3/6/12 - Sir, that is the hub nut

Distance - 6.75 Miles
Geocaches - 12
Walk Inspiration


Yesterday
Like the rest of the country, we drove down to Cornwall.  Left at 6:30am and the M5 was showing signs of clogging from Worcester.  Struggled down in a 6 hour epic, that involved the use of the Internet to find a decent pub for lunch.  Checked into Father Ted's caravan and Sonia went around tutting.  For a £30 post dog clean up, you would expect no dog hairs.  Or bean juice on the bin lid.  Checked weather reports and decided that we are all now republicans.  Whit week was last week, when it was mid 20s.  Because the Queen has been on the throne for a long time, it has been moved and we are now in subartic conditions.  With wind.  Still, the fire works in our van.

The Walk
Furthest drive and one of the longer walks for this holiday.  The weather looked terrible, so I thought we would get it out of the way.  The plan is to get out and back before a 14 year old boy wakes up and realises he has been balancing the night on a bed that is narrower than his hips.  I set a mental alarm clock.  4:30am, I am shaking Sonia to ask what time it is.  We are out at 6am.

This is a classic walk - out along the coast and back inland.  We park up and drop down to Polkerris which has everything a man needs - a pub and a cafe.

Polkerris Pub

Technically, dog not allowed.  But it was early

Pick up the south west coast path, heading south.  First four Geocaches require a boat to retrieve, as they down below the cliffs, shoreside.  This means we concentrate walking through the intermittent miasma.  The walking isnt helped by the overgrown triffids that are soaking wet.  Its not too long before wet boots and trousers are commented upon with  the same disdain as a beany bin lin.

We are doing three sides of a U shape by the coast, around Gribben Head with its disused lighhouse.  At one point, just as though god is delivering us an angel, the sun comes out.  A euphoric experience.

Getting Brighter

Hallelujah

We do have some stunning views of Fowey from here.  One of our favourite places and no doubt a visit will be in order this week.  Molly gets what she comes on holiday for - a swim in one of the isolated coves.

Joy, Unbound

We work our way around to Foy Estuary.  This is where the caching starts properly, with a nano on the roof of turreted building.  Molly gets to play with Charlie the Labradoodle, who comes complete with a very odd curly tail that reveals his chocolate starfish to the world.

There is a house here.  If it was for sale, Sonia would make me work harder.

To get back to the car, we come up on the Saint's way.  This is a long distance path that runs from North to South Cornwall.  It is also properly loaded with caches and there are loads to entertain and distract us.  This is nice walking through farmland that eventually gets us back to the car. 

The Cafe is open.

Laughing now - they didn't know what was coming

Post Walk Drama
Tyre looks a bit flat on return to the car.  Decide that I will have a good look when Sonia is in Tescos for the third supermarket related visit of the holiday.  On the way, it is apparent that its gone.

Park up.  Flat as a panacake.  OK - time to put into practice a lesson my dad gave me back in 1988.  Get the boot open and find all the secret compartments that hide the tools in an audi.  The red triangle is not the jack.  The jack is hidden by the subwoofer (I know where this is).  Break the tension on the wheel nuts first.  So far so good.

Use the jack.  Attempt twice, before realising we are upside down.  Get it the right way up and like a phoenix from the flames, the car rises.  Get the five wheel nuts off.  Pull at the wheel.  No joy. 

Time to think about it.  Sonia says maybe there is another nut behind the centre cover.  Low and behold, there is but our joy is short lived as we have no Socket that meets the shape.  Oh no.

Phone the AA.  After a long and frank discussion about who I am, my mileage and what my reg number is, they promise me someone in 2-3 hours.

We have been having calls off Alex.  The crumpets are too fat for the toaster.  This is an emergency.

I decide to phone St Austell Kwik Fit.  I explain the problem.  Have you ever heard someone from the south west do patronising.  Its not pleasant.  On describing the issue, I get.

"Sir, that is the hub nut.  If you remove that the driveshaft will fall off".

Turns out brake dust and alloy can fuse the wheels on.  I needed to kick the wheel repeatedly, like Basil hitting his car with a twig, and eventually it dropped off.

I now feel quite good about my manual labour attempts.

Next time, it will be like an F1 pit stop.