A Free Ride

Chavs on the Downs, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Not so much internet access in the last few days, but I am now in the teenage room at the Watergate Bay Hotel, near Newquay in Cornwall, where there is an internet terminal and all the teenagers have gone to bed. I am here with my Mum, my sister Diana and her two boys, James and Harry. They had arranged this holiday quite some time ago, where the two adults get to stay 5 days in this excellent hotel, with breakfast and three dinners, including one at Jamie Oliver's 15 restaurant for just 200 pounds each. The boys come for 50 pounds each and, by the sounds of it, James ordered himslef a 50 pound meal last night at The Beach Hut last night!

The hotel sits just above Watergate Bay, a wide-ish Cornish bay facing the Atlantic Ocean, with a good surf, with views across to Newquay in the west. Not so far from where Fred and I watched the Eclipse in 1999 on our last visit to Cornwall.

I came down today from London on a 10 pound coach ride with National Express, not bad for a 400 km journey in a near empty coach with took just 6 hours, just 2 hours more than I would have needed to have taken a 120 pound carbon emitting flight from Gatwick! Watch out for their ' Fun Fare', excellent value for a great service.

It has been a very cheap stay for me here in England, starting off with my free Marc Almond concert on Wednesday, followed by a gallery opening in London on Thursday with free champagne, snacks and entrance to a top night club. Friday evening saw me joining my cosuin James for the races at Goodwood, almost two years after I had previously joined him there. Just as last time we were among the winners, ending the evening about 200 pounds up, thanks to Bob's Surprise at 9-1 and Ivy Creek (my BIG fancy) at 8-1 I would lose some of this the next day at The Derby, where I spent the hot afternoon on the Downs where there is no entrance money.

Finally, after a picnic with Fiona on Primrose Hill in London, I came across the Camden Green Fair and Bike Fest, where I was brilliantly entertained by a wonderful and energetic 10 man group playing a mix of ska, punk and hip-hop, called Imperial Leisure (they can be found on MySpace.com). Excellent... what great thngs there are to enjoy in and around London in the summer time.

I had thought about spending this week in Dubrovnik as there was a cheap flight for 50 pounds return all inclusive, but I was asked if I would like to join Mum and Diana and the boys here in Cornwall and this sounded a much better option.

And so it is turning out to be. James is expecting me to join him surfing tomorrow and Diana has brought with her a wet-suit for the purpose. The sea will be much colder than it was when I went swimming in Holland recently, this being ocean water rather than sea water.