I remember watching the TV show that this book is tied-in with when it was on oh-so-long ago, but I’m not sure if I ever read the book. I saw a newer book by Dick Strawbridge that led me back to this one, and I thought it would be interesting to have a quick dive in. It brought back some memories but what was fascinating to see was how much has changed and how much hasn’t. There are areas that the Strawbridges focus on that are still a problem today, but also areas that we have actually managed to make progress on - plastic bags, etc.

Been flitting around here and there on the South West Coast Path, and whilst you can’t deny the beauty of the Jurassic Coast, there’s something very special about Cornish shorelines as well.

The second series of Hidden Britain by Drone aired on Channel 4 recently, and I just wanted to take a moment to say how brilliant this programme is. I watched the first series and loved the concept - Tony Robinson introduces film footage taken by drones that fly over areas that are inaccessible or, at the very least, not open to the public. Now, let’s be clear from the start, that description does get a little bit stretched on occasion, particularly in the second series. Some of the locations you could get to on foot, and there often are people milling about, but still, it’s good to get a new view and look at things from a different angle.

While we were in Newquay, we ventured into a club. I don’t do this very often, clubs are definitely not my scene, but somehow Mr C convinced me to pay a chunk of money to get my hand stamped. Inside, I spotted a little desk set up in a dingy little corner of the club, that was selling balloons. At first I couldn’t figure it out. Then I remembered the news item I had heard on the BBC about people sucking up helium or whatever from balloons. Apparently it gives you a bit of a high, for about ten seconds. So worth it.

Who would have thought that getting no sleep, leaving the house at 5am, traipsing around a field for ten hours, then packing bags and driving to Cornwall would be tiring? First task was shopping. A bit of advice for you: Stay away from Truro. Last year we got stuck in roads and roads of traffic, no matter which direction we turned in. This year, we headed to Truro and got there with no trouble, but there was nowhere to park. Plenty of carparks but not enough spaces.

Peering out the window today, I saw sunshine. We were at Land’s End by ten o’clock. It was beautiful. Look at the beautiful blue sky. That photo was taken as proof that at least one day was sunny. Our next stop was Lizard Point. We’d done the furthest West and now wanted to do the furthest South, but as we were trundling along through the countryside, Mr C spotted a satellite: Goonhilly Earth Station. It was relatively cheap to get in and we stood taking loads of pictures of Arthur, the oldest satellite at the station.

Having got so close and yet so far away from Truro yesterday, I made sure we were up and awake early enough to beat the crowds and get a parking space. After months and months of talking about it, I finally plucked up the courage to shell out a bit of money and get a new phone. It’s not the one I dreamed about but it’s pretty close. It’s a bit more complicated than my ancient Nokia, and I still haven’t figured out how to put it on discreet or silent yet, and I don’t like the stupid noises it makes when I’m switching it on and off but that’s all I can find wrong with it.

Raining today. My indoor activity for a Wednesday was to head to the Cornish Indoor Market. It’s the largest indoor market in Britain and boasts stalls of all shapes and sizes selling all manner of things. Mr C likes a good market, so I thought this would be a good place to take him on a rainy Wednesday. Apparently, the entire population of Cornwall had the same idea. We are not ones for sitting in a queue. We decided to give up and head to Truro instead.

Looked out the window in the morning, grey skies. Oh well. Today we were scheduled to visit the Eden Project, something I’d been keen to see since it was created. Unfortunately, it’s not worth the entrance fee. The guidebook, however, is really good value. At £4, it was absolutely bursting with information and I have yet had time to read more than the first few pages. I really like the idea of taking an old used quarry (read that in the guidebook) and turning it into something beautiful. I think the recycling image that the Eden Project gives out is perfect. Did you know that the rainwater that collects in the quarry is used to water the outside plants and flush the loos? (Again, the guidebook.) And the bubbles are the biggest greenhouses in the world. (Good god, is there anything this guidebook can’t tell me?) All of that stuff is brilliant, but when it comes down to it, we were there only a couple of hours before we got bored.

Day One was the only day that I really cared about the weather, although, of course, I was praying for it not to rain for the rest of the week. Day One was a surprise, something I’d been planning for a while, since I was at this particular place last. While Mr C was packing, I popped out to collect some bits and bobs for the journey. He guessed that I was planning a picnic.

I can’t imagine a situation where I would want to go on an extended trip to visit someone else’s family by myself, even if it is the in-laws. Laura travels to Cornwall to stay with her husband’s family, and she makes fast friends with everyone - until a letter arrives that accuses her of having an affair. One of the problems I had with this book is that a lot of the characters are just too good to be true. All very polite, all opening doors for each other, pulling out chairs. Perhaps it’s just indicative of a different time, or a different generation, but I found it quite hard to swallow. It was written in 1984, so perhaps I am not being generous enough with it.

Truro Cathedral.

I like Howatch’s writing, it feels modern and easy and compelling, but I read this book in an omnibus of three. I read two at once, with the outcome that I felt they were too similar. They’re separate books, and yet they felt almost the same. However, this one was excellent and kept me guessing right to the last.