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I am transferring this page to www.devondispatches.blogspot.com Hope you enjoy it. Sophie Digging the potatoes was a bad idea. First harvest from the veg patch – a lettuce and
some rocket. I will dare to dig the
first of my potatoes in the next few days. Caught a spider crab today at Gara - it was minus
two of its legs but pretty lively all the same. I was snorkelling around some rocks when I
spotted it sitting unsuspectingly on a ledge down below. So I dived down and grabbed it. Then of course came the question of what
to do with it, because they make good eating.
In the end I put it back – not before showing it off to the rest of
the party on the beach though. Exciting aquatic sightings. Yesterday I saw a two foot long salmon, and
then a large eel in the River Dart. I
was swimming in a big pool, wearing my goggles. When I first saw the salmon it was quite a
shock, the sheer size of it. It was
sitting at the bottom of the river not doing very much, looking grey and
ghostly. It then moved off. I saw it about four or five times. It
appeared to have some sort of disease – there was white fungus on its snout.
Then, just as I was about to get out, I saw the eel, which was about four
foot long, at the bottom of the river curled around a rock. Then, today at Thurlestone, I spotted a very exotic
looking fish while I was swimming around in the rocky area at the side of the
beach. It was beautiful – about a foot
long with bands of brown down its sides and turquoise spots – like something
you’d see in an aquarium. I haven’t
managed to ascertain what it is – possibly a tompot blenny or maybe a variety
of wrasse. Time to get an underwater camera! Went ‘canyoning’ (I believe this is the correct
term) down the River Plym from After days of cold mornings and rain, I finally got the
chance to get in the veg patch, where I found a few of my potatoes had come
up. I sowed perpetual spinach, salad
bowl lettuce, corn salad, and two Japanese leaf varieties –Komatsuna and
Yukina Tatsoi. The latter is a purple
one which looks interesting. I also sowed lots of snap peas – Zucolla – a
variety I had a lot of success with the year before last. Yesterday we virtually had a monsoon. The rain
thundered down with tremendous force.
And yet today – blue skies, intense sun. The weather is schizophrenic. Met up with friends and swam in the river
Dart at Hembury. We thought the river
would be far too dangerous, but it was such a big pool it was still quite
slow moving. Four of us went in. At last the gloom of February seemed to lift, the
sun came out and we hit the beach. We
walked along the cliffs from Bolberry
near Kingsbridge, down to Soar Mill Cove where we braved the icy waves with
our bodyboards. It felt fabulous. This weekend has felt like spring – early summer
even. The sun has been out non-stop.
On Saturday I worked in the veg patch and the birds were singing all
around me – it was just lovely. Then today we walked by the sea at
Teignmouth. The sun beat down and we
got quite hot. Went to the “Wondermentalist Cabaret” in
Totnes. This was organised by local
poet Matt Harvey, in the grand old surroundings of the ballroom of the Seven
Stars Hotel. Lots of poets, and a very funny man called Jerri Hart who played
a sort of kids’ guitar. During the
interval we went downstairs and found some karaoke in full swing….this proved
somewhat more compelling and we missed the second half of the poetry. Ah, the great divide – the middle classes
upstairs with the poems, the working classes downstairs on the microphones…. Hiked through gales to Crazy Well Pool on Started the year as I intend to carry on – swimming.
Gathered with friends at Bantham and we all got kitted up in as many layers
as possible before plunging into the surf.
I even improvised hand protection by wearing surgical gloves with
Marigolds on top, held together with elastic bands. I looked very silly but
it worked. December December generally passed off without comment or
incident. Apart from Christmas of
course. Err that’s it. Had a glorious walk by the Dart today. The river was
an absolute raging torrent – it was mostly white water, and there were quite
a few canoeists taking advantage of it.
The colours in the woods were amazing: gold and copper and yellow and
green and everything in between. We
came back with a respectable haul of hedgehog mushrooms – although it was
hard work finding them in the deep bed of leaves on the forest floor. It’s not a great mushrooming season – although I did
find some chanterelles today. While we
were out I met a fellow mushroomer – a rare sight, thankfully - who turned
out to be Austrian. We had a nice chat.
I don’t think I’ve ever met another Brit out ‘shrooming – it’s always
Germans, Austrians or Poles. I said my official goodbye to the summer today. The boys and I went down to Coastguards
Beach at Mothecombe and it was magical….like being on a desert island. No one else was there, the sun was setting
and the tide was in. I swam up the
estuary, and the water was as clear as a bell, warm, and very still. A weekend of frolics at the Ashburn River Festival,
celebrating the life of Ashburton’s river. There have been numerous events
including a lantern procession on the Friday night, a dance on the Saturday
night, and an outdoor play on the Sunday all about the Cutty Dyer river
sprite who, according to local legend, lives in the river Ashburn. What a brilliant day. I swam around Burgh Island – something I
have been wanting to do for ages. I
was with a group of friends – it’s about a mile and it took us about an hour.
