Over the past two weeks I have been visiting Treliske after an operation on my throat to remove cancer which has caused me to completely lose my voice. I am reduced to a whisper which could well be a feature in my remaining life that I may perhaps have lost my voice forever. So be it I have only myself to blame for smoking cigarettes with the poisons of tobacco and nicotine since I was about 15 because it was the thing to do. Fags cost in the region of three shilling for the cheap ones like Players number 6 but for the real working class you could get Woodbines for two and sixpence and cough your bleeding guts out but two minutes later you would light up another one. If you had a packet of fags you were someone to look up to, no-one thought about the damage to our health and certainly in my early days I do not remember any government telling us “you will get cancer if you smoked cigarettes”  When television started the adverts made it essential to follow their guidelines and try out all the latest cancer killing flavours.

Now then, about me, as readers know I smoke the odd spliff or two because I have always reckoned that with every illness is that Cannabis is part of the cure for most known illnesses. I am not an expert but having lived for over a year with our St Kitts friends with various holidays we got to know the families very well. Most of them smoked the weed from very early ages. Entire families from 10 year old to grannies were in wonderful healthy condition stoned a bit but happy and sleepy but great people to get along with. Like them all I have exercised well with the weights but this cancer bit has not disturbed me at all. Apart from the pains I have had in my legs I feel fine for my 82 years, I am getting a bit nervous about the Radio Therapy and the side affects however with a team of up to ten medical experts at Treliske guiding the path to my hopeful recovery from cancer I have total faith.

As always I confessed that I smoked cannabis to the doctors from day one, the request was that I did not smoke during the treatment but, if there is any other way of getting the cannabis into your system like drinking or putting it in food then that would be acceptable. Some time ago we made some wonderful cheese and cannabis scones that were an absolute knock out so experiments must be done. I have heard that if you get a Mars bar and you melt it down then mix ‘der weed into de mars’ mate let it set and if you add the right amount then,  you eat it the effect is amazing and you talk a load of shite but you remember furk all about it the following day, nice one,

I think when I start the radio therapy I will get Rowe’s to bake a regular order of a dozen a week ‘weed scones’ followed by treated Mars Bars three times a day, who could ask for anything more ffs! It’s good to daydream innit me hansom.
So do I feel sorry for myself not one jot, I have a wonderful wife number 4 my ambitions are to be taken to court for late payment of maintenance at the age of 90 and to find wife number 5! Believe me we have two ladies of the car boots that have offered to be wives number 5 & number 6 both together ffs.

Now lets get serious, we have another lock-down this time 4 weeks which Doris from number 10 tells us’could be extended’ at the end of the four weeks which is wrong to penalise Cornwall because we have so few cases compared to other parts of the country so the answer to our end of the country is to close all traffic from up-country who are coming to their second homes probably bringing more COVID 19 with them, lock-down means exactly that and I believe within the first four weeks if we all do our bit we should demand to open up as we will have beaten the increase of the pandemic. Then we will happily open to roads into Cornwall about Easter time so the tourists and the two home owners can spend loads of dosh on the lovely people of the best place ever-ever to live. Go Cornwall.

Finally, go NHS thank you to all of the nurses and doctors and specialists for your devotion and care with your work at Treliske Hospital including the Sunrise cancer care wards. Thank you.  Geoff  X

Inside a car boot sale in Cornwall during a pandemic

Car boot sales aren’t very Covid friendly so we went to find out how one works now. For car boot fanatics, there is little that brings more glee than finding yourself a bargain amongst a pile of otherwise unwanted junk. Treasure-seekers and selling enthusiasts across Cornwall have been rising at the crack of down for decades now to race to their nearest Car Boots Cornwall in the hope of making a pretty penny. But in the era of COVID, how exactly does a car boot sale work when it’s a known fact that everyone gets touchy-feely with all the items – and cash payments are non-negotiable?

We took a trip to Newquay this week to see exactly how people have been navigating them in the middle of a pandemic, and what they think of the changes. On the only sunny day of the week, hundreds showed up in search of the last bargains to be had for this season – before people stash their goods away for winter. When the gates opened at midday people were certainly keen, with four rows of cars parked up and around sixty people waiting – socially distanced – in the queue. The wardens made everything feel safe as houses, with two taking the £1 entry fee on arrival, and another explaining social distancing measures at the front of the queue to those entering. All three were wearing masks and there was hand sanitiser available on entry and plenty of signage instructing people where to go and what to do (or what not to do). Every person was encouraged to wear masks – while it was not essential – and the kind lady at the queue also asked everyone to respectfully keep a distance and hold back from the stalls if they were overcrowded. Of course there were the few covidiots that completely ignored this in a bid to get to the stalls quickest – but most people were more than respectful.

