A walk on Bodmin East Moor - away from the madding crowds.

Another dry day without the recent high spots and Bodmin East Moor was the target for our walk today. A select band of only five of us this time but, what we lacked in quantity, was more than made up in quality. The rest of our usual walkers missed a good one but one that wouldn’t need much arm twisting to do again. This part of Bodmin Moor is definitely off the beaten track and sees very few visitors. In fact, we've never come across anyone else on our walks and today was no exception. Bodmin Moor vs Dartmoor? Both but it depends where and when you go.

We started out in a lay-by adjacent to the Bastreet Water Treatment Works (our water comes from there) and then dropped down along the lane to Tolcarne. From there we skirted the edge of the moor and ascended Fox Tor. After finding our way to the Nine Stones Circle we walked over the ridge back to the cars. It was just under 7 miles and a good varied route to take whatever the weather.

The view from our starting point - open moorland with a generous covering of gorse and ferns. If the navigation worked out correctly, we'd come down from this ridge at the end of our walk.

A leafy lane leading up onto the moor. Originally it probably took cattle up from nearby Tolcarne Farm for grazing.

The flower spike of Umbilicus Rupestris - Navelwort or Pennywort. The young leaves make a tasty and crispy snack when you are walking along. 

Clitters cottage - definitely off-grid. Not abandoned and still used occasionally by the owners.

The porch is constructed of some very impressive slate slabs.

Slates so unique that the owners improvised when it came to fitting shelves for wellies etc. Suspend them from the rafters on lengths of baler twine.

This pair of Tilley Lamps seemed natural subjects for a monochrome shot. I remember my paternal grandmother using these when I first visited her original bungalow in Woodingdean, outside of Brighton.

Some deciduous leafy shade.

Some coniferous needley shade.

The River Lynher at Trevague Ford. The clapper bridge is a two-slab construction and dates from the 19th Century, so mo particular antiquity there. Once upon a time, there was a large mill nearby and, so my sources told me, even a village green. All very quiet now and rather nicely isolated. At this time of the year, the ford is easily walked through. If you want to read more about the course of the Lynher, you can no better than head for the Blog of our friend and neighbour, Mary Atkinson. You can find it at: https://maryatkinsonwildonline.blogspot.com/2021/04/cornish-rivers-1-lynher-in-spring.html

'X' does indeed mark the spot where we were heading - Fox Tor standing at 323 metres (1060 feet). It’s all uphill from here!

This year has not been a good year for butterflies and we came across comparatively few on our way around. Here's a Red Admiral and a Meadow Brown enjoying the sun.

Approaching the trig point on the summit of Fox Tor. Not a particularly slog to get up here, more of a steady incline with a steep bit at the end.

But it’s worth the effort for the panoramic views. Fox Tor is the 10765th highest 'peak' in the British Isles  and is the 1539th highest in England. Hardly vertiginous. Whilst dealing with numbers, this trig point is documented as the 812th most visited in the UK.

And we are heading to that ridge in the distance but not by the direct route as this would take us through some very marshy ground. Been there, done that, got the wet socks. For most of the year, the area is one large bog and must be treated with care. In the ‘wet’ season (most of the year, really), following well defined animal tracks is generally a good idea. And avoid any areas of Cotton Grass as this likes getting its roots wet.

I'm not great at identifying orchids but I think both of these are Heath Spotted Orchids. We hit a patch when there were lots of these but they were the only ones we came across.

The Nine Stones circle is the smallest of its kind on Bodmin Moor. It was heavily restored in 1889, when only two stones remained erect whilst the others were recumbent. Who knows how accurate the reconstruction was but I always think it looks rather eerie in its isolated position. Usually, it’s standing in the middle of a pool of water as it’s so damp up here. Nowadays the stones function as a series of rubbing posts for cattle - a modern use for a Bronze Age monument.

The East Moor is well used for grazing by the local farmers and there are usually lots of sheep, cattle and horses to be seen.  Cows and their calves are generally to be approached with an appropriate level of caution.

