Go West - Again

After the resounding success of a previous Cornish visit it was time to return to see a few different parts of this wonderful county. The option of driving just didn't appeal so it was time for the overnight sleeper again from London and this time without my five other thirsty friends I would be getting the benefit of the bed rather than the lounge bar. As luck would have it the weather was on our side and whilst you kid yourself it doesn't really matter when it's getting dark around 1800 and any heat out of the sun had long since gone just after mid-day you would take any dry day as a bonus.

This weekend break of three night would be across three different locations, obviously you couldn't stay all three nights on the train but as people know me I do tend to jump across a lot of places in a reasonably short space of time, so this weekend a two centre West Cornwall stay was on the cards . First up was St Ives a place were I spent many a happy childhood holiday and with the added rail trip bonus of one of the most scenic train journeys in the world. - Sit on the right towards St Ives for some stunning views.

Even at this time of the year (End of Sept/Oct) accommodation particularly for a single weekend night was at a premium - both cost and availability but a little research and I think I had cracked it. Good reviews and a nice 10 min walk into town and a short distance from the train station, all looked great.

A few days earlier when checking my bank balance online - essential before any weekend away although sometimes you don't really want to check after though, I noticed an unusual debit to the Christian Guild, I didn't pay this much attention at the time but all started to click into place when waiting to check in , the noticeboard for Hotel Events were all of a religious nature, I bought the average age down by about 20 years and there were more chairlifts than I had seen at a ski resort but the Hotel staff were lovely and the guests seems friendly enough but I didn't fancy being enrolled into their cult later that evening. We had a great day on the beach and St Ives as an evening resort is a different class compared to years ago with many decent bars and eating places. Just a short walk back and said goodnight to those still up in the communal living area transfixed and in a coma-like trance ... watching Strictly come Dancing before scooting upstairs and firmly bolting the bedroom door.

Sunday morning up bright an early and Breakfast good and uneventful aside from some chap had six fried eggs just by themselves and cutting each one in the same shape - I got my coat and legged it for the bus into Penzance.

Penzance is largest town this far west but like so many other coastal towns it's a pale shadow of it's former glory, it's the gateway for many to the Isles of Scilly and does have that end of the line atmosphere to it with a lot of shoppers now just hitting the ubiquitous, soulless , identikit out of town retail parks leaving the high street to cling onto Poundshops, Bookies , Charity shops and of course Spoons. We had another hour to kill before our next bus (who said I was just a train anorak), as it happens an hour was plenty but we did our bit of the local shops without carting too much stuff around. The 45 Minute journey on a double decker gave some great views before arriving at the now heavily commercialised Lands End and time for the customary - chargeable although very reasonably signpost picture.

Serious hazards with the winds and slippery paths an even a warning about the chance of some seventy year bloke appearing and starting to sing some cheesy songs

Tonight though was time for Last Night at the Proms but none of that fancy Royal Albert Hall stuff the venue was a real cauldron of music - the Minack Theatre an open-air arena, exposed to the elements and constructed above a gully with a rocky granite outcrop jutting into the sea (minack from Cornish meynek means a stony or rocky place).

It's pot luck here with the weather but tonight the wind was calm but would be seriously cold later and with a full house in place there would be a great atmosphere, people queued for several hours to bag the best seats (it's a free for all basically). Most people had hampers that wouldn't look out of place at Royal Ascot or Lords with an amble supply of drinks although beer is not the preferred choice here - why you ask? , well the route to the toilets is not an easy one and for some people a Sherpa is required so it's wine or a hip flask or two.

It was a great evening and music superb, the company put on about 20 events a year of all sorts of different choice, I've seen Evita here and the Owl and the Pussycat!.

The nearest Village is Porthcurno famous because of its history as a major international submarine communications cable station. In the late nineteenth century, the remote beach at Porthcurno became internationally famous as the British termination of early submarine telegraph cables, the first of which was landed in 1870, part of an early international link stretching all the way from the UK to India. So ticking another box I visited the museum earlier in the day to look through the exhibits on what really was the early days of the the World Wide Web.

A short cab ride back to our Hotel at Lands End and the view out of the window stunning to watch a nice little storm blow in before a bus back to Penzance and the day train back in London.