Steve Powell is an avid stall holder, often travelling around Cornwall to hold boot sales at different locations. He said as soon as sellers were given the go ahead to return this summer, many of them went straight back to it. But he hasn’t done as many as he would have liked this year. “This year I haven’t done as many as I would have liked just because of everything going on. But I have been coming when I can depending on the weather.” He also explained that he feels more than comfortable at the venues where Car Boots Cornwall takes place, saying there are plenty of measures and all the sellers keep hand sanitiser available in the car.  “I don’t really worry about it, I know I’m being a bit blasé but we really have

not had it as bad down here as up-country,” he added. “In Cornwall I think we have felt safe because of our numbers and having done three boot sales this past week, it’s really nice to just be out in the fresh air where you feel safe.”

Gwyn and Philip Linley, 78 and 71, were in the middle of a Cornish staycation when they decided to pop along to the boot sale – something they enjoy doing at home.

The pair of pensioners actually had two holidays abroad cancelled this year so booked a trip to the Duchy to make up for it. “We wouldn’t usually have come to Cornwall and have not been for years,” said Gwyn. “But we are glad we came because we have had a wonderful time”. The couple said they visit car boots regularly back home because they love to give a new lease of life to something that might otherwise end up at the dump.  “We like to refurbish items and we do often see something that is beautiful but very unloved. It’s much better for the planet.” As a precautionary measure, the couple keep hand sanitiser with them all the time and are very conscious of wearing masks out in public – which Gwyn lovingly made herself – even in outside spaces.

Chris and his partner have been selling and buying for a combined time of almost half a century between them and it seems everybody knows them.
The car boot aficionados were approached quickly by traders and they said it would be unusual for them to miss a boot sale date in the summer. Chris said: ” We have been attending four a week at the moment but usually we would do more.

“We can’t help people touching everything and we just have to grin and bear it, but luckily in the south west we are well below the average for cases.
“I must also say that even when we opened for summer I must credit the holiday makers because a lot of them kept their distance and were polite enough. “He added that it was good for them to go able to open because boot sales provided a welcome and safe activity for people to do this summer other than visit the crowded beaches.
“There were a few obnoxious holiday makers, like the ones that came here because they couldn’t go abroad, but the ones who come regularly were nice enough.”

FIRST Car Boot of this year throughout West Cornwall;

Sorry for delay with this blog which goes on a bit but thank you to all of the lovers who appreciate Geoff Says because it is rude up front and truthful and most of the time I don’t GAF because I am in the safety of my man cave. It is 2.00 am I woke up with severe cramp in my legs so a rum & coke a spliff of a smoke followed by another, some peaceful music it’s pissing down outside who cares! Now then, Saturday at Mitchell Car Boot was going fine the weather was indifferent with a heavy shower that lasted 30 seconds some panic stricken sellers frantically cover their selling items, one stall I noticed as soon as the shower started blokie jumped in his car leaving his missus to deal with the rain and cover the stock whilst he is sitting in the dry the miserable b’stard. That is no way to treat someone you are supposed to love ffs!

One of our really good regular sellers well known for his pickled onions we shall call him Tony, he was selling at his stall when some ugly looking thug thinking he was being funny in front of his fat-bloke mates as they walked past Tony’s stall by coughing loudly followed by shouting the word COVID which they found hilarious but Tony was not amused! What makes pricks like these jerks think they are being funny during this dreadful pandemic is beyond me, may the crutch of their trouser rot and may they fall through and break their pucking necks ffs, metaphorically speaking of course! Schmooks!

SUNDAY at TRURO Car Boot Sale

We do all we can to provide a safe environment for the safety of all our customers following the guidelines of Cornwall Council. On Sunday we put a fresh 5 litre bottle of HAND SANITISER on the table for our customers Health & Safety so they may sanitise their hands whilst in our care.

Some miserable b’stard decided to steal the sanitiser thereby depriving our team and our customers of hand care at our sale. On the 5 litre container it states 70% Alcohol kills 99.99% Virus & Bacteria!!

Now then, may the person who stole the sanitiser drink the entire contents which are ‘fast acting’ and may their arse explode in their beds during the middle of the night for seven nights in a row followed by them growing ‘penis fish’ up their butt-plug for ever! cheers!!