Unfortunately our venture did not go unnoticed, and we ended up being
accompanied by the RNLI in a RIB, and also by a lifeguard on a
surfboard. Had a beautiful swim in a big pool at Spitchwick –
hadn’t tried swimming in this particular pool before and I will definitely go
again. It has a really deep channel in
the middle and the pool is a lot longer than most. Most exciting of all, I saw a massive eel,
and was able to watch it for some time.
It was quite a strange experience.
The eel had a ghostly presence because it moved quite slowly and
deliberately and its colour was a sort of cloudy brown – so it was very well
camouflaged. More mushrooming success – came back with a handsome
haul of hedgehogs after a trip to the woods with a friend. They do not usually appear until quite a
bit later in the season, but perhaps the weather has meant they’ve arrived
early. Found chanterelles!
And not just in my usual spot, but in a new place too – also, a few
hedgehogs. (We’re talking mushrooms
here). Can I dare to hope we might
have a good ‘shroom season? Took part in the Topsham to Turf swim across the Exe
estuary. It was organised by Mike the Ferryman, and everyone gathered in a
pub on the water’s edge beforehand, along with Morris dancers, a fiddler, and
general party atmosphere. It was a
hot, still evening and the water was incredibly warm – though naturally very
brackish and brown. There were lots of
boats accompanying us and, much to my surprise, I made it across. Up bright and early (for a Saturday) for a 9:30
rendezvous at Burgh Island. I was meeting two friends and we were intending
to swim round the island. Clad in our
wetsuits and flowery swimming hats we set off – but it was rather a gloomy
day and we got cold and didn’t make it all the way round – although we did
see spider crabs, various fish and jellyfish on the way. We have another date booked to try and do
it again. Alex’s birthday today so we had a party in the back
garden complete with drive-in movie – or rather, sit-down-on-the
damp-grass-movie. Alex rigged it up, courtesy of a borrowed digital projector
and screen, and we showed Grease.
Naturally, there was audience participation – increasingly uninhibited
as the evening wore on. Yesterday the sun came out for a WHOLE DAY!
Wow! The excitement was obviously too
much as it popped its head out for a moment today and then decided that was
enough, and disappeared again. Still,
a friend and I (but not the boys, it was far too cold), had a wonderful, invigorating swim in the
rain in a high Dartmoor pool, then came home and had a big lunch and watched
the Wimbledon. Lovely. Haven’t wanted to write anything for the last three
weeks as the weather has been so unremittingly wet and depressing. However things looked up this weekend with
a girls’ trip to Cornwall. We rolled
up at the Treyarnon Bay Youth Hostel amid threatening skies and howling winds
but nothing could dampen our enthusiasm – the beach and cliffs were just so
beautiful. The hostel is in an
unrivalled position on the clifftop.
We went bodyboarding twice, and also swam in a huge rock pool. What with the obligatory jolly romps in
the dorm a great time was had by all. A scorcher of a weekend. Spent Saturday afternoon at the beach at
Soar Mill Cove – there was an eerie sea mist which kept coming down and then
lifting. Swam in the sea and saw
several shoals of fish. On Sunday
spent most of the day doing boring household tasks – the only thing that kept
me going was the thought of a swim in the river at the end of the day. When it finally came it was the most
soothing thing imaginable. Went to a brilliant new play called Speed Death
of the Radiant Child, by Chris Goode, at the Drum Theatre in Plymouth. I
was gripped. It was thrilling. It’s
hard to say exactly what it was about, but it explored the idea of the body,
and what happens when we get wounded, both physically and metaphorically. This was linked in, bizarrely but credibly,
with the Windscale nuclear disaster, ideas of radiance, mental illness and
toxic contamination. Saturday 26th May I decided to throw caution to the winds today and
dig up one of my potato plants. Huge
excitement – a decent crop of potatoes underneath. They’ve only taken 9 weeks from sowing
which is incredible. It’s also particularly pleasing because my potatoes are
normally struck down by a disease called blackleg every year, and so far,
touch wood, they’ve been ok. Perhaps
the very dry and hot April, followed by the very wet May, has helped. Monday 21st May We had the first harvest of salad leaves from the
garden – rocket and something called
Komatsuna - a variety of Japanese mustard spinach which I haven’t grown
before but which is very tasty – bitter and slightly tangy. Sunday 13th May It has been raining all weekend, and today they
abandoned the Ten Tors hiking challenge because the river levels were getting
dangerously high. Nevertheless we went
out for a walk – just couldn’t stay inside all day. We saw all manner of fauna and flora: a
pair of Canada geese with seven goslings; swallows and swifts dive bombing
insects on a pond; a stoat, a jay; an orchid, and finally, and most
bizarrely, a variety of boletus mushroom.
