This One Takes the Biscuit!

We've all heard of the term clickbait. It's often a digital weapon used by ambitious

youtubers to increase their views, not to mention their youtube income. But this News

article headline above really does take the biscuit. It's almost a new low, something you

normally expect from papers like the online Daily Express, but no, this misleading

headline was actually put out by GB News online, a tv News Channel that I would always

prioritize over the BBC. It was even recently voted the best News Channel for it's honesty

in tackling current issues that other channels steer away from. 

The popular tv show Gone Fishing features Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer as they

visit some of the most beautiful rivers and locations around the U.K. And throughout the

show while fishing, they reflect on life, mortality and discuss their various medical ailments.

So the misleading headline above lead me to believe that one of the show's hosts had passed

on, which was not true. It was in fact their little companion Ted the dog who passed

away in April. Yes, Ted was lovable but he was only a minor part of the show. And so

hopefully the show will continue without Ted.

Gone Fishing absolutely inspired me to make my Surrey River video

last Summer. First posted HERE.

Right now we're in the grip of an uncomfortable heatwave. Something that's unusual

for June. It's also affecting much of Europe, particularly in France and Spain.

But what fascinates me every time a heatwave arrives is that I find myself scanning

the U.K weather map only to observe each time that Lerwick (arrowed) in The Shetlands

seems to be immune from heatwaves. Are there savvy shrewd people out there that

dislike heatwaves so much that they jump on the train to Aberdeen and head for Lerwick

just to get away from the stifling heat?

You'll often notice on the weather maps that when it's around 30c in London then it will

often be half that at 15c in Lerwick. So should those Scottish Islands start marketing

themselves as an escape and bolt hole from these horrible heatwaves when they occur?

VISIT LERWICK SHETLAND

The Bike Riders Are Back!

Sunday the 14th of June saw in this year's London World Naked Bike Ride. An event

that first began back in June 2004. And it's purpose is to protest against car culture and

the dependency on oil as well as road bicycle safety. 

The event usually takes place on the first Saturday in June but this year the organizers

scheduled it in a week later on a Sunday.

Although being quite busy myself that Sunday, I just made it to Wellington Arch by Hyde

Park Corner just as all the riders gathered at the finishing point, while at the same

time there was a huge gathering of Ukrainians celebrating their annual Vyshyvanka

March (top image), but they swiftly moved on once the bike riders turned up.

As for this year's event I couldn't help noticing less women taking part. Either that or

most of them took off home once the bike ride ended rather than endure the endless requests

from hungry photographers on the Wellington Arch Green.

I think it is just the guys that seem to like posing at the end. In fact an extraordinary guy

from Taiwan (below)  with amazing long hair asked me to take several pictures of himself 

and to e-mail them to him, which I did, although probably not safe to post them up here. He

also mentioned to me that he will be at The Brighton Bike Ride coming up in early September.

The World Naked Bike Ride.

West Cornwall June 2026

 

Well I never expected to be able to snap away so many pictures while staying down

in Cornwall last week after the horrendous weather predictions for that week. But on my

first Sunday there, St Ives was looking spectacular, like a picture postcard. And so thankfully

the weather held for the rest of the week with on and off sunshine plus some occasional rain,

although sadly not good enough for a trip to the Islands, The Isles of Scilly.

I've visited most major British seaside coastal resorts, but when the sun shines in St Ives

then no other British resort can compete with it. It must be why I'm drawn back there

each Summer. Oh sure, global travel has it's attractions and I enjoyed my six trips to

The United States, but it was all a lot of work and stress. And the current delays and

the endless queuing and document checking at U.K and European Airports makes British

Staycation holidays a tempting alternative.

St Ives is a five hour journey from Paddington London, and perhaps 6 hours in all from

door to door. 

I wonder how long the journey takes if you're coming from Scotland or the North of England.

  

 

 

 

It was good to finally get over to Marazion and check out the damage to the Castle Island

St Michael's Mount after the devastation of last Winter's Storm Goretti.

Apparently the storm brought down eighty percent of the Island's trees, some almost 100 years old.

And as you can see from my new pictures, the gaps where trees once stood look very visible. Yet still

the Island looks spectacular.

Apparently the oldest building on the Island dates back to 12th century.

 Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me

leading wherever I choose.

Henceforth I ask not good fortune,

I myself am good fortune, strong and content

I travel the open road.

Walt Whitman - American Poet - 1819 - 1892

( From  Song of The Open Road )

Above:  Rosewall Hill just outside St Ives.

Below:  The surrounding area by Rosewall Hill.

Of course I had to pick up a few more Cornish souvenirs including another ceramic

tile with a painted image of The Mount. 

On the Thursday afternoon I just happened to be in Penzance when I saw The Scillonian III

Ferry all tied up at the Penzance harbour dock. What was it doing there? It doesn't normally

return to Penzance until around 7:00 pm each evening. So I'm guessing that the day's sailing

to The Isles of Scilly got cancelled due to bad weather that morning.

But how lucky I was to see the Boat, as this Summer is the last time it will sail as it's going to be

replaced by the new more modern and up to date Scillonian IV next year.

The old Scillonian III has been in service for more than 40 years.

This is the holiday property I stayed in during last week. And with it's three floors

it was once a fisherman's cottage. And if it looks familiar then that's because I stayed 

here in 2023.

And it's main attraction is it's central location in St Ives being right next to the two main

supermarkets. I can only imagine that it must get quite crowded when a whole family

stays here, being a small quaint property. But for me staying here on my own was absolutely

perfect. And I will certainly book this property for my next stay here, hopefully next Summer

during the early Summer off-peak season.

I did actually book this property again for early September but then changed my mind while there

last week. So I lost my deposit, But at least I won't now have to pay the full balance fee at

the end of this month. These places really are expensive to stay in just for a single week. 

And interestingly having just checked

this property's availability on the website, not a single week has been booked during

the peak month of August which is charging over a thousand pounds for each week. And that

to me is a bit of a shock as August is generally the first Summer month to get booked up and 

taken first. I wonder if holidaymakers have had enough of the ever increasing rental prices.

So I was happy to settle into the middle floor bedroom right next to the bathroom.

Above: The top floor bedroom which never actually got used as my usual travelling partner

didn't join me, being unwell and unable to travel. 

One of my favourite treats in St Ives is a piece of apple pie from The Yellow Canary

Cafe in Fore Street. And it's even nicer with Swedish dairy free vanilla Ice cream.