Car Boot Sales this week; SATURDAY at 8.00 am at TRURO; SUNDAY at TRURO at 1.00 pm & SUNDAY at St Columb MAJOR at 2.00 pm; Coming soon; Mitchell & NEWQUAY. SOCIAL DISTANCING at all CBC events applies please, many thanks. X
…………………………………………
BUYERS and SELLERS should bring there own sanitisers and hand wipes, as we are in the outdoors masks are OPTIONAL! ………………………………………..
Sellers should arrive at least one hour before the start of our Car Boot Sales. We would ask all of our customers to totally respect all other customers by social distancing. Our PUBLIC LIABILITY Licence protects all persons attending our events however this does not include CORONA-VIRUS infections! Enjoy your day and help us to safe distance when attending our events. Many thanks. Geoff and our CBC teams. Please note; Whilst we will have hand sanitisers you should have your own sanitiser and hand-wipes. NEWQUAY will start on THURSDAY the 23rd of this month. Be well-Be safe. Geoff

Hello,
Our Landlord at Mitchell has asked that we do not use his fields for Car Boot Sales due to Corona Virus we totally accept his request, will move and re-open JUST across the road. There is no bad feeling no big gossip both Landlords get on very well together?

We are happy to have 3 fields that overlook the dual carriageway which is where we get most of our buyers from and we start ‘across the road’ on SATURDAY the 25th JULY at 12.00 noon and if you are a seller(don’t forget your hand sanitiser & wipes) you will be given plenty of selling space to display you selling items. Enjoy the move James is the Landlord and we thank him for his cooperation. Geoff and the team. x

For all CAR BOOT SALES operated by CAR BOOTS CORNWALL
SELLERS GUIDE LINES!
COVID 19 precautions;
You MUST maintain distance between yourself and your fellow customers at all times.
If buyers are crowding around your stall it is your responsibility to ask them to space out and wait their turn to be served.
Buyers have been asked not to touch items they do not intend to buy, if a buyer shows interest in any item please tell them of any imperfections.
Please have hand sanitisers and wipes available on your stall.
Consider cash transactions as a ‘risk’ all buyers should bring their own change ideally to pay the right amount for items you wish to purchase. Keep your money in one safe box in your boot, do not let your children play with the money.

Being outdoors is relatively a safe environment. UV light kills COVID 19, breezes and fresh air carry away impurities.
Do not be afraid but be aware!!

Louise.
26th June 2020

Website Instruction for BUYERS
COVID 19 Precautions;

At all of the CAR BOOT SALES operated by Car Boots Cornwall we must ensure the buyers keep to the minimum distance of ONE METER please.
Please be polite and endeavour to KEEP YOUR DISTANCE you may have to Q for a while and whilst in the sale please make every effort to pay stall-holder the correct money!
Bring your own change we are not allowed to give change some buyers ‘may’ allow you to pay card payments.
Car Boots Cornwall will provide sanitisers and wipes for the use of our customers.
The wearing of masks is optional however ‘wearing a mask’ doesn’t make you look stupid it makes you look considerate’
If you are going to make a purchase ask the price and the condition of the item/s you wish to purchase. Only handle the item/s once you have PAID!

Being outdoors is relatively a safe environment. UV light kills COVID 19, breezes and fresh air carry away impurities.
Do not be afraid but be aware!!

Louise.
26th June 2020

To all Car Boot sellers and buyers who come to buy or sell at any of our Car Boots Cornwall locations we regret the delays in commencing our sales due to Corona-virus Pandemic.

I have asked Cornwall Council for any guidelines they recommend that we take into consideration for our reopening. I have received a reply from Neighbourhood & Public Protection | Cornwall Council in which there are up to 20 different guidelines we cannot ignore particularly with the Social distancing requirements. We would need at least 8-10 supervisory team members which are not affordable at most locations when considering Landlords rents Public Liability and portable toilets.

As a buyer just imagine not being able to inspect something you may wish to buy unless you buy it as with the clothing shops and stores do not touch unless you buy. As a seller the idea would seriously spoil your dayand kill the happy atmospheres that usually prevail at all Car Boot Sales.

I have decided Car Boots Cornwall will not run any Car Boot Sales until the 7th JULY 2020 when we can review the situation again however there could be further delays depending on the path of the virus and the social distancing is considerably safely reduced. This decision is taken in the interest of Public Health and to reduce the risk of Corona-virus spreading further in the South West.

I thank Cornwall Council for their cooperation and advice.

There may be Car Boot Sales who could operate without Public Liability Insurance which is most risky especially if you caught the Virus at the location and wanted to claim through their neglect, no chance!

I seriously advise people not to visit indoor Car Boot Sales where the spread of the virus could be catastrophic for all concerned?