On the ridge before dropping back down to the car. A little hazy in the distance but that's where Plymouth Sound can just be made out.

All aboard for the The Great Tory who’s the biggest right-wing plonker contest

 

We know now that it’s Rish! Sunak and the exclamation mark of ambition and the play-doh Thatcher Liz - if you don’t like these principles I have others - Truss who are the final two candidates in the contest to become the next worst Conservative Prime Minister in living memory, although the word Conservative is probably superfluous in that sentence. The two are now trying to out-right wing plonker each other in a ballot of Conservative party members. May the Gods help us all. Truss has vowed to send more asylum seekers to Africa, a promise that would not have looked out of place on a National Front leaflet in the 1970s. Not to be outdone, Sunak promises to incarcerate those who haven’t yet been palmed off on some third world dictatorship in prison ships, presumably so that their foreign feet will not defile Britain’s hallowed soil.

Truss using the Daily Mail in order to promise to send more migrants to Africa sums up this vile Tory party. There is no sense of social responsibility, no integrity. Compassion and empathy are seen as weakness. All there is a cruel and callous bigotry masquerading as governance in order to appeal to the profound insecurities of bitter right wing elderly white men who hanker for the 1950s when they could still tell themselves that Britain was a global power.

It ought to be obvious by now that a system which allows the members of a wildly unrepresentative political party to choose the Prime Minister is a system which is not only grossly undemocratic, but a system guaranteed to deliver an individual who is unfit for the highest office. However this is now the third time in six years that the Conservatives have subjected us to this farce and it has become normalised to the extent that the fact that it is an insult to democracy no longer warrants a mention in a British media which is too busy wetting its collective knickers about the respective candidates’ promises on tax cuts or their novel ways of being cruel to migrants and asylum seekers.

We can assume that those who are committed enough to the Conservatives to actually join the party are unrepresentative of wider public opinion. Across the UK as a whole, Conservative party members are disproportionately white, middle class, resident in the south of England, Brexit supporting, male, and elderly. These are the people who are going to choose the next Prime Minister.

Opinion polls of Conservative party members suggest that Truss will win. She’ll win in part because of the recent queues at Dover. No one in Britain from the media to the government to the opposition is allowed to name the real reason for those queues. It’s Brexit. We all know it’s Brexit, but it has taken a French minister to point out the obvious. The British media are only too keen to collude with the Tories and blame the French, the holiday rush, anything but the obvious. Before the Tory hard Brexit, cars were just waved through border control, but now thanks to Brexit everyone’s passport has to be stamped. Truss or Sunak won’t admit it’s because of Brexit and they certainly won’t do anything about it. Instead they will just cynically blame the French for doing what they themselves insisted had to be done.

Unfortunately the small and unrepresentative group of people who have the power to choose our next prime minister will look at those snaking lines of traffic and their Anglo-British nationalist cognitive dissonance will lead them to double down and blame the EU for castigating plucky little Britain for taking back control. They will see the traffic jams as an unjust punishment. In order to guard their feverish dreams of cake and sunlit uplands they will elect Truss, the self proclaimed champion of the Brexit myth, the defender of Johnson’s legacy.

When the Anglo-British nationalists voted to end freedom of movement, it was the freedom of movement of Poles and other foreigners that they had in mind, not their own. When they decided that they wanted to take control of the border it was the UK border they thought about, not realising or caring that the point of a border is that there are two independent sovereign states on either side of it, while the mountain of luggage piles even higher at Heathrow because there are no longer EU citizens to employ as baggage handlers. Now the Brexiters are learning the hard way that Brexit means that France has taken back control of its side of the border. Truss and Sunak both collude in the comforting delusions of Anglo-British nationalism, but it’s Truss who has successfully positioned herself as the true heir to their deposed champion Johnson in the eyes of most Conservative members.

