On the last Friday that I was at Lee we headed off to The Grampus for open mic night as usual but, unusually it was very quiet (possibly because it was Bonfire Night although more likely to do with the appalling weather). The usual suspects were there - Bill, the landlord who is an inspired fiddle player and Mark an incredibly gifted guitar player who, I suspect, has perfect pitch. They were joined by two guys who both played the bodrun (Irish drum) and a lady who played accordion. Having done several numbers they looked around for 'willing victims', and Emily, Karen's and Lawrence's daughter decided to tell them that I could sing (Where did she get that idea from? I certainly haven't sung for years, apart from in the privacy of my car). So then began a gentle coercion until I finally broke and named a song that was so obscure that they would never have heard of it and then mentioned that I couldn't remember all the words. I thought that would let me off the hook, but I hadn't reckoned on modern technology - someone with an iPhone connected via the pub's WiFi system to the internet and Googled for the words!! They'd gone to so much effort that I felt it would be churlish not to sing and anyway, they were probably going to regret it far more than me! As no one knew the tune I had to sing unaccompanied and when I initially opened my mouth no recognisable note came out. I swallowed, gave myself a stiff talking to and tried again............and again! Eventually, a vague semblance of the song emerged and I found that by closing my eyes and pretending that there wasn't a bar full of people in front of me (it had got busier by then) I could actually get through it. However, I think it may be sometime before I try that particular form of masochism again even though everyone applauded and Mark asked if I knew anymore (I'm sure they were just being polite).
One of the biggest headaches of my adventure has been trying to make sure that all my visits segue seamlessly so that I am not left without anywhere to stay on my way round. So far it has worked well and, apart from the host I was due to go to for the whole of September who thought I was only going for the first two weeks (when I was helping my aunt in Cwmbran), everything has gone according to plan. I was due to leave Lee on Saturday but I had a last minute communication from my next hosts asking if I could possibly come on the Sunday instead, as they had family staying on Saturday which would mean that I would have to self cater for my first night and they didn't think that was fair. Karen and Lawrence were quite happy for me to stay an extra night so I set off after lunch on Sunday to drive to Launceston - about 2 hours away.
I got about one mile from Lee when a warning light started to flash on the dashboard and an insistent alarm started to sound. I pulled over as soon as I could and, being female, reached for the owner's handbook! The flashing light was the Engine Diagnostics Warning Light and to drive further 'might incur damage to the Catalytic Converter'! It then said in big, unfriendly letters 'Consult your Peugeot dealer'. The thought briefly crossed my mind that a) where was the nearest Peugeot dealer and b) the likelihood of them being open on a Sunday afternoon was about as likely as me learning how to mend my own car! I rang Lawrence and asked if I could come back.
Typically, by the time I had made the call, turned on the ignition and done a masterly three-point turn, the warning light and alarm had switched off. By the time I got back to the farm I'd managed to convince myself that it had been water in the exhaust system because I hadn't started the car for three weeks. However, Lawrence pointed out that it sounded as if the exhaust was blowing, which it was so I decided to stay put and take the car into his mechanic on the Monday.
The mechanic couldn't look at it until Monday afternoon, so I followed Lawrence there and then we came back the scenic route via Braunton, Saunton Sands, Croyde and Woolacombe - all places that I hadn't been to before, so that was a bit of a bonus. I spent the afternoon feeling sick with apprehension as the only bit of the exhaust system I haven't had replaced is the expensive catalytic converter end. Luckily, this mechanic is a realist and honest so when we spoke to him later that day he'd managed to weld it for 'forty pounds for cash'. Needless to say it was too late to get on the road then so I stayed yet another night in Lee and finally left on Tuesday morning. My new WWOOF hosts were very understanding of the delay and made me very welcome when I arrived................... but more of that later.
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