I finished the day several miles ahead of schedule. 
Snails pace at Gwythian
I set off late after using Millie’s computer to post the blog. My plan was to skirt St Ives. There is a long foot path almost due east to the outskirts of Hayle and I would then head north east through Hayle to rejoin the coast. I was hoping to be able to get ahead by a few miles past Gwythian where I would be meeting Catherine, Bea, Flora and Guy and Jamie Erskine. We were going to camp near the beach.
I walked down lanes and through fields until I found the long, straight footpath, which even though on a ridge turned out to be flooded. Luckily it had a solid bottom.
I walked through Hayle. Families enjoying the sunshine sat watching the construction of a new supermarket beside a sign claiming Hayle as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. An old man told me, ‘See that shop on the corner….Best pasties in Cornwall’. A bit later I saw a shop claiming to sell the world’s oldest pasties. I would have liked to see them. At Gwythian I regrouped with a cup of tea in the pub while the two large men on the next table talked about their pensions, and how the banks speculated with our money and didn’t pay us anything.
I walked on towards Portreath, I had reached today’s target. Now every mile was a bonus and put me ahead of the game. The route was bordered by a bank of stone. Over time this had become turfed with grass and wild flowers, above it a straggle of wire and the sky. On my other side spectacular cliffs emptied into bowls of light and gleaming sea from which rose the cry of gulls. In the distance I saw a man in black pointing a camera at me.
I advanced aggressively. ‘ Are you taking my photograph?’.
‘James… James, how are you?’ Camera down, arms outstretched. It was my old friend, Guy Erskine, who I hadn’t seen since 2003. Just shows you, failing light, failing sight. It’s easy to make mistakes.
South west of Portreath
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