Business End of the Season

When it gets to April and football results really matter it’s called the business end of the season. The rest has been entertainment (depending on who you support) but the back end of the season determines who goes up, stays up, stays down, goes down. The Business End. I’m not there yet but being on my own for the first time in more than two weeks I needed to get myself off to a good start. The route is to get a ferry to St Mawes from Falmouth and a further ferry from St Mawes to Place on the Roseland Peninsula. Andrew gave me a lift all the way round to Place before he set off for home – thanks mate. It saved me a few quid, which I spent on the car ferry we took. King Harry Ferry cut 20 miles off the road journey. Importantly I got to Place and found that the ferry from St Mawes wasn’t working. It saved me an eight mile detour – chaaaa! I met a like-minded geezer on the ferry.

Andrew quite liked him too!

The peninsula is definitely the most remote part of the path so far. Narrow lanes leading to a dead end. I’m still on it and I’ve covered 14 miles today. The last 2 miles were quite tough, up and down again, but I’m feeling fit, despite the rucksack being heavier than ever, or at least seeming so.

The scenery is beautiful as always, the weather is dry as always and for a long stretch the top of the cliffs were not much above sea level. It was quite strange walking on the edge of a field with the sea on the other side.
This is a photo of the peninsula from Falmouth, which I took yesterday.

And a photo of Falmouth harbour from the peninsula which I took today.

The harbour is the third biggest natural harbour in the world and Falmouth was the second busiest port in the British Empire at its peak. When I was a young man I worked in the docks industry, based in Bristol but working for all the ports in the south west for seven years. It was a great job and couldn’t have been more different than the steelworks that I’d left behind to seek fame and fortune down south west. This is a trip down memory lane as well as one of the greatest walking routes in the world. It’s hard – my left shoulder hurts a lot and I’ve had some more chafing today – but it’s great.
I envy the couples I pass en route. I wish my old lass didn’t have arthritis and could join me. That would be lovely.

I’m too late to walk to the nearest campsite two miles away. It’s going to be a dry night so I’m kip ping in my sleeping bag al fresco near the beach. Let’s see how well I sleep without Wilson to protect me!

Anyway I owe my Bristol Rovers mates a big thanks for their support so for Rob, Bavs and Chris here is a photo of the awesome fans of this fine club.

And here’s some Bristol City fans sat on somebody’s carpet.

Night night.