Stay safe, stay well.

Geoff

HEARTLANDS the truth;
Several years ago, Car Boots Cornwall were asked by the management of Heartlands if we would be interested in running Car Boots on their land. Lou and I visited and decided that we would not be interested because there were loads of other events going on involving young mums and their children and our Public Liability Insurance would not cover other activities than the Car Boot Sales and its customers. Another consideration was that we had tried Car Boots in Camborne at the Rugby Club which was run by LTC Catering and was a miserable failure not the fault of the caterers simply the wrong decision made by myself. I also decided to avoid Pool Redruth and Camborne as they were not happy with our admission charges which to explain briefly we do have considerable overheads starting with most Landlords wanting up to 50% of the takings, further huge costs involve staffing, toilets, publicity and travel so please do not think the we (that is me and Lou) are making fortunes cos we bloody-well aint me hansom!
I digress, I was most surprised to receive the following email for the management of Heartlands;

Ronnie Hughes
Thu 02/05/2019 20:49
–
Hello,
I’d like to discuss a car boot here at Heartlands. Initially one in July, run by yourselves here on our 19-acre site.

As you may be aware, we are a charity for the local community and feel there is considerable mileage running this here at heartlands to generate income through perhaps a shared % entry fee.

May you be in touch to discuss the possibility further.

Many thanks

Ronnie

Ronnie Hughes MBIFM MinstLM
Facilities Operations Manager

I thanked Ronnie for his enquiry pointing out that I had already been contacted years earlier however Lou and I went to meet with him and to familiarise ourselves with Heartlands. Ronnie was over-enthusiastic that if we ran Car Boot Sales at Heartlands that the locals would happily pay up to £1.00 admission so we decided to give it a trial after Ronnie had offered to print thousands of leaflets and his teams would deliver them to all the houses surrounding Heartlands. I became suspicious that things were not going our way when we arrived when he sent me the following email;
From: Ronnie Hughes
Sent: 27 June 2019 12:44
To: Geoff Camden-Wiles; Amelia Commons
Subject: RE: Car Boots.

Hello Geoff,

Please see attached. I’ve been out to our external designer, cost £380 with 1000 leaflets including design. Are you happy with the draft before I print?

Notwithstanding your email regarding catering, would you be happy to agree we trade from our catering unit on the launch day only (03/07) to attempt to recover cost? Your catering thereafter….

The aforementioned, if agreeable, will support marketing pictures on launch day for us where I intend to get our photographer in on 03/07.

Many thanks.

Ronnie Hughes MBIFM MinstLM
Facilities Operations Manager

Now then, I have been around for a very long time and I absolutely know that I could go to my ‘external designer’ and he could supply me 1000 design and printed leaflets for around £60.00 so who is on the fiddle here then?

From: Geoff Camden-Wiles [mailto:]
Sent: 20 July 2019 18:02
To: Ronnie Hughes; Amelia Commons; Nigel Webber;
Subject: Leaflet Distribution;

Hello Ronnie,

Respectfully you have advised me on several occasions that you have had up to 3000 leaflets distributed in and around the Heartlands housing complex and other areas in Pool & Redruth. We know of at least 3 people who live at the above areas yet none of them have received any leaflets in connection with our joint promotion for Car Boot Sales.

One of our team members has researched a small area to find no-one has seen nor received leaflets, may I also point out that within you Red River Cafe where you have large amount of leaflets advertising various entertainments that are in Cornwall yet there is not a single leaflet giving any reference to our Car Boot Sales which I am sure you will find as disappointing as our team.
We are now approaching week 4 when we would anticipate well over 25 sellers and being able to charge sellers the full price to sell also to be able to charge buyers for a short period until business improves.

It may be that you are paying a team of distributors who are putting the leaflets straight into the bin?

Disappointed!

Regards,

Geoff

Now then, a serious worry that we had was that Ronnie had told absolutely nobody on his staff that the Car Boot Sales would start until the day before our first sale but worse was that he had not told any of the diminishing shopkeepers at all of our arrival. I cannot imagine a worse situation than being a tenant-owner to arrive at their shops to find our bloody sellers are parked up and set-up and selling right outside their bleedn shops WAFN and they knew sweet sod-all about it ffs. How non-management is that? Ronnie had promised that the parking meters would be covered for our sales also none of our customers would have to pay for parking which pissed off lots of our customer who had paid because Ronnie kept his promise for one week only. Over the few weeks we were at Heartlands I got the impression that we would not succeed we had spent on all the brand new publicity signs we had gimmicked with money off vouchers and free to sell days and I personally waived all admission costs, the total effort made by our team with a few of our very respected loyal devoted sellers because here we were fighting an uphill battle because the Manager had totally reneged on his promise of his cooperation. This alleged hands-on Manager of Heartlands was disliked by the majority of his staff the shopkeepers a first-class maintenance team, the lot! In August we went on holiday on our return we had as you all know weeks and weeks to this very day of persistent rain, despite writing to Ronnie on several occasions rumours were that he had ‘done a bunk’ with the takings and whipped off all financial information from the pc screens including future bookings for weddings no less fs; read on!

