I’ve been at work all day today and it’s been quiet, really quiet. The good people of Cornwall have clearly been enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend sunshine instead of coming to see me. I’ve been sat there all day, looking out at a sky of the most perfect blue and wishing I was at home.

On my way home, I needed to buy milk so I stepped off my usual route and onto one that I rarely use despite its being a mile shorter. It’s too fiddly you see and there is a spot on my normal route which has spiritual relevance to me, being the spot where I first found the joy of this part of Cornwall. Tokenbury Corner for anyone who knows this bit of the world. How can anyone’s heart fail to be lifted by the view from that spot? Each time I drive across it, I am thankful for a day in the first week of March in 2004 when I looked out from that point at the countryside glistening with snow and the sea glinting in the distance. I knew from that moment on I’d be happy here.

So, I stopped for my milk, which meant I passed the pub on the way home. Boy did it look like a place that a person who has spent the entire day captive at work needed to be? Oh yes it did. There were people enjoying the sunshine at the tables outside, watching the sheep and ponies on the green beside them. I longed to be there myself, beer in hand and a contented look on my face.

When I got home, I broached the subject with DM who agreed that a walk on the moor with the dogs, followed by double egg, chips and beans and a few beers would be very agreeable indeed.

We decided on a walk up to a quarry pool where Archie would once have swum although he’s too fragile to get in and out of the pool now, which has difficult access. As we approached the entrance to the pool, we were shocked to find ourselves being approached by a man in full-on combat gear, painted face, machine gun and all. It’s rare to see a person with a gun in the UK even guarding an “important” place so to see one coming towards one here was a bit of a shock to say the least.

The bloke told us that he was a Royal Marine officer on a training exercise and that if we carried on into the quarry, we’d be delivered the sight of 60-70 men in states of undress swimming in the pool. I’d like to say I needed DM to sit on me to stop me from continuing on our intended path but the truth is macho men in uniform (or out of it as the case may be) don’t really float my boat. Give me a skinny bloke any day.

So, we decided on “discretion as the better part of valour” and decamped to the pub, where we ate our DEC&B then downed too many pints of Doom Bar while dancing the night away to a local two-piece band with other folks in the bar. I know we probably shouldn’t have drunk quite so much Doom Bar but if I say I had a completely fabulous night and continue my theme of feeling really happy to be here despite my inability to take my own medicine and slow down. And anyway, what’s Saturday night for if it’s not for “Dancin’ on a Saturday Night”?

I shot this pic of a young couple dancing (don’t they look happy – that’s why this shot made the cut – I just think it’s full of joy) while I was on a (well-earned) break from my own dancing to give the dogs a bit of fuss. I’m proud to report that the dogs were grand – they love being in the pub and while us humans were clapping appreciatively in between numbers, Rosie added her thanks to the band with a couple of woofs of appreciation.