Page 49 - recollections of a life in Porthleven

are happy living here in a world we understand. We walk alongside you and
others during the day and we know all the Porthleven people. We have
watched you since the day you were born, we’ve seen you grow up, watched
you run home to your Gran, a very dear lady is your Gran, Mrs Allen. We
watched you with the little smelt you caught when you and Christopher
Phillips were fishing from the pier. Another time when you caught your first
lobster, we watched you pull the pot up into the punt, and watched you
attempt many times to take it out of the pot. You then gave up, sculled back
into the harbour, untied the pot and ran back home to your Gran, stopping
every now and then to show it off to other fishermen. Johnny Boy that pot
was all but the same size as you! We don’t know how you managed to run
home so fast with the pot but you gave us all a laugh, we still talk about it
now and still find it laughable.

It was very busy on the jetty now, not only was the horse who woke me up
pulling a full load of smuggled contraband, another horse and cart was
waiting at the back of the jetty. Both horses had hessian bags wrapped around
their hooves to make their movements virtually silent.

Am I actually here or am I dreaming I ask myself. All I wanted to do was
wait for the tide to go out a bit more so as I could take a short cut home across
the outer harbour. Now I find myself back in time with my friend, the ‘Spirit
of Porthleven’, or as he is now known to me as ‘Skipper’. Anyway, that’s
what his fisherman friends (spirits) are calling him tonight.

‘Are you dreaming again Johnny Boy?’ was the next thing I heard in a raised
voice as I was dragged onto my feet and out of the way. ‘That was a very
close call’ he said as he was shaking me. All I could remember was a horse
and cart rushing towards me, knocking me to the ground with the wheels of
the cart running over my legs. ‘You were lucky there boy’, said the Skipper
in a shocked voice. Then the others started to laugh. You did not feel a thing
did you boy? Anyone else would have lost their legs but you are human, you
are not part of our world are you? But you are here with us are you not? I
was in such a daze I don’t think I answered him.

There was a shout from someone some distance away. It was in a proper