Cornwall Archive

Still in the West

It’s been a month and I probably have enough material for another spell of idle rambling… and with work understandably quiet, it’s not like I have an excuse for not finding the time.  For someone with a history of depression, being able to get out for a ride during an extended spell of fine weather has undoubtedly been key to maintaining my wellbeing during this period. Like a very many people I suspect, I have …

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In The West

Cornish lockdown riding diaries; time for reflection & reconnecting with my local area – a spiritual place with a deep connection to the ages.

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Mental Health Loop

The town I live in has been, and still is, the butt of many jokes within Cornwall. With the collapse of the tin mining industry its fortunes declined dramatically and it became ripe fodder for jokes around the perceived lack of ‘sophistication’ of the heart of west Cornwall. It is a poor area, walk inland a couple of km from the wealth on the coast and you’ll find one of the most deprived areas of …

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January Pictures

January has been a somewhat uninspiring month; I saw a comment from my sister a couple of days ago saying how it “feels like the 194th of January”.. so I know it’s not just me.  Nearly at the end however and I should have some interesting “sewing of bike bags” news to share soon however. I’m also headed back to South America come spring because I like it there and this time, as it will likely be …

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A fluff-covered heap

Do you remember as a kid you had, or might have had, those sticky rubber creepy crawlies you could fling at a window and watch them slowly creep their way down… this post is kind of one of those, entirely pointless with the exception that  the rubber toy is just a bunch of photos and the window is the internet. They might stick and work as some sort of mini-adventure inspiration… or they might end …

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Spring. Maybe.

After my last post I had thought I might follow up with some apparently intelligent thoughts around things I wanted to say but on reflection realised that all that would have come out would have been an angry rant around a particular set of topics.. for example the environment, consumerism, the government.. or indeed the political classes in general (not fit for purpose), cars.. especially ridiculous cars like giant luxury 4x4s, otherwise known in these parts, …

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Seven and a half years

Not much of an anniversary.. rather that I’ve been in quite a reflective mood recently.. something to do with growing older perhaps… I wasn’t going to bother writing but it has been pointed out to me by folk more intelligent than I that there are people out there perhaps considering a career change or looking to change direction who might find it interesting.. who knows. Either way 5pm on a winter Sunday afternoon is too early to …

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January

January was the darkest winter month I can remember.. endless days of rain and gales.. riding in rain became the norm, I lost the motivation to get in or on the water…  moments of brightness were few and far between but they did happen. I dusted off my old film cameras before Christmas and have been trying to be disciplined enough to use them more. In particular I’d forgotten how nice the handling of Zeiss …

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Year end pictures

Almost the last day of the year. It’s raining, as per normal, and for once I’m trying to be grown up by getting on with some of the jobs that need doing when you live in a 200+ year old heap of granite… like fixing, filling, and painting. Inevitably however things like paint need time to dry, and frequent tea breaks are required so I thought I might just use this opportunity throw a few pictures …

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Godrevy Light

Built in 1858-59, essentially in response to the loss with all hands of the steamer SS Nile in 1854,  the lighthouse at Godrevy is very much a feature of life around here. Just down the road, Godrevy is the place I run, well.. ride, to when I need to {frequently} get away from my desk for a bit, regardless of weather. The view of the lighthouse on the island is a well-known picture postcard view from this part …

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October Early Weekend

Thursday morning dawned filthy wet and misty, the forecast promised better however so when the rain began to ease around midday, and with the encroaching winter very much in mind, camping gear, food, and fishing clobber was hastily thrown at bikes for a cheeky early weekend at a favourite spot just 50km east of here.

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Fish On

The last few years have seen me increasingly returning to riding my bike solely for the reasons that drew me to life on a bike as a child.. to explore, to escape, to have fun, to go camping.. and to go fishing. Something else I used to do an awful lot of when I was young and had the time. I’ve now sold all of the racing stuff, including the bikes; after more than 20 …

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A Vintage Autumn

Arguments over whether it is late summer or early autumn aside, it is turning into a vintage season for blackberries. Apparently the summer was warm and damp while I was away, and this is the result. My Surly Cross Check makes a great tool for foraging with an old tub zip-tied to the front rack, either for specific missions or simply while out enjoying the trails. Something else it does really well given there is …

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A splash of sunshine

It turns out there is enough room and reason, just, to squeeze in one more post before the end of the year. Just pictures… the sun shone and the surf was pumping a couple of days ago so I caught up with a couple of my surf kayaking friends at the beach. To a degree I’ve been actively avoiding the sea the last few months hence the lack of sea/surf kayak flavoured posts, for which …

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