There are times in your life when you think that fate played a part. Today I had such an event…..

Colin is here in Cornwall with us and when he and I were travelling home from the farm shop he casually remarked ‘oh look at that sharp face on that hill’. I suppose it’s a sign of the times because I’d not realised he’d not seen the Cheesewring and Stowes Hill before.

I promised to take him up to see it and we set off for our trip to the top late this afternoon. The weather was glorious, the walking as perfect as could be (apart from the comedy sheep, whose nakedness seems just about the strangest thing). Anyway, we got inside the great Granite-walled space of the quarry and told Colin that we were going ‘up top’. With his sight problems, it was not an easy journey for him but he was completely happy take his time and get to the top slowly and with great care. To give you some idea of what this means, it’s a tremendously steep, narrow and slippery path, up the side of the hewn face of the quarry. I’m not sure what the drop is but it must be at least 100 feet? There isn’t much between a person and disaster because there is only a barbed wire fence separating the path from the drop. Suffice to say R&A are on leads for this journey. I have cold sweats about Rosie careering off the side of the cliff one of these days so she’s kept on a short lead.

I was the ‘scout party’ getting to the top before the boys. There is no view of the summit as you climb, it comes on you all of a sudden.

As I popped out up from the side of the hill, this sight greeted me. Two sublimely handsome young men, one posing for the other’s camera on top of one of the (completely natural) granite formations. I must say, I felt as though I’d intruded on a very private scene but I instinctively reached for my camera and shot this photo. It was the only one possible because the beauty of the moment was gone in an instant. The camera was set for a shot I’d taken a few minutes earlier in the heart of the quarry. Another chap popped up from the granite a moment later so there were three of them.

When I looked at my review screen, I realised it wasn’t at all bad (though could have been better) so I scrambled across the rocks to show the three young men and ask if they minded me posting the shot on pbase. It is, though, however staged it looks, complete happenstance. Anyway, you must know that to be true – where would I find myself two such subjects if it were not so?

They were delighted to allow me to post the shot on the understanding the three of them could download the image for themselves.

What a nice bunch they were too – loved the area, agreed with us that it’s the nicest place on the planet and fussed R&A. One of them was carrying a guitar and strumming while we spoke. DM regretted not having his harmonica in his pocket, which is where it almost always is these days. We could’ve had an impromptu gig. That would have been a perfect setting for a gig. We had a long chat, they mooched off to look at the rocks on the other side of the top, then tried to climb the cheesewring itself (which we’re not convinced is possible).

We descended (very slowly so Colin could manage) and then ambled home in the evening sunshine to our very first ever Cornish Beer festival. (This is a splinter group from the local pub whose beer festival is this weekend but we decided to buy the beer in bottles and drink a selection at home so we didn’t have to walk home late all the way from the next village with someone who can’t see at all at night!)

We’re now on bottle 5 (of a maximum of 15……though I suspect we’ll stop way short of that). There’s been Heligan Honey, Lizard Point, Tribute, Cornish Buccaneer and now Eden…..all Cornish and all quite delicious. I’ll tell you tomorrow how delicious the rest were. (That is if I can remember!)

I’m sorry I can tell you nothing about these beautiful men – only that they were from Suffolk. I don’t even know their names.

I really wish I could find people like this to photograph. People with no inhibitions about posing on top of a mountain or wherever. I was bemoaning this fact to my work colleague the other day and his response was to join a camera club but somehow I just don't think that's the answer to my prayers....well, certainly not if my Dad's camera club says are anything to go by. The models they'd get in would all be straightforward studio shots. That's not my thing at all. I have a queue of 'capturing songs' pics in my head that are just too difficult as ideas if they have to be SPs.

A year ago we were in the beginning of our 'life changing moment'.....but of course we didn't know it. We'd arrived in Cornwall and at the end of that trip, we had the breakthrough we needed in selling up in Sandhurst so we could follow our dream. Cool!