Bank holiday in Devon
Lee and Emma had stayed at the house again while I was in Butlins, and had taken Suki back to Dittisham with them the day before I got back. I spent the Friday afternoon when I got back sorting out all the unpacking and putting it all away, and putting the house back in some semblance of order, before going out ringing with Mike at Barnes. I put all the laundry into a big bag to take down to Bovey to do.
Mike was out ringing all day the next day so I was able to make an early start down to Devon to try and beat the worst of the bank holiday traffic. Even so it took me about an hour longer than usual, but at least I didn't have Suki in the car. Jayne was at work when I got there, so I had a few hours to myself to wind down and relax. Jayne and Jackie went to a wedding reception in the evening at River Dart Country Park - and I provided a taxi service home.
Jayne was working the following morning, but when she got home we went off to collect Suki. We stopped off at Dartington for lunch and a mooch round the shops - it was hammering down with rain so there was no question of going for a walk later. We got to Lee and Emma's just after 3 pm and had a tour of the house to admire all the decorating etc they had done, and then had some tea and cake. Suki was very pleased to see me and sat on my knee the whole time.
I had a lovely restful week doing lots of walking with Suki, and cross stitching. I finally made a start on the baby afghan for Leanne (for Aidan) and finished the first block by the end of the week. It was lovely to be out walking on the moor with Suki again after so long.
Jayne was working for most of the week and we spent the evenings in front of the TV and went to bed early most nights. She had the day off on Thursday and we went up to Yarner Wood - and did a walk along the nature reserve path and then up the public footpath round the wood before entering at the top gate. I was sorry I hadn't logged it - it was a good long walk and it would have been nice to know how long it was.
In the afternoon we went to Torquay to M&S, where I was unsuccessful in finding replacement trousers for Amanda. We had some lunch there and then went over to Sainsbury for some more retail therapy. We called in to Mole Valley Farmers at Heathfield on the way back - somewhere we had been intending to go for years without getting round to it. We were surprised by the range of things on sale and enjoyed a good browse there - plus of course more retail therapy.
I had a failed QP attempt with Tim etc - 3xspliced royal and I always seemed to be to blame for the fire out each time. I was a bit despondent - especially as I had been practising!
On Saturday it was the Nourish Festival. Jayne was working in the morning. I decided to walk from the house, as the traffic would be bad with the high street closed, and motivated myself to walk up Trough Lane to Bearacleave Wood. I am always glad when I have done it, but the thought of doing that long steep hill to begin with is quite off-putting. As I didn't have time to do one of the long circular walks through Shaptor Woods, I decided to explore Bearacleave Wood a bit more. I tried to find a circuit, and succeeded in walking parts I had never seen before, but sometimes it got a bit steep or overgrown and I wouldn't repeat the route I did as it was quite difficult and did not really join up with any proper path.
The views at the top across Bovey and looking over to Hay Tor were fabulous, although the photos don't do justice to how breathtaking they were.
The view was good all the way down too - I was struck by the fact that there's no way Acton Park can compete with this stunning beauty!
When Jayne got in from work we wandered down to the Nourish Festival - which was heaving! There seemed to be even fewer stalls than last year, but I still managed to buy some gin, flapjacks and fudge. We enjoyed browsing and soaking up the atmosphere, and had some street food for lunch. As we were wandering back up the high street we saw this lovely photo of Ruth and Barry in the photographer's window
On Sunday afternoon I took Suki for a walk in the Plantation - and once again decided to explore. With the ground being nice and hard I thought it would be a good chance to find, from the other end, a little used path I had previously walked which required crossing a boggy pond in winter. I crossed the bog easily as the ground was hard and dry, and proceeded along a path which got more and more indistinct and overgrown. In the end I was battling through holly bushes and brambles, always convinced I could see the path on the other side of the bush. I finally found myself at the Newton Road, and then worked my way through the undergrowth parallel to the road until I could emerge from the brambles by a gate and track. Unfortunately Suki pushed her way through on the wrong side of the gate - and I couldn't persuade her to come back through so I had to haul her over by her harness. I thought I was on a proper path then, but after following the track for some way it suddenly just ceased to exist and I had to push my way through the wood again until I finally found the path I had been looking for. Another route not to be repeated!
