By Day and Night, Living out of Sight

As much as I hate Stoke-on-Trent for being a crummy shit hole full of derelict buildings, bad roads and irate drivers. It is still the most warming sight at night after a day of travelling. Coming up the A50 or M6 seeing its glow in the night sky, I sort of know I'm home or nearly there, whichever is the case. I find it strange that in the darkness pretty much anything man made can look stunning.

By day nature provides the stunning landscapes, by night it must be said that the creations of man provide the awe. I suppose at night you can't see the stories behind the blinking lights as you drive past, you don't see cracks or peoples faces, you only see what we've created. It does sound a little stupid but things everyone else seems to take for granted such as roads, lighting, buildings, all sorts, I find it utterly amazing. All these components working together, despite complaints when they don't work, its still amazing that they do at all.

Travelling the roads of the UK doesnt half put things into perspective, we're such a small country compared to pretty much everyone else. Yet somehow inbetween all the chaos of every day life, everything seems to work. It does sound stupid, but out of every county I've been the UK is where I feel safest. If you crash, get injured or whatever, the response time is quite frankly amazing. Yes, some of this must be down to the logistics required in the UK being on a smaller scale than say a US state, but good god, if its that fast here it must seem like a snail pace anywhere bigger. Admist the madness there is organisation. It's good to see.

The last few days were spent in Cornwall with the joys of Robin, Christina and Lorna for company...and a dog... Lorna did the driving, hats off to her, she drove well and speedily...without too many incidents, personally had I have driven I might have doneded a few crashes...Such is my confidence in my own driving. I would not admit such niceties to lorna's face as it would be seen as a)Sarcasm, or b) a Lie or c)Wrong...just plain wrong, so therefore I say nothing, I keep stum about such bullshittery. Therefore I'm not being stubborn or ignorant, I just have a sixth sense for futility of a scenario.

Anyhows, after much driving the tent must be erected, with is a doddle if you have a 2/3 second tent...however the stability of such a tent in a highwind is a glory to behold...therefore to anyone going to a rugged and somewhat stubborn location, I suggest a 'well-ard' tent...Ours followed this route but to some the damned thing up in one word I'd choose "bastardlike". I've seen clearer instructions from the Apple website and I've seen better tents manufactured by the Soviet Union. Therefore I say bollocks to it, I'll just get a static caravan.

Speaking of static caravan is there anyone in the UK who can tell me why every road we were on was full of lorries carrying static caravans? I personally thought to be some sort of crazy capture the flag style game. Stealing the homes from the opponents site and lugging them to your own. The idea seems ludicrous, but I love the thought of it.

On the way down we stopped a truckers diner...I must say, its something to do before you die, there were some dodgy old souls in the place and why on earth they needed 4 working staff to man it was beyond me. It was like a site office on a construction site with some plastic chairs, a hob and a till. Still I love the novelty of such things.

Everyone in cornwall seemed to be suspiciously nice and eager to give good hospitality. Maybe because it was out of season, they were desperate perhaps? Or was it because they smelt the money? Either way, hats off to them I loved it.

I must also reserve a final comment for the dog...Poppy, an animal which really topped off an excellent getaway. A collie (or so I believe to be) with more energy than a red bull factory smoothered in those lucozade tablets you get. Waking up first thing in a morning to see it sitting outside with a stick raring to go was quite cheering to the soul. Then to come back from the shower to see a stone left inside the entrance of the tent. Poppy it seems has a penchant for stones and likes to chase anything that can be thrown in order to retrieve. Even if the item is a size of an atom and will never be found again, the joy of running is enough alone.

Hats off to you Poppy, you could make a rock garden quicker than groundforce.