As the earliest you normally see such mushrooms is late summer, I can
only imagine that the dry spell in April, followed by the huge amount of rain
we’ve had in May, resulted in the mushroom coming up. Saturday 12th May Danced the night away at “99% Phunky”, a club night
at the delightfully bohemian Barrel House in Totnes. Apart from being befriended by a heroin
addict who was permanently apologetic and off his head, the evening proceeded
uneventfully – apart from frantic boogying of course. Had a fabulous time being thumped by waves in
Thurlestone. The weather was
terrible. We’d been for a coastal walk
in which we’d been whipped by winds and rain, and the place was deserted. However the waves were pounding on the
shore – not exactly invitingly, but excitingly certainly, and we pulled on
our wetsuits and braved them, with our bodyboards. Whoosh!
Extremely invigorating, and also rather bruising. Spent the day slaving in the veg patch. A friend had kindly given me some lettuce
plants, so I put those in, then I dug over a couple of beds, and put in canes
and chicken wire for beans and peas, and then sowed some beans and peas. My chilli seeds (mentioned below) have come
up, and I potted them on, so I now have 17 chilli plants. It will be interesting to see how they do. The weather is like summer – constant hot
sunshine. Had a beautiful walk by the
river and saw lots of butterflies including brimstones, peacocks, orange tips
and two types of fritillary. There
were masses of violets in flower too.
Had the first proper river swim of the year, in the magical pool
mentioned in the previous entry. It
was bliss. Walking along the Dart today I found the most
magical swimming pool. It had a huge
natural rocky platform on one side, with an ancient metal ladder provided to
get down to it, which I guess was put up in the 30s or 50s. On the other side was a small island with a
little beach. Just amazingly idyllic. Walking towards the little river that runs by our
house, I heard some very loud and frantic quacking. It was a mother duck and her THIRTEEN
ducklings. She was at the top of a little
weir, and they were at the bottom, trying, fruitlessly, to get up. It was a hopeless task, they just kept
getting swept downstream. In the end
the mum gave up and joined them further down.
Apparently thirteen is an unusually large brood – wonder if they’ll
all survive. Sowed some chilli seeds today, spurred on by my
brother Matthew who grew them very successfully last year. We don’t have a greenhouse, so I am hoping
a special contraption invented by Matthew will work. It involves an old rectangular washing up
bowl with water in the bottom, into which I’m putting a tray supported on
stones, with my pots with the chilli seeds on top. Clingfilm then goes on top
of the bowl, and the idea is to create warm, humid conditions. We shall see if it works. What usually happens with this sort of
thing is that I am full of enthusiasm and optimism to start with and then I
lose interest and the whole project goes to pot. Got my spuds and broad beans in this weekend. It was
absolutely beautiful on Saturday. The
sun was out, and the birds were singing non-stop as I worked in the veg
patch. Then I saw a Common Blue
butterfly, obviously newly hatched, fluttering about. Surely that is very early? In the afternoon I took the boys to Ness
Beach at Shaldon. They love it because
you get to it through a smugglers tunnel – an amazing construction through
the cliff. The entrance to it looks
like the Hobbit’s hole. Finally got going in the veg patch today. Did quite a bit of digging and it all looks
a bit more respectable now, as opposed to an overgrown mess. I’m trying some organic fertiliser which is
made of chicken – er - waste, (it stinks to high heaven) which I hope will
lively things up a bit. I wondered
about putting my potatoes in but decided against it because of the cold
weather which was forecast. As I write
it is now hailing. The SHORTS came out this weekend! Shock horror! The sun shone and it was so beautiful. On Saturday we went on a walk at Hembury
Woods by the river and there were scores of dwarf daffodils and wood anemones
in flower. Then on Sunday we went to
the beach at Mothecombe and I went bodyboarding – fabulous strong surf and
the sea was astonishingly warm. At
one point I heard my name being called, and looked up and saw two friends
waving frantically from the top of the cliff.
