Andrew G. at Crackington Haven

I had a reply to my message from Andrew saying that he and his family would be at their chalet for a few days and we were very welcome to visit.  So Helena and I set off at lunchtime to drive the 25 miles up the coast to Crackington Haven.  The weather was very overcast with no sign of any sun, but with rain more likely to start to fall again from the low hanging clouds and mists.

Andrew is a good friend from Stroud and we stayed several years ago at Crackington Haven camp site, when they had a big party at their chalet.  Several decades ago they had bought some land about a quarter of a mile inland from the small beach at the Haven and Andrew, who is a builder, created their wonderful chalet where they could come to stay throughout the year.  The Haven is a small break in the coastline where a stream has cut down through the faulted rocks and a small beach has formed allowing swimming and surfing on an otherwise inhospitable section of the cliffs of the north Cornwall coastline.

We arrived in time to have a bring and share lunch with Andrew, Lenny and Elsie, one of their daughters.  the weather didn’t improve and we enjoyed several hours of chatting and sharing stories.  Andrew had just returned from the sailing boat he recently bought, which is moored near Chichester, so we were lucky that our holidays there coincided as they will be going home to Chalford, near to Stroud soon.

When we left we said we would be going to the beach at the Haven and just as I was getting my camera from the back of the car Andrew appeared on his bike to give me a delightful present he had promised, but had forgotten to give to me as we left them. I couldn’t resist catching a picture of him talking to Helena in the pub car park just above the beach. He was telling us the tale of buying this bike at the local rubbish tip, and pointing out the solid rubber tyre it still has! That is a first for me. 

Hopefully we will see them all again soon, perhaps when they visit Jessy their daughter who, after a tip-off from us, bought a house a few doors down the road from us a couple of years ago, which she too apparently loves for its views and location.


I blipped this view of Crackington when we visited for Andrew's party in 2011.