Wendy Robinson
Thu 05/12/2019 09:20
Hi Geoff
Ronnie has left and I am the new COO. I agree the weather has been dreadful for the past three months and therefore the car boot has not been a great success.

I didn’t realise the parking machines should be covered up so maybe that’s my fault. If you come in, I’ll refund yours and Nigel’s money for you.

The biggest problem we had on site was visitors not knowing the event was cancelled as some of them don’t use Facebook. We had a lot of complaints that people had travelled for the car boot and then it wasn’t on. As soon as we knew from you, (via a message to Kevin) it was cancelled we would put it on our Facebook page to try and help but the negative feedback was not worth the effort. I know cancellations were mostly due to the weather but some Wednesdays were bright here and the car boot was still cancelled. As customers think Heartlands run the car boot privately any way, I think we will try and do it ourselves next spring and see how we go.

We have spoken to a lady who has enquired regarding hiring the hall for a car boot sale every two weeks. We can’t guarantee a specific date each week as we rent out the space for conferences but if she wants to hire the space herself for an event, she is welcome to.

If you would like to talk this through further please get in touch again.

Kind regards

Wendy

Chief Operating Officer

E
W www.heartlandscornwall.com
T 01209 722329
Wendy Robinson
Thu 05/12/201

From: Geoff Camden-Wiles [mailto:]
Sent: 05 December 2019 13:25
To: Wendy Robinson
Subject: Re: Car Boot Sales

Hello Wendy,

Thank goodness for Heartlands that there has been a change of management!

Ronnie really put pressure to take on the Car Boot Sales despite the fact we had been asked before several years ago I agreed to give it all a second chance reluctantly. Ronnie was absolutely certain that it would be a success which it was not most of the recent weeks were spoiled by persistent rain.

Ronnie absolutely assured me that he had delivered thousands of leaflets around which was proven to be wrong as we have some of our customers who live on the actual Heartlands housing who claim they did not receive any leaflets.
I believe that the lady who asked about doing Car Boots in your function suite could be successful on a fortnightly basis but nothing is guaranteed in Redruth, Pool and Camborne.

May we wish you every success as the new boss and could I ask if members of your team could take our signs down and store them for us and I will ensure they are uplifted. I will advise our public of the decision not to continue however if you do decide to do Car Boots yourselves let me know the details and I will most certainly give publicity to your events.

Kind regards,

Geoff Camden Wiles

Hi Geoff

Thank you for your email, I have no idea what Ronnie was on!!

Would you mind if we kept the signs up until next spring as I’m just about to wrap a Santa’s grotto poster around them to advertise our Christmas event. This would really help me out.

Thank you

Wendy Heartlands, Dudnance Lane, Pool, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 3QY
From: Geoff Camden-Wiles [mailto:]
Sent: 05 December 2019 13:36
To: Wendy Robinson
Subject: Re: Car Boot Sales

Go for it Wendy, let me know when they should be collected, had we of been working with you we may have had success but Heartlands is a hard task, good luck!

Geoff
Geoff Says;

So that is the truth about us and Heartlands a total loss to ourselves and certainly no income for them. This is a really happy location with wonderful freedom for mums and dads and their young children to enjoy and play happily over the 18-acre complex.

Ronnie;

This man was totally ‘up himself’ with his 40s gay salon style dyed blondish yellow hairstyle (description by our Nigel the man in the know) but acting totally outside of the real world and out of touch with his decent team of workers and a few shopkeepers. Now then, I am not casting Nasturtiums but there are all sorts of rumours that Ronnie has fiddled the Heartlands Registered Charity Complex but I won’t be spread rumours that cannot be substantiated. My own personal opinion of Ronnie was that firstly the man was totally-totally up himself and that he lacked the ability to be the hands on real Manager he treated people with total ignorance and disregard disrespect as though they were all nutters and that he was the only sane one amongst the rest which is totally wrong, only one nutter here Ronnie mate ‘Twas you!!

Geoff