The boys had written their names in the sand and they’d seen the
writing from on high. Ventured out for a walk with friends by the river in
driving rain and howling winds. The
Dart was a raging torrent – brown and foaming and really rather
terrifying. It was a relief to get
back home for roast beef, red wine, and quiet sozzledom beside the fire. My seed potatoes are starting to sprout nicely on my
windowsill. Roll on Spring. The thought of preparing the ground in the
veg patch is a little offputting at the moment though. I’m such a fairweather gardener. A gloriously sunny weekend which made the heart lift
after the gloom of the constant dull weather.
On Saturday I took the boys to Sidmouth because they wanted to look at
the wrecked ship, Napoli. It was an
awesome and rather sad sight, stranded out at sea. No sign of any beachcombers though. Sidmouth is VERY genteel – full of spic and
span Regency houses, and people walking small yappy dogs. The best thing was the food – we found an
amazing fish and chip place – this is their website: http://www.thewhitehorsecafe.co.uk/,
shortly followed by an incredible ice cream parlour called Ice Cream Paradise
– all the flavours under the sun, all named after Went on a wonderful windswept and occasionally sunny
walk at Bigbury-on-Sea today. The boys
made sandcastles for a while, and then we hung around for the sea tractor so
we could go across to Burgh Island. It
finally came across, but we were shocked to find it’s gone up to £1.50 each
way – so would have cost us a total of £12.
We decided to wade across instead as the tide was quite low….and had a
beautiful walk round the island. I was with a friend who swam round it in the
summer and she showed me her route – I definitely intend to do the same as
soon as weather permits. There are
some quite precipitous cliffs, but we lay down on the edge on our tummies and
looked down at the most amazing turquoise sea and geometric black and grey
rocks below. A rainbow then appeared. ] Bought some free range eggs from a cottage in
Ponsworthy, a mysteriously timeless and slightly shabby village in the middle of Dartmoor. They had strange wrinkled shells. I was
wondering if they’d perhaps been produced by some old and wrinkly hens, but
this is apparently not the case. I am
told by a reliable source that it is down to lack of grit in the diet. Had a real laugh today doing a spoof radio interview
with a spoof character called Moses Barrington who claims to be a regional TV
presenter from the 1970s. He’s
hilarious – big black wig, black moustache, brown suit and kipper tie - a bit
like a cross between Borat and Basil Fawlty. His alter ego – an aspiring
comedy writer and filmmaker called Michael Hutcherson – has produced a joke
publicity film for Torquay – “destination for 17 new visitors every year” –
which he’s put on YouTube, and which is attracting thousands of hits. The film, is naturally, presented by Moses,
and shows him variously demonstrating ‘where the meteorite struck’ (a hole on
the local golf course), talking about Torquay’s most famous resident, Agatha
Christie – “author of The Cat in the Hat, and John Grisham’s The
Firm” and claiming that the opening sequence of Friends was filmed
in a local fountain (er, which it wasn’t).
See the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ1NWtLK8aI Gales and rains again – and we are STILL finding
hedgehog mushrooms. Collected about a
kilo of them today, this is unheard of…they’re usually over by the end of
November. Still, I read in the paper
today that 2006 has been the hottest year EVER. It has been so mild and wet that I s’pose
it really is not surprising that the mushrooms are continuing to grow. Wednesday 27th December. I felt like a walking cliché today. Well, I WAS a walking cliché. I found myself heading off to the sales
along with all the other sad Christmassed-out masses. I decided to check out
our new local shopping centre in Plymouth. It’s called Drake Circus and it
has had an unbelievable amount of hype.
Well, quelle disappointment. It’s just a small shopping mall which is
completely enclosed – rather old hat these days surely. And on the outside it has the most hideous
brown cladding – looks as though someone has stuck Caramac bars all over it. What a sense of satisfaction. Tonight I ran my first
ever ‘5K’ – in 32 minutes. That’s
apparently equivalent to a ‘ten minute mile’ – whatever that means. It’s interesting how the old competitive
instinct comes out in such a situation…. Rain, rain, and yet more rain, all this week it just
keeps on coming. Still, it seems to be
good for the ‘shrooms – we collected lots of big fat hedgehogs. Although they were somewhat soggy they
dried out a treat. I am currently in the middle of a ‘running
course’. It involves a bunch of women
of all shapes and sizes, most of whom are up for a right old laugh, meeting
at Buckfastleigh Town Hall every Tuesday evening and ‘running’ around the
town. What this actually means is
walking most of the time with the odd run in between. We have certainly attracted some ribald
comments, but there is strength in numbers. We are now up to seven minute
runs, so are gaining in endurance all the time. The crunch will come just before Christmas
when we attempt a ‘5K’ – as it’s known in the business. A day of frequent, hard showers. The boys helped me in the garden, clearing
masses of fig leaves from the lawn. In
the process Felix found a mushroom which turned out to be a wood blewitt –
there was a whole group of them.