Truss shares many of Johnson’s worst characteristics, the boorishness, the contempt for democracy and accountability, the lying, the naked ambition, and the chameleon like willingness to change her, ahem let’s call them beliefs, in order to appeal to whichever constituency can further her career. What she lacks is Johnson’s upper class twit shtick and the patrician showmanship and Etonian charisma which to my eyes are unfathomably appealing to a section of the electorate in England. Truss is so robotic in her delivery that she makes Theresa May seem warm and personable. She is easily the favourite amongst the Conservative party membership, despite warnings that she is incompetent and ineffectual, with her sole talent being her ability to take credit for the achievements of others. Dominic Cummings refers to her as the hand grenade because she destroys everything she comes into contact with.

Truss concedes that she may not be the most slickly presented, but insists that with her “what you see is what you get,” which is a bit of a worry because what we are seeing is an incompetent opportunistic and unprincipled idiot who mirrors Thatcher. What we are going to get is whatever promises her power, and that will consist of pandering to the far right Anglo-British nationalist frothers of the Tories’ European Research Group. To say the outlook is grim is an understatement.

Meanwhile Johnson openly boasts that he will be back in Number 10. Cummings speculates that Johnson is backing Truss because she will quickly crash and burn as Prime Minister, allowing him the opportunity to make a comeback. Johnson doesn’t care about the havoc she will wreak in the meantime. As I said earlier, may the Gods help us all. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Clinging on by his fingertips

 A friend pointed out today that he was missing my missives. Be careful what you wish for, Dennis, this one is for continued enjoyment.

If you are one of those Tory apologists who thinks that Johnson’s non-resignation speech was ‘dignified’ you can go away. You are not welcome here. Johnson’s resignation speech was certainly not dignified and it wasn’t even a resignation speech, because the man with clown's hair didn’t actually resign. He is still Prime Minister and the words “I resign” did not cross his lying lips. All he conceded was that the chair of the 1922 Committee should start the process of electing a new leader of the Conservative party, Johnson intends to remain in office until then.

In his petulant and self-serving speech Johnson blamed a ‘herd mentality’, he blamed the media, he blamed everyone except himself for the predicament he now finds himself in. There was absolutely no recognition that it’s his own lies and deceit which have brought him down. Even at this late stage there is no sign of any contrition or that he has learned anything at all. His speech dripped with entitlement and self-pity.

Despite this supposed resignation, Johnson is still offering cabinet posts, he’s still re-shuffling, and he chaired a Cabinet meeting. Johnson is still effectively running the country. So, in what meaningful sense has he resigned? Surely it is the job of the deputy Prime Minister to step in. But Johnson is carrying on as though nothing has happened in a Trumpian denial that the game is up.

This is an alarming and dangerous development. Saying that Johnson is a caretaker Prime Minister is a sick joke. When has Johnson ever taken care of anything other than his own self interest and selfish ambition. The longer he is allowed to remain in power the more time he has to use every dirty and underhand trick at his disposal to maintain his stranglehold on power, choking off what little oxygen remains for democracy and accountability in British politics. Johnson cannot be trusted. For the sake of what remains of democracy in the UK, Borexit means Borexit. It’s time to get Borexit done.

Starmer is threatening a vote of no confidence in Johnson in the Commons in an effort to get him out if the Conservatives don’t do so immediately and if Johnson tries to stay in post until the Conservatives get around to electing a new party leader. Funny isn’t it, Tory Ministers are allowed to change their minds, a mere four weeks after the last vote of no confidence in Johnson, but neither the Conservatives, nor Labour for that matter, think that Scottish electorate should be allowed to change their minds on Scottish Independence after eight years in which everything has changed. Where’s their cries of “They had a vote, they should accept the result.” now?

If the Commons was to vote no confidence in Johnson, it would then be for the Queen to appoint the person best-placed to command a majority in the Commons as Prime Minister. In the event that no such person could be appointed, Parliament would be dissolved and a general election held. 

