During WW2 my father was a child in North London. He was evacuated to Cornwall with his brother for part of the war, his sister and mother joined them later. Today, now aged 88, he is coming back by train.
It’s not the first time he’s been back. In 2012, when his granddaughter Hannah, then aged 18, walked the end to end he came to Land’s End with us. But long before that, as a child myself, I enjoyed our summer holidays to Cornwall together as a family to visit Chrissie and Bill, who had welcomed the Evacuee back in 1940. Chrissie made the best pasties and Bill told the best stories.
They were Methodists, hence today’s side visit to Gwennap Pit. I remember Chrissie taking me there about 40 years ago.
The Evacuee is on his way back to stay with Chrissie’s and Bill’s Son and Daughter in law. We will meet him at St Erth. However a delay caused by high tide at Dawlish means I’ve time to fill you in on Day 4.
I began at Praze-an-Beeble with a visit to the pasty shop. Today’s walk was via lanes and paths sprinkled with flowers. I took a few risks off piste on an old downhill path leading to a spring lined hollow and up again via a very muddy farm yard where I came face to face with a very large bull. Fortunately I had the farmer with me who moved the bull aside for me.
The next section was via a path next to the Nine Maidens Stone circle. I was only able to count 5. The path included some very challenging stiles, one I went under rather than over. It culminated in a stile at the end of the field which was entirely surrounded by water. I bailed out over the wall.
The next stretch included a heavy and cold shower. A chilly stop in the cemetery to see another old cross was only a brief pause before the welcome site of the Golden Lion. Instead of a picnic in the rain we opted for a pub lunch in the warm.
Dried off and sun coming out, the last three miles of the day were straightforward. Bob took me to Gwennap in the car on the way back as a side trip.
Meanwhile we’re still waiting for the Evacuee. As Hannah says ‘They can’t have random grandfathers floating around the national rail network’. It is with this hopeful thought in mind we go to meet him at St Erth 79 years after his first journey, but without his gas mask or luggage label.
As the tide rises and falls,
The signals stop and go,
When you come to the end of the track,
May the lifelong friends you have made,
Welcome you back again.
JAL 05.04.2019
Day 4 of the End to End