https://www.google.com/maps/place/Callington+PL17+8PT/@50.5421154,-4.3166212,3a,75y,356.11h,96.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sY1GqtMdDVF3vO28063Nr-A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x486c88e159424c87:0x392b3d267079a753!8m2!3d50.5386417!4d-4.3154186
Well that is the front of the whole house. Real map is;
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Callington+PL17+8PT/@50.5386417,-4.3176073,12z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x486c88e159424c87:0x392b3d267079a753!8m2!3d50.5386417!4d-4.3154186
04:01:2019
Did not have to wait for Luc, at all very surprised. Came around on time. Normally couple of hours I have to wait for him. I was already packed but I had the rubbish to put out, he did that for me, while I did the washing up. On we started our trip to Cornwall. Its situated near the border with Devon, but lets not argue. Its something to do with the river Tamar. Hee hee (Lots of arguments about the border of Cornwall. Never mention Cornish Pasties). Driving was smooth and nice, for a change in Luc's normal driving. Not many vehicles on the M5.
Luc had to go to deliver a package from his brother-in-law Bob to a repair shop in Wooten-Under-Edge So off the beaten track to Wooten. Nothing to write about the town, if you have been there. If not ask your History teacher for any facts.
Back on the M5. Straight away Luc says "Got to get petrol". O dear. So we came out of the next junction at Cribs-Causeway. Petrol done paid off at the pump. Blimey that was fast except Luc nearly fell sleep while holding the nozzle into the tank. Slow dribbley pump.
By and by we came off the M5 and moved into the country roads. God forbid, what a state these roads. Smell of muck drifted very friendly across us and we carried on nonplussed. Then the smell got worse and we found out that the muck spreader is doing a fine job on the ex-road. May be next summer they will have to get the combine-harvester to finish the job. Luc was feeling thirsty. My back was killing me slowly. So we hit the pub. Its a new pub and there were some people sitting down on one side of the pub. We convened on the other side as bar flies. A tequila went down cool and started to work on my back pain. Luc gulped his larger before I came back from the wee room. Wee room had old fashioned country way, with a basket of fresh hand towels to wipe your washed face and hands and another basket for the soiled towels. Exit pub feeling good.
Ventured into Helen, Lucs sister and amd her hubby Bob's farm. Not a soul around outside. We entered the kitchen. Hey where is everyone. So I sat on a chair in the kitchen, Luc went into the sitting room. I heard him mumbling something to someone. Luc's dog errr bitch, Pip came out and recognized me and wanted me to fuss around her. Bless oo long time no see heh?
Its not good. The story was that bob is asleep on the sofa and Helen and Sam Luc's cousin (father different from Bob) has gone to shops. The time of arrival back home unkown. Luc made some tea. Waited 10 mnts or so. Bob did not come out. So we decided to go to Luc's. Threw the undrunk tea in the sink and out we went. In a way I was very happy going in there. It was lived in with things piled up and the kitchen was thankfully 100 times dirtier than mine. Ha ha init.
I felt like a piece of that dark brown stuff you step on and cannot get rid of unless you find somewhere to scrape it off. I don't know why. But may be I expected more, like some one to say hi.
At last we arrived at this beautiful circa 1270 AD, old converted stables. And that is his flat. I mean bigger than a flat. It got 3 large bedrooms and a good size sitting room. Small toilet with a shower. And a nice long kitchen with a breakfast unit. Ah girt lush matey. The walls are thicker than my shoulders. I love looking at these old dears before their ultimate demise. It was owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, Prince Of Wales ilk. A good thinking man, the landlord, has bought this in 1994 and converted them into 2 flats and the middle bit as his own domain. Good man eh? So I am so proud of my man Luc, to get this place for the sole intention to have a place for his 3 young girls, to holiday. I christened my visit by opening my other good friend, a bottle of Vodka and had it.
Luc organised a wicked curry and Luc gulped it, me ate it, washed down with wine and larger. My my I got so pissed I blipped and went to bed. Well I remembered later I was disgustingly bad at mouthing off at Luc for something or another. F'ing cold it was in the night. Did not sleep much. The back pain went up by more than double due to I think the way I was sitting in the car. Must remember this on the way back huh?
