19/9/2021 - Par to Fowey (6.37mls)

Amazingly, Justine and DavidA arrived in the East Beach Car Park at Par almost at the same time as we (Fiona and DavidL) did. Changing into our walking gear the obligatory start of the week TeamSWCP photo was taken ...

Fiona had moments earlier taken a picture of the 3 walkers but I said we needed one of the whole of TeamSWCP so borrowed her phone to take the above selfie.

We then said our goodbyes arranging to meet at one of the ferry stages in Fowey around 15:30 and then the 3 walkers set off on the path top to the cliff top and Fiona left the car park to spend the rest of her day in peace.

Part way up the cliff path I put my hand in my trouser pocket and realised that I had put Fiona's phone in my pocket and she had driven off with no means of communication between us and also some of her credit cards etc were in her phone which I now had!!

We quickly came to the conclusion that there was nothing we could do but hope that Fiona remembered where and when we had agreed to meet although, during the afternoon, various ideas were muted, such as sending emails and messages which she could pick up on her iPad if she thought to find a WIFI hotspot.

The walk itself was pretty uneventful and fairly easy. Shortly passing Polkerris we thought that maybe Fiona would have discovered her lack of phone by now and would have attempted to intercept us here. She did, but not until she was further down the road and after she had retraced her steps to the car park, so by the time she got to Polkerris we had already gone through! Whilst there she decided to console herself with a cup of coffee and a sausage roll but as she normally paid by Apple Pay, which was on her phone, she offered good old cash from her purse which was refused - card only madam. However, restoring her faith in humanity, and on hearing of her predicament, the two people behind her offered to pay! She of course was later mortified to realise that she had a number of cards in her purse.

We of course were unaware of all this and by now were well on our way to Griffin Head and the Daymark ...

Our lunch stop was a very picturesque and fairly deserted cove at Polridmouth where, whilst DavidA and I ate our sandwiches, Justine went for a paddle and attempted to re-enact her prestigious swim in the Serpentine ...

We were soon rounding St Catherine's Point at the entrance to Fowey where we searched for Fiona outside the King of Prussia pub at one of the ferry crossing points. When the meeting time came and went we left DavidA keeping a lookout whist Justine and I went down the main high street where lo and behold we found Fiona loitering in a shop doorway, much to the relief of everybody.

Returning to meet up with David we went for a well deserved drink near by to share our views on each side of the story, and watch the world go by on the Fowey estuary ...

In conclusion, what we observed was that now we are so reliant on mobile phones we have forgotten that in the past we would have had no choice but to arrange a meeting point, as we did, but also to have had a fall back plan, which we didn't really as Fiona also had the keys to Justine's car back at the Par car park!

Still, all ended well, and we drove back to Par to pick up Justine's car and then on to Lighthouse Cottage.