This sordid episode and the events of Johnson’s time in office have illustrated just how fragile democracy in the UK really is. The apologists for British nationalism have always patted themselves on the back about the supposed better quality and higher standards of democracy under the Westminster system. Indeed, if you remember, during the 2014 referendum campaign we were told that democracy in Scotland depended upon Westminster, and that left to their own devices the Scots would rapidly deteriorate into a corrupt authoritarianism and the destruction of meaningful democracy. But that is precisely what has been happening with this Conservative party. Under the Westminster system, democracy and political accountability depend upon those who hold high office acting with honour, decency, and propriety, but when power is seized by liars, charlatans and cheats, as it has been with this Conservative party, the Westminster system is rendered powerless.

Johnson wanted to be in office for three terms, he fancied himself as the Churchill for the 21st century. But today Johnson instead ties with Neville Chamberlain for number of days in No 10. Theresa May and Jim Callaghan both served longer. Johnson will go down in the history books as one of the worst Prime Ministers that the UK has ever had, the man that destroyed the conventions, customs and traditions that underpin the famously unwritten British constitution. 

Whoever eventually takes over from Johnson will be a creature in his image. It will be a Conservative minister who has spent the past months and years colluding with and enabling Johnson’s assault on standards of decency in public office. There are many names of potential candidates being bandied about. One of the reasons Johnson has clung on so long is because the Tories have no clear successor in sight. In no small measure that’s because Johnson promoted talentless non entities like Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees Mogg whose sole political usefulness was their willingness to keep defending Johnson no matter how egregiously he broke the rules. One thing is certain however, Johnson’s successor will be a creature in his own authoritarian sleazy, and deceitful image. 

The only reason that Johnson is being forced from the Conservative leadership now is not in order to protect and defend the highest standards in public office. It is to ensure that the Conservatives maintain their corrupt grasp on power. Nothing is going to change even when Johnson is finally dragged kicking and screaming out of Number 10. This is all happening so that things can stay the same and so that the Conservatives can win the next UK General Election and the Tories can continue to trash democracy, accountability, and honesty and decency in public office for years and years to come.

Let's organise to make certain that this doesn't happen. BJ's time in power will be remembered for many things but let's do what we can to mark it by ending Tory rule. Are the alternatives that bad that you wouldn't consider voting against them.

Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside

Circumstances gave us an afternoon in Tintagel and we decided that we'd walk a shortish stretch of the Coastal Footpath. Tintagel as a village is not my favourite spot in Cornwall. It's far too busy and full of tat associated with King Arthur - Merlin Burger anyone? But the castle, and the new bridge, are well worth visiting when it's quiet. Best to go out of season. Or better still, do what we did and don't stop! Ignore me, I’m just an old curmudgeon. Go and enjoy yourself and why not buy a plastic sword and shield? Or a full-sized round table?

We started in the car park next to St Matriana's church on the outskirts of Tintagel. We've been there several times previously and it has some very interesting stained glass windows. But today was about walking and not spending too much time church visiting. Top tip: the car park by the church is free.

A straightforward 3 mile walk. Out of the car park, turn right and walk along the coast for about 2 miles. Then take a left and follow a few paths back to the church. 

A few steps from the car park and this is what in front of you.

If you look to the right, eastwards, you can see Tintagel ‘Island’ where the castle is. Look carefully and you can make out the hordes as they pick their way around the ruins. And spend more time dwelling on who wasn’t there than those who were.

If you look down, you can see drifts of Thrift and the amazingly blue sea.

And to the left - westwards - we can see across Port Isaac Bay with Gull Rock, off Trebarwith Strand, in the mid-ground.

Armeria maritima - thrift, sea thrift or sea pink. Extremely prolific along the coastal footpath at this time of year.

Another coast-scape looking east. The Youth Hostel at Tintagel can be made out. It has a spectacular view and all for a very reasonable fee (I assume).