05:01:2000
And a colder morning. But the flat was becomingly worm. Found Luc already in the kitchen. Made me a cup of coffee ( not my normal cafetiere one but that sufficed). Normal sleepy head morning chit chat followed for a while until he decided to make breakfast. I am not a breakfast person but when in Rome etc I digressed. I don't have breakfast unless it comes in a pre-packed box inviting to be nuked by the micro. Hey hey how dare you call me a bloody lazy. It is just me in my little old flat. Cooking for one is not laziness but practicality. Ok you can have your own petty thoughts. I hope one day they come out with a solution, made for one man who likes breakfast. O yes there are but, when I tried; it was one hell of a piece of what you call it... ahh words fail me. But what Luc made me was bloody good . Egg, Bacon etc etc. But though big I made it after about half an hour or so. Blimey go back to bed. Hey no way.
Yikes a bit of History of the area.
The recorded history and the topography of Callington strongly suggest a planned medieval borough was created here by the 13th century. ‘Calwiton’ was a Domesday manor within South Hill parish (the name meaning ‘bare hill farm’), which obtained a chapel in the early 12th century on the site of the present church. This small dependent churchtown was situated at the junction of a number of important routes between navigable rivers (Lynher, Tamar) and close to the early-exploited mining area on Kit Hill as well as a prosperous agricultural (and wool-producing) hinterland. Perhaps not surprisingly, by 1267 a market charter was granted by Henry III. The small market town has typical elements of a planned settlement – a chapel dependent on a distant mother-church, a triangular shaped market place laid out on flat ground, opening out in front of the church with burgage plots on either side with back lanes and evidence of roads being re-routed to pass through the market place (Liskeard Road – Church Street). In 1436 an application was made for the right of burial and in 1438 the present church and the lantern cross in the churchyard were erected. In 1583 the town received borough status. Boundary stones define the boundaries of the borough.
If you want to have a butchers into this and have a few hours of your time this is the link:
The recorded history and the topography of Callington
Ok we will come to Kit Hill a bit later on.
A wicked map of the earliest ordinance msps of the area
Ahh here came the punishment. We went outside to look around. Me lookie ,Luc showie. Straight away Luc said, " Cor blimey you stepped on dog poo". Just what I needed. At least there was good brushy grass with dew on top. Wiped it almost clean I hoped. No time to dilley-dally around. There in front of us an unconverted 1270's barn. Well bit repaired here and there. You can see the repairs, check the pics.
The Old Barn
Another Old Barn
an old stable has been converted into 3 living space. The stable lot (living space)is quite long to have the 2 flats and the ends and the landlord's lair in the middle. One time the whole thing was used as a cider making building. You can see the slide they constructed for the apple to be delivered. See pic.
The rest is mundane grass fields with clump of cedar tree which the tenants can use as firewood down below.
I purposely did not take any pics inside (do not know why hmmm buggers)
But here are some pics from outside
The Bedroom Side Of The Flat
Damn forgot to mention the fireplace in the sitting room. The flat got radiators but they come at certain times of the evening and morning. Came back indoors rather to escape the freezer outside. Then I called my good friend John C (lovingly reffered to as Scottish John). He said he will come to Luc's at 12:30 PM. Wow time so precise, I loves it. Never knew Jocks to be on time.
And now we both bit tired and all; but Luc decided to cook some tea. But me I am still full with the breakfast. But not I can stop the very stubborn man. So baked spuds was made. Man it was full works with butter and cheese etc. I could only eat half the spud. And O Boy I was dented by the experience. I wish I can eat more, but there is a limit to all good things. So I went to bed for a little sleep. We can call it a nap in the evening. Woke up about 9 and started writing this journal until Luc came about to watch the MOD (for the uninitiated that means Match of the Day). Watched it and I being still full up had to leave the food in the micro. Buggers . Me did not feel good about it. I hope it is not an insult. Crossed fingers. Went to bed for the night.
