Mother Ivey's Bay

Two months into the Caliko Acoustic Tour I met up with Jon & Jo for some fun in the sea with wetsuits & body boards. The choice of beach; Mother Iveys Bay, Padstow, the conditions; mostly thunderous, sea like a sheet of glass, the fun rating; a brilliant 9 points out of 10!

After the kind offer to stay in the Caliko awning I managed to persuede the receptionist to let me stay for free at the caravan park, my little Polo however pushed my accomodation fees up to a massive £12 for the week. Once the slightly ill-fitting awning had been customised & set up it made for a comfortable night's sleep... until a seagull danced on the roof, noisy critter. Here's Jon offering the finest of breakfasts from the Caliko burger van.

One evening's amusement included Pete's infamous remote controlled plane which, piloted by Suzanne, flew for at least 30 seconds before making it's final crash-landing of the night. Dirt in the propellor engine and missing wheels mattered not. Reparations were swift and she lives to fly again.

Aside from flat eggs at the burger van (the Surfer's Challenge half-pound burger proved a hit for some reason...) and post-surf BBQs there was no topping the Harlyn Inn Carvery. While Jon baby sat chin-gripping Frank, Rob & Marianne filled plates resembling views of Chamonix with mountainous peaks of every imaginable roasted vegetable, including the ludicrously tasty honey-glazed parsnips.

When the waves were around there was plenty of action & I learned enough technique by the end of the week to get myself into the right position to catch a small wave. After struggling with the fins I was advised to try Pete's man-from-Atlantis webbed gloves which sure make swimming faster but require shoulder muscles like He-Man.


Jon had the right idea & took regular surfing breaks to return to the comfort of the beach pitch & repeatedly play Kelly Joe Phelps numbers on his Mini Martin. After a week with little sun we found ourselves back at Harlyn Bay on 'Big Friday' where the waves had a four-foot face and the sun took as many minutes to burn each of us to a crisp... except George & Frank, who's factor fifty served them well.