Judy Garland woz here. (Lizard Point)

Member Name: ANDREWSJK

Product:	Lizard Point
Date:	17/10/01 (175 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tremendously scenic, Short distances involved, Keeps you fit.

Disadvantages: Uses all the film in your camera., No cinemas., Keeps you fit.

Judy Garland I hear you say, what's she got to do with Cornwall? Well, you remember her very famous song "We're off to see The Wizard, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ?" . Now, I'm bringing out a new Dooyoo version, "We're off to see The Lizard, The Wonderful Lizard of Cornwall ". Doesn't rhyme you say, well that doesn't matter because I can't sing either, though it has been maliciously said of me that after inbibing a few pints of St. Austell's H.S.D. I do a magnificent version of "Show me the way to go home", but this has yet to be proved.

Where is The Lizard, well it's a peninsula of Cornwall, near Lands End. If you take the A394 road from Truro, then it starts about 15 miles further on , at Helston. From Helston, take the B3293, signposted to St. Keverne. The first thing one passes of interest on The Lizard is The Royal Navy Air Station at Culdrose. The latest high tech helicopters are used here, and visits can be arranged by telephoning 01326 565085, though you may want to wait for my op on it first !! RNAS Culdrose is notable for it's immense size. From here I would suggest turning left through Mawgan and heading for Helford. This is very picturesque on the Helford River, but the main point of my flying visit here was to test out the foot ferry between The Shipwright's Arms on one side of the river and The Ferry Boat Inn on the other. A very delightful few hours spent, but beware that at lunch times these establishments only seemed to serve cold foods, like salads. (Not because the oven was broken silly !!) There are National Trust gardens and protected areas of outstanding beauty within easy walking distance of the ferry landing points, but we must continue with our lightening tour.

Next stop round the peninsula is Porthallow. Now far be it from me to say that I had a nice chat and a few pints here with a total stranger at the pub on this very nice beach, but there is a Vi
neyard and Cider Farm here also, which has free tastings of Grape and Country Wines. This vineyard was planted in 1987. Still, our visit is brief as there's a lot to see, so on to the next bay. Porthkerris. This has become a state-of-the-art resort with all the facilities for the diver, fisherman and water sports enthusiast. My Dooyoo friend huddro will be pleased about this, but has naff all for the idle rich like me !! However I was almost tempted by the children's adventure playground, volleyball court and fishing, as there is boat access to the infamous Manacles Reefs.

On now to St. Keverne, a lovely town much commended by the AA. Just my luck, two pubs here and I was forced to try them both for you!!. I found they were excellent and cheap. On my visit it was a sports night, a pub challenge at cribbage !! Here I discovered some Cornish words for you :-
Als = Cliff
Arth = High Place
Bal = Mine
Byghan = Small
Bos = Dwelling
Carn = Heap of Rock
I'm fed up with writing all these down, so if anybody wants to know another 50, just ask.. but if you don't I'll put more in my next op. On leaving the town there was a house that looked like a museum, only it was a man's house who was selling old wheels!!. At about £50 on average, I always get them don't I ??

Next beach, Coverack where the drive down the hill would remind one of the Bay of Naples, a truly stunning vista. This is a village to linger at, and take another pub lunch, or have tea at one of the cafes or near the beach. Coverack also has a reputation for painting. For us though we must continue before this op gets too long, so onwards, to Goonhilly Downs. Here there is the Earth Station, www.Goonhilly.Bt.Com, which is amazing to look at, and at £4.50 to get in may be the subject of another op. of mine !!

At this point I will mention that the whole trip we are taking her
e is a total of twenty miles, so no great distance is involved on any day. The next beach is Kennack Sands. I stayed for a week here at Sea Acres Holiday Park, the cost of a 4/6 berth caravan with excellent facilities is £125 for a week in October, though they saw I was going to write this op, so upgraded me to a 6/8 berth at no extra cost. The entertainment at this time of the year is ....lacking... the resident entertainer asked if I would like to join him in a game of bingo, but to his credit he did understand one word answers !!!
The caravan was on top of the cliff, and the daily view of the sea crashing against the cliffs, producing a 20ft high wall of water was stunning.

Cadgwith is nearby, and is a lovely harbour which needs to be approached on foot, everytime I drove round in the Bluesmobile there was never a parking place. There are great walks here to such beaches as The Devil's Frying Pan, and there is also a newly opened art gallery. I passed on, via Church Cove however to The Lizard itself. This village is the most Southerly in England, and I can confirm that the meals in The Top House, England's most Southerly pub are worth treating as I did...with several return visits !! Lizard Point is well worth the walk down to, an absolutely stunning cliff scene, and there are several of England's most Southerly gift shops on the way.
I climbed down the cliff to the former lifeboat station near the beach which is now used for fishing boats, my exercise for the holiday !!

From here the National Trust cove at Kynance is brilliant, there appears to be a small island out to sea, though it was so windy on the cliff top on the day I went that I did a relay race... Showed the car park assistant my membership card, run to the top of the cliff to see the view, and quickly brought the baton back to the car and drove off before I was blown away.

Before I bore you with too many more bays I will just say there is Mullion, Poldhu
, Gunwalloe and Porthleven, , some of these having a connection with Marconi, but I may well save some of these for more ops in my series.

For now, what's the difference between Old and a Cat??

Don't give up, Cath is Cat in Cornish and Coth is Old, bet you can't wait for the next op now !!

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