At low tide, this is one long sandy beach. The Prince William pub at Trebarwith Strand can be made out in the distance. Good place for a drink with a view but a very steep descent to reach it. We skipped that this time around.

Swathes of Thrift along a bank.

A slate stile, some thrift and a dry stone wall with a herringbone pattern. Three distinctive features on this walk.

All along this stretch of coast are the remains of a series of slate mines/quarries. All long gone but these stacks stand testament to their presence. The stacks were formed when all the valuable slate was removed around them, leaving the core of harder, commercially valueless stone.

A few more stacks and a couple of ruinous mine buildings. At one time, the area would have resonated to the sound of the mines/quarries being worked. But all things must pass.

Wheatear on a rock. A lively little Summer migrant and there were lots of them flitting about.

A dry stone wall showing the herringbone pattern that comes from using relatively thin sheets of slate. Also called a Jack and Jill pattern.

The above in grey scale.

A rather ferocious guardian of a holiday let. 

Yelverton Circular

 A nice sunny day and our Thursday walk took us across the Tamar into Devon. It promised to be a good day. Was it? Read on........................

A pretty straightforward route for this one: assemble at Yelverton and then head south along the cycle way for a couple of miles. Then follow Drake’s Leat over open moorland before dropping down to the rivers at Shaugh Bridge. From there we negotiated a riverside path along the West Bank of the Meavy back to our starting point. A delightfully varied walk and one for which we clocked up 7.8 miles, our longest for a while.

I did say that we walked along the cycle way and so we did. But it’s much more than that. This is the most obvious/flattest way to get from the moor to the bustling towns and ports of Plymouth and Devonport. As such it’s full of history with two leats and a mineral tramway in the vicinity, almost running parallel to each other. Of course, you can walk or cycle without knowing any of this. And why not? But a knowledge of the history does help you interpret what you come across and put them into a proper context. And, to my way of thinking, making the walk much more interesting. The above information board is a good place to start your quest for knowledge.

Granite sleeper beds for the track of the old Plymouth and Dartmoor Mineral Railway/Tramway, which took  minerals, including granite, down from the moor to the waterside and Plymouth. It dates from the early 1800s and was later superseded by the steam railway. Until then, horse power ruled supreme and it must have made the journeys very leisurely affairs.

Drake’s Leat which took water from the River Meavy down to the North Hill reservoir in Plymouth. Drake was a canny devil as he charged mills, farms etc a fee for getting supplies from the leat. Looking at the granite slabs lining the sides gives you an idea of how much effort went into building it. It was built to last, and it has.

Just a panorama looking east-ish with Sheepstor in the distance. A green and pleasant land.

Meals on the hoof. The mare was not too impressed with being hassled by the foal for a meal. But it got there in the end.

Where two rivers meet. The Meavy come in from the left and the Plym from the right. The relatively dry spell we’ve had recently meant that there was none of the usual dramatic torrents.

We followed a footpath along the West Bank of the Meavy. Mainly in dappled shade. A kingfisher zoomed past but I missed that.

There were enough obstacles to make it a little more adventurous than normal. What joy is there in a completely flat walk with no chance of tripping and breaking an ankle?

And when the path becomes impassable, you scramble up to the next level, assuming that there is one and not just more of the same. In this case we were fortunate as we came out on an old railway track.

These are quite ancient deciduous woodlands with gnarled trees to match. And a suitably gnarled person with a camera to take the photograph.

This stump has been in situ for a while. An interesting shape with lots of hiding places for insects.

The white of the May blossom makes a marked contrast with the green of the other trees.

A few residual Bluebells. Well  passed their best but still with enough colour to give the glade a blue shimmer.

And a few more against some very lush Ground Elder. Is this the last few Bluebells we’ll see this year? Everyone says it’s been a good year for them but, strictly speaking, last year was the one they should be praising as that’s when the strength of this year’s growth is laid down. Will this year be an equally good year for next year’s bulbs?

And lastly, the sound of running water. The River Plym taken from Shaugh Bridge.