Day 5: Newquay to Treyarnon Bay

This was again retracing the route of my 1973 walking holiday, but it was quite a different day from the four previous ones for two reasons:

1. I walked the whole way on the coast path, which was tiring but really scenic – and not quite so much of a climb as previous bits have been – except for leaving the beach at Porthcothan, where the short cut to the coast path was over sandy rocks which I only managed on hands and knees!

2. I met two sets of people I knew – the first couple unexpectedly

At 9.30, having done another phone interview with Radio Nottingham, I left Newquay in the rain and headed along the coast, stopping for a snack at Mawgan Porth. I passed the setting up for the upcoming Boardmasters Festival – music and surfing – on the cliffs. The large blue canopies appearing out of the mist had a certain Pythonesque quality. Little rain after about 11.00.

At Porthcothan I heard someone ahead of me say ‘that looks like Guy’ (it was). This was Patrick Lynn, and we soon found his wife Esther on the beach. Esther and I work together behind the scenes for Southwell Music Festival, and I had no idea I would meet them. It was great to meet them, though I could not stay long to chat.

I then went on to Treyaron Bay. I stayed at the Youth Hostel here in 1973, and then in nearby Constantine Bay in 1984, by which time I had acquired a wife and two sons (though not yet a daughter) This time I was staying in the caravan belonging to Emma and Quentin Rayner, friends whom I first met when their children were Southwell Cathedral Choristers. Very nice to catch up with them, and they plan to walk part of the way with the tomorrow, which will make them my first walking companions.

Some observations about the people I have passed walking on the coast path:

Between Land’s End and Hayle, for some reason at least 50% of the other walkers were foreign tourists – French, Italian, German, Russian, Swedish. Since Hayle nearly everyone has been British. In both cases lots of families walking the coast with kids, which is good. Some people running it which I could not dream of. Only two people (together) with a larger pack than mine so far.

I have realised that coast path walking (a) is generally more mileage than my Googlemaps estimates; and (b) that, while I normally walk at about three miles an hour on the flat, I am lucky to do 1.5mph on the coast. I need to be very careful to adjust future days’ walking plans so as not to overdo it. Today was supposed to be 12 miles and a short day, but it was 14 and 9.30 – 5.30. Care needed.

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To support any of the four charities go to https://linktr.ee/guygoesnorth

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Daily Data

Days left until John O’Groats	71
Route miles walked	79
Estimated miles until John O’Groats	971
Additional miles walked (evenings and rest days)	3.5
Counties walked through	1
Number of walking companions so far	0
Number of stiles crossed	19
Current sponsorship total	£12,118.82
Cast of characters	Jeremy Pemberton, Laurence Cunnington, Brad Poulson, Adele Poulson, Graeme Parkhill, Andy Hellwig, Patrick Lynn, Esther Lynn, Emma Rayner, Quentin Rayner

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