By the time we got to the end of the M5 we were fed up with motorways and headed off on the coast Road for Starcross and Dawlish. After a brief stop at Starcross we headed for Dawlish for a walk along the seafront with an ice cream. 

We decided that we would leave Cornwall until the next day and stay in Devon for the night so from Dawlish we headed on down the coast to Teignmouth where we then followed the river Teign back inland before picking up the A380 and heading for Torquay and Paignton. A brief survey of the area showed a few possible camp sites for the night. On arriving at the first one we were told that they did not cater for groups, so Mike told them that we would take our business elsewhere and we left leaving a slightly dumbfounded receptionist. The next camp site was much more welcoming and had the benefit of a swimming pool, and bar on site, needless to say we pitched up and made full use of the facilities save for an expedition out to a pub for tea.

Sunday
Sunday morning saw more use of the pool and showers before we set off for Totnes and then onto Kingsbridge for Lunch but not before we had picked on a local member to go and drop in on. Our victim was Jon Pleass who owns a nice red Phaeton S2. So beware if you live in the vicinity of any of our future tours you may just get visited by us! After lunch in Kingsbridge we pushed on to Plymouth where our attempts to drive along the hoe were thwarted by road closures. This led to us getting stuck in traffic and Aidan discovering that the wiring to his electric fan wasn’t working. We dropped out of the traffic and headed down under the famous Saltash bridge into Cornwall for a photo stop and the opportunity to perform an on the spot rewire to cool things down.

Once underway again we were into Cornwall and pushed on past Liskeard towards St Austell and the camp site at Carlyon Bay. This time there was no bar on site but as the pub was within walking distance this was no great strain, even if the food was so good that we opted for a BBQ on the camp site the second night!! Now that we were in Cornwall we had decided to stop two nights using the Monday to take in the local attractions. Namely the Eden project and the Bodmin and Wenford Railway. The camp site provided its own nearby entertainment for the evenings by way of a bush fire which the fire brigade duly attended and extinguished. Then there was the golf course littered with old mine shafts. (Approximately 4 seconds for a stone to hit the bottom from chucking it in at the top, which we reckoned was reasonably deep) Then there was the beach and the rather serious building project to wander around.

Tuesday
Tuesday saw us heading on down to Falmouth for Lunch where we sampled some fine Cornish Pasties before heading out to the dock area and Pendennis Point for another photo stop. From Falmouth we cut across the back roads to a camp site near Culdrose airfield just South of Helston. We had spotted that there was an airshow on at the airfield on the Wednesday which a few of the group were interested in seeing.

As we had made good time we set off early for tea and headed down to The Lizard for another photo opportunity before heading off to a pub for tea. One thing I can say about Cornish pubs is that the range of cider stocked is fantastic.

Wednesday
I surfaced early on Wednesday morning and drove over to Penzance to catch the first flight out to the Scilly Isles. What a fantastic little haven, well worth a visit if you ask me. Mike, Nik and Aidan went to the air show while Roger opted for a spot of coastal walking. The idea was that we would have a BBQ back at the camp site, and I was to get the food on my way back from Penzance. Nice theory only ruined by the fact that it had been foggy in the morning and I had put my side lights on and then omitted to turn then off on arrival at the heliport resulting in a flat battery and a rescue mission courtesy of Aidan and Mike in the Melos with a set of Jump Leads followed by a later than planned tea.

Thursday
Thursday came and it was time to head for Lands End where we took Lunch. Me and Nik are now amongst the few people who can say that they have driven their Duttons to both Lands End and John O’Groats. Is there anybody else out there who has done the same? After Lunch we drove on up the West Coast calling in at Levant Tin Mine for a look at the old beam engine and the mines before heading on to St Ives and Hayle Bay where we found a camp site for the night. We had arranged to meet up with local member Phil Hocking and his Phaeton S4 which made for interesting comparison next to Roger’s Eagle P21. The chosen meeting place was a local pub called the Bucket of Blood, fortunately the pub was not as grim as the name might imply. The evening was whiled away discussing Duttons before returning to the camp site to collect a couple of tins for a walk along Hayle Bay by moonlight.

Friday
Friday saw us begin to make the journey home, so with a mad burst of enthusiasm we headed up the coast through Newquay and on up to Padstow for Lunch. We spent a couple of hours in Padstow eating lunch surveying the town and watching the world go by. Roger then decided that he would stop and extra night as he did not need to get back home as quickly as the rest of us so we parted company and headed for Launceston where we managed to fit in a visit to the Launceston Steam Railway. After talking to the driver we were invited for a footplate ride which made the journey very enjoyable. The railway also had a display of old cars and bikes which made for interesting viewing. We then headed for a camp site on the edge of Dartmoor just past Okehampton. Not one for hangovers this site as it was well within earshot of the army’s firing range. On the plus side the pub was again within walking distance an made for a pleasant last evening before heading home.

Saturday
Saturday arrived and we headed off to Exeter where breakfast was taken at the local Sainsbury’s before Mike Nik and Aidan headed back up the M5 while I headed off along the South coast to visit my Sister in Bournemouth before heading home on Sunday. And that was that, another Dutton Owners Club tour over. Not as many miles as the Scotland tour but warmer and less midges! We will be off again on another tour so if you fancy joining us, and yes partners are welcome so no excuses there, then watch these pages or come see us at a show. You never know if you get involved you may get to have a say in where we go…