 1980 ?" to be asked.

Sculpture of the Month - She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not...

Roger is quite the romantic... he dreams of long walks on the beach, candle lit dinners and rooms filled with fresh flowers, he is quite tender and sweet.

Each day, on his way to work, he stops in at his local coffee shop "Brown Sugar", and orders a macchiato (a double espresso with a splash of milk)  from the lovely Bianca. 

According to Roger, she is the most beautiful woman in the world. 

He has for many years loved her from afar... She is 20 something, studying 18th century Russian poets and likes nothing more, than snuggling up in front of a roaring fire. 

However, our Roger is ever so shy and timid, he just cannot bring himself to ask he out. Instead, he will walk along the coastal path, pick himself some daisy's and say to himself over and over and over again... "She loves, she loves me not!"

We LOVED being beaters!

Dino and I were invited to take part in our first ever shoot! We were the beaters (not the shooters).

Oh the thrill of being a beater (flushing out unsuspecting pheasants into clouds of gunpowder and lead pellets) it is not for all folks, one needs to be light on their feet, fast and stealth like, quite skillful if you ask me (and not mind the odd bird getting shot).
Our fellow flushers, came with their highly trained Springer Spaniels, it was truly a delightful to see them, doing what they do best...  

Our fellow flushers

We have some delightful friends just outside Fowey, who raise pheasants. Happy, plump, and well fed pheasants. They roam freely all year round and come the colder months, the season begins. 

The day started off cold, misty and wet, but we were not frightened by this. We had all the gear, and off we went. There were 4 drives in total, 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. WHAT is a drive? Well, it involves, beating or making some noise in the undergrowth and directing the birds to where the shooters are. We stopped for a gloriously British lunch.... a scrumptiously scolding hot Stilton soup, followed by a venison stew and some warm pudding, all washed down with some local cider and ale. 
When the day was over, and the feathers cleared, Mr Sunshine appeared. We all had a brace of birds each, a brace is made up of 2 birds, normally a male and female, tied together. We loved the whole pageantry of the occasion... the estate, our hosts, the shooters, the clothing, the long lunch and most importantly, our fellow beaters and their tremendously enthusiastic dogs.

We enjoyed another day, steeped in Cornish tradition (if you like killing birds)

Brace yourself

Painting of the Month - They have come to see me bat, not you umpire! W.G.Grace

William Gilbert Grace, also known as W. G. Grace, a man of many talents.
Born in 1848, he was an English first class cricketer, an outstanding all rounder, he excelled at all the essential skills of batting, bowling and fielding, but it is for his batting that he is most renowned.
What a real man, most would say.
He also qualified as a medical practitioner and he was also a champion 44-yard hurdler, a footballer, he loved playing golf, lawn bowls and curling.
What a real man, most would say.
He was an extremely competitive player and, although he was one of the most famous men in England, he was also one of the most controversial on account of his gamesmanship and moneymaking.
What a real man, most would say.
He also loved poetry, collecting and pressing autumn leaves and adored baking frangipane tarts.
What a real man, most would say.
However, don't be fooled, he LOVED being the centre of attention, a bit of a prima donna, a diva...
On once being given out LBW, Grace is rumoured to have said: "Play on. They came to see me bat, not you umpire." 
 What a real man, most would say.