Diary of a St Ivean

[Thursday] This morning my olfactory faculties were once again overwhelmed by the man in the large floppy hat and shorts. He's often about the town or on the bus and he seriously overdoses on a strong shower or bath essence. One day, coming out of the Nat West on Tregenna Hill, I detected his presence well before he rounded the corner near the Catholic Church.

Of late he has taken to demonstrating playing card tricks to bemused passengers on the 17A bus from St Ives to St Just. This morning as we waited at the Malakoff for the 9.05, a pal of his was excitedly unlocking the secrets of a Rubrik Cube.

In Penzance on Morrab Road an elderly man with a wide smile and wild white hair was stopping every passer-by and demanding to know if they had seen 'last night's game' which I took to mean a football match of some importance or no importance. Anyhow, nobody was admitting to have seen the event.

One of the passengers on the bus returning from Penzance was an unsavoury young man who spent the entire journey verbally abusing his overweight girlfriend who sat sullen faced under a hail of the f-word and more expletives. He carried this performance on in a loud voice as he followed her from the bus and down Tregenna Hill. When I turned into the Co-op he was still ranting. Disturbing and anti-social behaviour rare in St Ives.