Day 6: Truro to Charlestown — My Tired is Tired

Today began with my second day of busking in Truro, this time in front of the cathedral.

After such a warm welcome at the market yesterday, it was good to spend another day in the city and see a different side of it. Truro Cathedral makes quite a backdrop for a piano, and I enjoyed being able to play somewhere with so much history and character around me.

I also spent some more time with Truro’s Town Crier, which added another bit of traditional Cornish life to the day.

My BBC Cornwall interview aired today too.

I am glad the PianoMission and the story behind it are beginning to reach a wider audience. This journey is about cycling a piano from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, but it has never only been about the miles.

It is about recovery.

It is about mental health and autism.

It is about what music can give somebody when they need purpose, confidence, or simply a reason to keep going.

The more people who hear that message, the more worthwhile every difficult mile becomes.

Of course, no busking day would be complete without somebody hoping I might quietly disappear.

When I first set up, a nearby shop owner encouraged me to move. When that did not work, the shop music became noticeably louder.

We have seen this one before.

But as the day went on, he seemed to soften a little. By the time I packed everything away, I would like to think he may even have had a change of heart.

Maybe he did. Maybe he did not.

But sometimes people need time to realise that the piano is not there to cause trouble. It is there to bring vibrancy to the street.

After busking, I returned to the van and did some cooking.

Greek lamb and tuna steaks were on the menu today.

I have always enjoyed cooking, but cooking in the van feels particularly special to me. It is a small piece of normal life in the middle of a very unusual journey.

I love van life.

The Luton has been my home for the past year, and I am incredibly grateful for it. It has given me and the dogs a comfortable way to live and travel, and during this project it has become an amazing support and chase vehicle as well. It carries what we need, gives us somewhere to regroup, and provides a place where I can cook, rest, and try to recover before doing it all again.

And today, for the first time, I really felt how much I needed that recovery.

The miles are beginning to add up.

The PianoBike is electric-assist, but the important word there is assist.

It does not pedal for me.

When you are moving approximately 525 kg of bike, piano, dogs, equipment, water, and rider, the motor helps make the journey possible, but it does not remove the physical effort.

Today, my body knew exactly how much work it had been doing.

There were a couple of massive climbs on the way out of Truro. The legs were already tired before the road began to rise, and once it did, every turn of the pedals felt heavier than the last.

This was not one of those days where I arrived feeling energised and ready for more.

I arrived exhausted.

Properly exhausted.

The kind where you stop moving and suddenly feel every mile at once.

But I got here.

Tonight’s stop is Charlestown, near St Austell.

Charlestown is a beautifully preserved Georgian harbour. Its historic appearance has made it one of Cornwall’s best-known filming locations. The harbour’s sheltered water, old stone quays, historic buildings, and occasional tall ships make it feel as though it belongs to another time.

Tomorrow I will busk in Charlestown, but it will not be a long day.

The heat is continuing, and after today’s climbs, I need to be sensible. We will keep the busk shorter, look after the dogs, and hopefully find a little breeze coming in from St Austell Bay.

Tonight, though, there is no pretending.

I am shattered.

The excitement of beginning the journey carried me through the first few days. Now the physical reality is catching up.

The legs are tired.

The body is tired.

The mind is tired.

Even my tired feels tired.

But Charlestown is waiting, the piano made it here, the dogs are settled, and tomorrow brings another opportunity to play somewhere new.

For tonight, that is enough.

— James

Day 6 Counter
Truro to Charlestown
Miles travelled: 15.8
Average speed: 10.8 mph
Elevation gain: 1,200 ft
Elevation loss: 1,175 ft
Locations busked: 1 — Truro (return visit)

Journey Total
Total miles travelled: 78.5
Total locations busked: 5