September

 Summer slips irrevocably into Autumn. Colours fade to shades of brown; the sun rises slowly and casts long morning shadows. Evenings draw in; the blackberries ripen. On calm days the mist rolls in from the sea. Children return to school; campsites empty; cafes close.


 I think wistfully of this time last year when my time on the Professional Writing course at University College Falmouth was all before me.
Come 10th September this year it was over - apart from the results - and now another group of hopefuls is preparing for their initiation.

On the coast path I encounter my friend Reg who tells me there were two Croydon power stations, and when I last wrote about him I had him working at the wrong one. Sorry Reg; I seem to apologise to you a lot. I also met Alistair with his gentle rescued racing greyhound Preacher Boy, and a young family with their excitable dog, Daisy.

The countryside exhales, and settles down to see what winter will bring.

Reg, Bob and Toby

Strolling along the cliff path in the sunshine I meet more of the 'regulars' - Reg Hughes and his Border Terriers. Reg is looking so dapper in his sunhat that  I can't resist taking a photograph -pity it's not very good. Sorry about that Reg. I hope you'll let me try again when we meet next.
We had been walking in opposite directions; me towards Godrevy, and Reg towards Portreath, but he turns around (the dogs don't mind which direction they go in so long as they're out and about with him) and we walk along together for a while.

Reg is a man with lots of tales to tell.
His first job was as a farm boy with 'British Boys for British Farms' (a YMCA scheme that began in 1932).
Later he became an engineer, and worked at Croydon Power Station (only its towers remain now - it's been replaced by an IKEA store).
Later still he was with the Royal Naval Reserve, and almost got stuck on the Dogger Bank while towing a trawler.

When he moved to Cornwall, Reg says, he promised himself that he would walk by the sea every day; judging by his twinkling blue eyes and tanned face it's doing him good. Bob and Toby look happy too.