You can blame Bob Allison for this pre trip blog. He phoned me to wish us well on our upcoming trip, and when discussing my "fantasy" about spending time on the cliffs of Cornwall watching stormy seas and then retreating to a bar and enjoying a beer in front of a roaring fire, it revived memories of the last trip to Cornwall.

Bob suggested I try some of the local brews and I then remembered a night at a hotel on the harbour wall at Polpero. In around 1986 Ches and I visited the Blue Peter Inn after a day traveling along the south coast. We were probably tired and therefore susceptible to the effects of alchohol.

After a couple of pints, one of which was probably a "scrumpy cider" and which in retrospect would have been about 10% alchohol I asked the barman if there was a "local" brew that I really had to try. He picked up on my accent and then we had a conversation about how he had worked as a barman at the Coogee Bay hotel but was then deported after overstaying his visa. That settled it, I should try the "Cripple Dick".

Back then, it had a simple golden cap and no label and as he produced a bottle from under the bar, he announced ".... and it does". I only recently discovered that it is 11.7% alchohol. That probably amounted to around 28% alchohol in 3 pints and explains why having purchased several bottles to bring back to Sydney, Cheryl had to take my arm and stop me from falling over as I climbed the street back to our B&B.

This time I might limit myself to Keltek Brewery's "Beheaded" at 7.6% or perhaps just one "Russian Square Imperial Stout" at 12.5%