Personal Favourites (2)

Same walk and scramble down as adjacent image. My first such scramble in years (post - COVID). I did it all the way down (this shot is from the halfway point) and, importanly, back but was shattered at the end. Out of practice. (And, in my defence, I had the wrong footwear and the rocks were crumbly and the grass slippery). I need to get much fitter for revived walks in La Sierra de Cabrera this coming spring!

I THINK it's Wheal Busy but I've yet to confirm this. It's been recommended on good authority to go large! Sight and Sound. It's been a while since I've listened to Mozart and I need a regular fix so here it is! www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXeBFhqViYg

View down to Pink Moors from my path to the pub! Perhaps better on large for view of handsome horse!

I don't know the name of this tin mine. I was sent on an unexpected detour by roadworks and came across quite a number of old mining structures that I knew were there but hadn't visited for about 25 years. I'll try and find out. I have a few more tin mine ruin shots to post in the fullness of time! Later add on. I think many of the mine buildings hereabouts fall under the name of Wheal Busy. But I could be wrong.,

A well-named alley (or 'ope' in Cornish) in the middle of Old Truro. The pleasant-looking building is the Old Grammar School, now a bar.

Sierra de La Cabrera, Valdemanco end of the range.

Another very dull day today but I feel it can give a semi-mystical feel - sometimes! (Marginally better perhaps on large).

The first of two HFF shots today. Why do these barriers have to be so utilitarian and plain ugly? (utilitarian I get but why so ugly?) Shot of the Manor work shop. Not quite sure what they did in there, the plaques on the walls are normally descriptive but perhaps even the local historians don't know! The top of the market square clocktower can be seen above it. Low light again. Sorry, but that's the only time of day I'm aloud out of the house for good behaviour!

Near St Day Old Parish Church. The first sunny day in yonks. (It's the same yellow van in the satellite map!)

The camellia bush is getting into its stride. My Mum's garden again (and again a shot taken from inside the outside loo.)

What surprised me is that the ground floor of the building on the left was an abattoir for most of its life (the plaque says Coach House which it was also for a short time). But the point is, directly above said abattoire was the girls school! Curious to say the least! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9EbR0ckb40 Just for fun! Perhaps best on large!

I wouldn't normally take photos directly of someone's property but this rather attractive former farmhouse (Kinsmans Barns) in the centre of St Day is the site of rather a strange co-incidence! I lived in a flat in the centre of Madrid for a few years. The Landlady, who also lived there, was English, in her 70s and was still giving English and Formal Dancing classes! She had lived in Spain since her early twenties and had already seen off 2 husbands!! I used to talk about this and that with her and one day I mentioned my parents were living in Cornwall. Her ears pricked up. 'Where abouts' she asked. 'Oh, a small place - you won't have heard of it, St Day'. Well, the upshot of all this is that this is the farm she was born in!!! Sadly she died a few years back, necessitating a rapid flat hunt, which turned out OK in the end. Sight and Sound. More Janis ... and why not. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDBiEgyYfs0

Another low light shot. Possibly worth a close-up view. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLGl8Oc484Q Sight and sound. In the realms of popular culture / music, Hendrix has always been my favourite. Stevie Winwood starred here as well.

Another low light offering on my constitutional walk at this time of day. The days are starting to get longer so I can start to use the unlit back lanes and paths at last. I would hazard a guess that this lane is very ancient indeed! I just liked this overhanging tree. View on large for a rather spooky twilight effect. PAM, I feel piskie presense on this path, www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJO97AKDgH0 Always liked this.

That wall is about 50 years older than the house and extends from the street at the front right to the back of the garden and beyond. So it would have been built around 1780 and the indications from a very old and badly defined map I found in the library some years ago showed that it probably enclosed a large tin mine of which further records are non-existant. A survey report did reveal adits below the house but as the closest one to the surface is 50 feet down and the rock is granite there is no possibility of land slip, even if St Day is known as 'Sinking City' (as fields and occasionaly houses have disappeared into sudden and unknown - or perhaps more usually - unrecorded mine shafts opening up especially in very wet weather and of which the mine caps were not durable enough, especially over the course of centuries!).

Another snow scene from my walk the other day. The snow lasted no more than 24 hours. Sight and Sound; Janis Joplin again and I feel her voice was at its best here. At least this is one of my favourite recordings. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn5TNqjuHiU

I dropped my mum off at her hair appointment in Point Mills just up the road and went for a little stroll. I used to walk here as part of my walk from St Day to the southern coast at or near Devoran then go back using this path to the northern coast near Portreath, then back to St Day, In all it took me 10 hours. But I didn't have a camera or smart phone then. The fence is new. Belatedly they realised that the old arsenic mines were still contaminating the streams and rain water run-offs so what was a good old bycicle route, much used by families, became blocked off. Probably just as well! The viaduct carries the branch line from Truro to Falmouth. The stumps represent the old viaduct, I haven't looked up the details of this but will let you know if I do! (Don't hold your breath!) I wanted to get a shot of a train but had to go and pick my Mum up!

My Mum's garden under snow. It still doesn't look too bad! By the way this is NOT a black and white photo despite initial appearances (look carefully and you can find some red aubutilon flowers and some green leaves, perhaps better seen on large)!