The next morning I packed the car and then Jayne and I took Suki for a walk in Parke followed by a shared bacon baguette and a coffee each at the cafe. That brought my two months of holidays to an end. I got back to London about 3 pm, unpacked everything and put it away, and went ringing with Mike at Chiswick.
Mike was out ringing all day the next day so I was able to make an early start down to Devon to try and beat the worst of the bank holiday traffic. Even so it took me about an hour longer than usual, but at least I didn't have Suki in the car. Jayne was at work when I got there, so I had a few hours to myself to wind down and relax. Jayne and Jackie went to a wedding reception in the evening at River Dart Country Park - and I provided a taxi service home.
Jayne was working the following morning, but when she got home we went off to collect Suki. We stopped off at Dartington for lunch and a mooch round the shops - it was hammering down with rain so there was no question of going for a walk later. We got to Lee and Emma's just after 3 pm and had a tour of the house to admire all the decorating etc they had done, and then had some tea and cake. Suki was very pleased to see me and sat on my knee the whole time.
I had a lovely restful week doing lots of walking with Suki, and cross stitching. I finally made a start on the baby afghan for Leanne (for Aidan) and finished the first block by the end of the week. It was lovely to be out walking on the moor with Suki again after so long.
Jayne was working for most of the week and we spent the evenings in front of the TV and went to bed early most nights. She had the day off on Thursday and we went up to Yarner Wood - and did a walk along the nature reserve path and then up the public footpath round the wood before entering at the top gate. I was sorry I hadn't logged it - it was a good long walk and it would have been nice to know how long it was.
In the afternoon we went to Torquay to M&S, where I was unsuccessful in finding replacement trousers for Amanda. We had some lunch there and then went over to Sainsbury for some more retail therapy. We called in to Mole Valley Farmers at Heathfield on the way back - somewhere we had been intending to go for years without getting round to it. We were surprised by the range of things on sale and enjoyed a good browse there - plus of course more retail therapy.
I had a failed QP attempt with Tim etc - 3xspliced royal and I always seemed to be to blame for the fire out each time. I was a bit despondent - especially as I had been practising!
On Saturday it was the Nourish Festival. Jayne was working in the morning. I decided to walk from the house, as the traffic would be bad with the high street closed, and motivated myself to walk up Trough Lane to Bearacleave Wood. I am always glad when I have done it, but the thought of doing that long steep hill to begin with is quite off-putting. As I didn't have time to do one of the long circular walks through Shaptor Woods, I decided to explore Bearacleave Wood a bit more. I tried to find a circuit, and succeeded in walking parts I had never seen before, but sometimes it got a bit steep or overgrown and I wouldn't repeat the route I did as it was quite difficult and did not really join up with any proper path.
The views at the top across Bovey and looking over to Hay Tor were fabulous, although the photos don't do justice to how breathtaking they were.
The view was good all the way down too - I was struck by the fact that there's no way Acton Park can compete with this stunning beauty!
When Jayne got in from work we wandered down to the Nourish Festival - which was heaving! There seemed to be even fewer stalls than last year, but I still managed to buy some gin, flapjacks and fudge. We enjoyed browsing and soaking up the atmosphere, and had some street food for lunch. As we were wandering back up the high street we saw this lovely photo of Ruth and Barry in the photographer's window
On Sunday afternoon I took Suki for a walk in the Plantation - and once again decided to explore. With the ground being nice and hard I thought it would be a good chance to find, from the other end, a little used path I had previously walked which required crossing a boggy pond in winter. I crossed the bog easily as the ground was hard and dry, and proceeded along a path which got more and more indistinct and overgrown. In the end I was battling through holly bushes and brambles, always convinced I could see the path on the other side of the bush. I finally found myself at the Newton Road, and then worked my way through the undergrowth parallel to the road until I could emerge from the brambles by a gate and track. Unfortunately Suki pushed her way through on the wrong side of the gate - and I couldn't persuade her to come back through so I had to haul her over by her harness. I thought I was on a proper path then, but after following the track for some way it suddenly just ceased to exist and I had to push my way through the wood again until I finally found the path I had been looking for. Another route not to be repeated!
The next morning I packed the car and then Jayne and I took Suki for a walk in Parke followed by a shared bacon baguette and a coffee each at the cafe. That brought my two months of holidays to an end. I got back to London about 3 pm, unpacked everything and put it away, and went ringing with Mike at Chiswick.