06:01:2019
Luc was planning to go to see his mother to take her to the Quaker's do. I was planning to go with him. But woken up at 8.30 AM was not my idea of holiday init? So I decided not to go with him. So I a lunatic who did not know about the heating of the flat stayed in. Well lets put it this way Luc explained but I was not really listening as this is his pad and I am a visitor. I enjoyed the solitude of the place and watched some of the drivel from the tv. Ah his tv is a tablet and very very small. But beggers choice init? So by about 11 AM the temperature of the flat started to wonder down. I was troubled. So another layer and the jacket went on but my head was not very worm. So the towel went on top and I read the Witch magazine and settled down. Some program though boring kept me entertained. Prrrr I wish I went with Luc. But my back said no init? Well I said to myself,"You have been in worse situations than this, man, grin and stop winging". That thought got me through until Luc arrived. No no, I started texting him, asking him,"What is ur ETA ' ur place ". And the door opened. Viola! Ze man appeared.
Aha the fire in the sitting room. I wished I asked Luc about how to start it etc etc. Now he explained all to me. That was I believe I will do it next time I visit some one else's domain, and stay there for a few days. LOL. He did the fire and my core temperature started to rise. Hmm memories faded in from the dim past, when I was living homelessand sleeping in a sleeping bag in the open air, in 1987 to 1990. And in 2003 to 2005 living in a storage garage. That is another story. Enjoyed the afternoon and evening watching details of FA cup matches in the little box. Yeah my man Luc is bloody irritatingly happy that Man City won 7/0. Gosh we watched afternoon scores a few times. The match between Newport Town and Leicester City was good. I took Leicester side and grrr I and they lost. More irritation as he kept on asking me what the score was 2-1 to NT. Grrr.
Wicked. He cooked a Sunday roast. bloody good thing I did not have breakfast init? Jeez that was yummy and filling. It had all the trimming. Tell you what he is not a bad cook. No no no,a good cook. Practiced over the years cooking for his kids I think. I for one has lost the touch. After years of heating up frozen packs of already prepared food, I can manage a stir fry with noodles. I did offer him to do it. He refused to accept it. Thank God. Hee hee. Couple of hours of an evening nap got up to watch the inevitable MOD. Yes all the matches of the day. Got bored after the Man City highlights and went to bed, as I did not want to watch him glorifying Man City's match. Though I would have loved to stay there for another few days, but the decision was made to get back next day. Luc's time in the flat is going to be finished by Thursday. I wanted to get a taxi back but Luc said he will drop me home. I decided to give him what ever the taxi cost. Ungentlemanly to utter the figures, and he was happy. Aha another quilt the job was done. Toast. very good sleep.
07:01:2019
Good morning Callington. Warmer morning today and coffee went down well and good. Luc getting ready to go to his sister's and I did not feel good. So I stayed back. Learnt everything how to start the fire and got the fire place loaded with logs. Had a bit of bother to get the fire going. There were two wettish large logs which were piled in the fire. So lots of fire lighters went in but the fire said hmm not. Persistence paid off. manage the bugger to roar on like it has no tomorrow. So lied around the fire for the next couple of hours. It was good fire. But do not pile it to the top with wet logs. Keep it small to start with until you get a good fire roaring. Then pile on the wet buggers if you must. But otherwise put them in front or on top of the fire place to dry. Hey hey now I am an expert in doing a fire. But I will forget the whole lot next time.
Good all practice maketh (Bloody Americans do not know olde English, like maketh and olde) logs fire well. Right! packed my goodies in the two bags. By the way I wore the same cloths I went there with except my t shirt, knickers and socks. Mummy's orders. Tried the shower. For a man of wisdom who likes his baths; that was a 2 minute affair. Well water was just hot to start with but got cold. What did I expect after 11 AM. All ready final ciggie smoked. But Luc did not happen until 10 past 3 PM. but then he says " The clock in the sitting room is not the right time". Now he tells me after spending all this time 10 minutes ahead. Aha eggs from the farm. Jolly good huh? Had a long chat about rubbish, which I am getting better at. Ribbing Luc with banter.
Much later sitting at home and finishing this off.
Blimey my memory has gone on holiday. Hope memory is stuck on the runaway and the plane cannot take off. Now the memory is back. Lost parts came back to me.
Corrumba burn all logs in the fire, and we set off about 4 PM. Nothing special happened on the way as we did not stop at all. Comfy ride around 90 MPH. Well M5 has its own 'stop and go' at Bridgwater. But made good time to Bristol to get a Burgher King treat which is Luc's favourite (f'king American shite dictionary says wrong spelling. Bugger them). One thing out of all this is Luc is a good pal and he will go in my Hall of Fame for eternity. Don't tell him tho. F off thats it.
