Looking across to the snow capped alpine mountains seen from the back seat of a motorcycle

Home Travel Stories Static Caravan in Cornwall 2005 - By Ren Withnell

Static Caravan In Cornwall 2005 - Day 7

Friday morning. These lazy mornings are becoming a habit. It’s lunchtime before we are up, dressed, fed and ready to take on another day. We know we have another big trip ahead of us tomorrow, we plan to take it easy today rather than clock up more miles. We are going to the beach, to lie down and rest, enjoy the sunshine and take it easy.

We walk through the campsite and down the steep road and path down to the beach. The tide is out, the sun is shining, the stream is flowing and the small shop is open. It’s looking good. We spread a big towel out on the sand and get comfy. It only takes a short time before I’m bored and ready to do something.

I walk down to the sea, limping without my orthotic boots on. The water is cold and the waves not too big but soon enough I’m splashing around and looking jealously at the kids with their bodyboards. It’s no good, I gotta get me one of these. I walk back up the beach and look at the small hire shop to se how much it would cost to hire one. £4 for the afternoon. I walk back to the gf and say “We spent £3.90 each yesterday to look at some stone wall and climb steep steps, I’m gonna spend £4 and hire myself a bodyboard.”

I return with a somewhat camp pink bodyboard made from thick strong polystyrene. The gf just smiles at me so I head off down to the water. I wade into the waves and prepare to catch my first wave. Along comes a big one, about 3 feet above me and just starting to break. I turn as fast as I can and push myself inshore with the wave. I move forward a few feet then the wave passes me by. I repeat this action several times then finally I’m off.

I catch a good wave at just the right time. I’m surrounded by frothing water and moving inshore at what seems like the speed of light. It’s awesome. I let out a wail of delight as I ride in. This only lasts a handful of seconds and I’m gutted when the wave finally overtakes me. That was so much fun! I pick up my board and wade back out as fast as I can. Again I try several waves before I finally get another good ride. It’s like disappointment after disappointment then YeeeHaaa! I’m the master of the world surfing in on my wave-driven chariot.

I play, learn, play and learn some more. It’s all about timing and spotting the right wave at the right point between breaking and becoming froth. I practice for maybe another half hour before I notice I’m getting cold. Most other surfers and bodyboarders are wearing wetsuits, me I’m just in my shorts. I return to the gf and tell her all about it like a six-year-old kid telling his mother about a party. She smiles and nods in the right places and I finally settle down to warm up.

After a while I persuade the gf to come to the shoreline and get some pictures of me bodyboarding. She gets her high quality camera, makes various changes to capture action then follows me down. She stands there up to her knees in surf while her immature boyfriend wades out, rides in and wades back out time and time again. She snaps away and at one point is nearly washed away by a big wave as she tries to capture the action.

Me having fun. The gf does take a very good picture.

I finally finish my playtime and I think she has enjoyed watching me enjoying myself, but is relieved to get her and her expensive camera back to the safety of dry land. She’s not a swimmer or a big fan of water. I try to persuade her to have a go but I quickly realise I’m wasting my time. She is a fan or radical sports such as skateboarding and BMX, she’s been to the X-Games before now. I wonder how my futile attempts at being a surf dude have impressed her. Not a lot I suspect. Still, she must love me to put up with me.

Later I go to play in the stream again but constant interference from small people causes project river-divert to be ruined. I give up and return to the gf to sulk. I suspect she might be getting bored. This is due to the fact she has built a whole town out of sand using a polystyrene coffee cup. She tells me of how the people here in her town are not allowed to litter but public sex is almost expected. Stealing is punishable by death and the universities teach free love. I feel better hearing this, I feel she is sharing in my immaturity.

The gf's town. Very proud she is of it too.

Back at the campsite we take time to look around some of the caravans for sale. They are most impressive. One has 3 bedrooms, the master has en-suite, the kitchen is well appointed and it is stylish. I could happily live in one of these. We talk of how cold they could be in the middle of deepest darkest winter, where we could put all the spare crap we collect through our lives and would it remain stable if we got too passionate. We know it’s only a pipe dream, circumstances are out of our control. But there is nothing wrong with dreaming, if we can’t dream then we will never have a dream come true.

This is the last evening in the caravan. After tea we spend a couple of hours taking with my friend’s son, and the groups of friends with them. There are 4 couples and 3 kids. Nothing exciting happens but it is nice to sit in the setting sun on the grass making easy conversation and drinking coke. All together the day has been a good one. We excuse ourselves and retire to bed.

Static Caravan In Cornwall 2005 - Day 1

Static Caravan In Cornwall 2005 - Day 2

Static Caravan In Cornwall 2005 - Day 3

Static Caravan In Cornwall 2005 - Day 4 Just a lazy day at the beach with nary a motorcycle in sight.

Static Caravan In Cornwall 2005 - Day 5

Static Caravan In Cornwall 2005 - Day 6

Static Caravan In Cornwall 2005 - Day 7

Static Caravan In Cornwall 2005 - Day 8