SNIP

Well I was just going by what the AWS reported.

Indeed - so was I. The blue line on the graph shows the average
speed; the red line shows you the gust speed. I think you are
possibly looking at the "mean of the gust speeds" around the times
you indicate.

Good point! I picked the maximum average up from the Max Average Box.

John Chappell's site is interesting one to watch, as it's close to
Gwennap Head, generally accepted to be the windiest sub 1,000'site in
England.

Yes, I quite often look at that one. There used to be a Met Office
official site at Gwennap Head - don't know if that still exists.

Sadly not. Since government cutbacks led to the closure of many coastguard lookout, they are virually all now run be volunteers. Gwennap Head lookout is now run by NCI http://www.nci.org.uk/gwennaphead

Similar cutbacks mean that virtually all lifeguard cover in Cornwall is now provided by the RNLI.

Graham