The following is an extract from the newly republished The Sea’s in the Kitchen by Denys Val Baker:

Denys’s house in Penzance.

” Each of us could produce our favourite version of Dennis Pattison and his cars. I think I like best the story told by Donald Swan, of how one lovely sunny day he was driving back from Bodmin and gave a lift to a young New Zealand doctor and his wife. Wishing to impress them with the delights of Cornwall, it was such a lovely day, Donald said: ‘Look, I’ll tell you what, I’ll drive over to Porthleven. A friend of mine has a bungalow on the cliffs there. We’ll have a nice lazy time…’

” However, when Donald drove up the narrow lane leading to Dennis Pattison’s house he found the way blocked by an old ex-Post Office van, and Dennis Pattison hovering nervously around. Apparently the car had been there for days blocking the way and now there was unrest among the neighbours. How fortunate that Donald should arrive - as it happened Dennis knew of a shed at the end of a field, a woman had told him it would be all right to put his van there. Could Donald possibly…?

” Aided by the New Zealand doctor, Donald turned his car around and hitched up the van and proceeded to tow it by a difficult route up a narrow winding hill and out of Porthleven until they reached a large white gate opening onto a field with a shed nearby. After much complicated manoeuvring they got the old van close to the shed and then went and opened the doors…”

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