Globally, the total combined spending on weather forecasting is apparently well over $10 to $15 billion annually. That’s an enormous amount of money and, given that several billion of that comes from public funds, I don’t think it’s offering terribly good value for money. Take today for example – the forecast said overcast but no rain. When we opened the front door the heavens opened as well to a lovely drizzle. It flipped and flopped between drizzle and blazing sun all morning sometimes at a seconds notice.
The Magic Bus
Today we were off to The Lost Gardens of Heligan and as we’d travelled down by train needed to rely on public transport to get us there. Fortunately the Transport for Cornwall app is the same one that Reading Buses use only in different colours. (The app and backend are provided by a company called r2p and if you want to know more about them and their data have a look at my technology blog).
It being the same app meant that it was easy for us to navigate and find the best bus from our accommodation to Heligan. This appeared to be the #25 bus which the app showed as going all the way but when I checked the timetable the 25 only went as far as the St Austell bus station. What we needed was the #29 from the bus station to Heligan.
Not wanting to risk getting the 25, it being late and us missing our connection we elected to walk up the hill from Charlestown to St Austell bus station.
When the 25 arrived it was late but then again the 29 was late arriving too. The reason for this quickly became clear when the sign on the front of the bus was changed from 25 to 29. We could have got the bus all the way after all and saved ourselves a hike up the hill!
Not Lost
At 200 acres you would think that it would be difficult to “lose” the Heligan Gardens and, of course, they never were really lost in the true sense of the word. Maybe “The Abandoned Gardens of Heligan” wouldn’t have the same ring to it? They became neglected after the First World War and were only begun to be restored in the 1990s and given how extensive the gardens are it’s incredible what has been achieved.
Heligan is divided into several distinct areas with the formal gardens up near the entrance and the more exotic areas, such as The Jungle, further down. And when I say down, I really do mean down. There are some areas that are reached by very steep paths and it really is a good work out for the calves when you inevitably have to come back up again.
If I had to choose a favourite area I would have to go for The Jungle with it’s tall, huge leafed plants and the giant ferns. There was even a rope bridge across the tops of these which made for an interesting view. The guide leaflet states that the rope bridge is unsuitable for, amongst other things, wheelchairs. I admire anyone who is able to get their wheelchair down that far without mishap and felt that it would be foolish not try try wheeling across the rope bridge given that they’d made the effort.
We spent about four hours exploring the grounds before heading back to get the bus for the return journey to St Austell. This time, at the bus station, we stayed on the bus and it magically changed from the 29 to the 25 and carried on its way. I still have no idea why it does that. It makes zero sense to me but I’m sure Transport for Cornwall has their reasons. Maybe I’ll ask them.