Rather ironic as I’ve spent a good few years looking for them in woods
with no success – and then they turn up on my front lawn. And very tasty they are too. ‘Twas the night of the Ashburton Winter Carnival,
when floats come from all over Devon and process down the main street in a
blaze of flashing lights, thumping rhythms and sizzling sequins. Sellers always come out of the woodwork,
hawking some sort of gimmick – this year it was luminous bunny ears. Everyone loves it and the streets were
packed. As well as the floats there were individual carnival entries –
including a small child posing as a headless Mary, Queen of Scots. ‘Tis finally the season of the hedgehog
mushroom. Lucian and I went off in
unpromising weather for a walk in the woods by the river. It was very dark and damp under the trees but
then I spotted a line of hedgehogs twinkling along the ground like a string
of fairy lights (only rather bigger, thankfully). I have been waiting for them for several
months, so it’s good they’ve finally arrived.
I remember picking them all through November two years ago – they’re
great because they get going after all the others have fizzled out. A friend today showed me her true friendship – she
let me in on the location of a secret porcini patch she recently
discovered. It was absolutely
incredible. They were everywhere. There was one that was so massive it was
like a joke – a bit like Big Ears’ house in the Noddy stories. I have never
seen so many huge and perfect mushrooms all in one place. Naturally I am
sworn, under pain of death, not to reveal the location. I had a strong urge to feel the sea on my skin, so
the boys and I set off for the beach at Bantham. What a great time we had. Felix and I went
in the sea and mucked around on our boards; the water was remarkably warm, in
fact so warm I took my wetsuit off and had a swim. We then had a cowrie hunt
and found 87 shells. Lucian then came
across two poor woolly bear caterpillars who were crawling around rather
hopelessly on the rocks - they must have fallen off the top of the cliffs. My legs are suffering through over-use. Spent the morning playing tennis (on top of
a hangover), had a short break for lunch, then was sent off to local woods to
find mushrooms, before returning to take the boys for a 3 mile cycle ride.
Still, at least there was the X Factor to slump in front of when we got home
- I just LOVE all the tears and tantrums. Sunday 1st October Forgive me for continually reporting my mushroom
finds, but I’m afraid I am becoming just a tiny bit obsessed. My addiction has been fed by a great
birthday present – a special mushrooming knife from Italy, complete with
brush for cleaning, and centimetre scale for measuring your specimens. Today Felix found three beautiful penny
buns, which we had fried with butter and garlic, and yesterday we got a whole
basketful of chanterelles and millers, with one penny bun. It’s turning out to be a great year –
unlike last Autumn which was such a disappointment. Had a Mid Life Crisis party today, it being my
forty-somethingth birthday. We hired
Devon’s answer to a marquee – a beautiful yurt which we put in the back
garden. We then decorated it with a large mirror ball and fairly lights to
give it a suitably groovy vibe, and moderate the hippy overtones. From then on in it was boozing and dancing
and generally juvenile behaviour throughout the night. Gathered a respectable haul of bay bolete mushrooms
today. Although they’re delicious,
they turn rather slimy when cooked, so Alex made them into a sauce for some
partridge – yum! An Indian summer’s day with hot sun and very little
wind. We went down to the Dart for a swim
– the boys spent ages sliding down a mini waterfall while I lazed languidly
about. There was nobody there; it felt
calm and quiet after the clamour of the holiday season. Afterwards we went on a mushroom hunt, finding more
penny buns and all manner of their relations, in all shapes and colours. At one point I climbed down a steep bank to
the river to be greeted by a quite psychedelic display of them sprouting
everywhere out of moss-covered rocks. Back in Devon after a week at a clapped out old
Cornish holiday camp. It was a case of
turning up at Reception to find the R hanging by a thread, and Waynetta Slob
on duty inside. The accommodation was,
ahem, basic. But it didn’t matter as
the sun shone and we were near gorgeous beaches. Back home, I felt sad at the end of summer, but my
spirits were lifted by a very productive trip to the woods – we picked
rowanberries, blackberries, wood sorrel, and, best of all, penny bun
mushrooms. I daren’t hope that this
might be a good mushrooming season…. Huge excitement because today we found our first
mushrooms of the season – a bunch of chanterelles. Came across them quite by accident, we
weren’t looking at all. We had them fried
with Antonio Carluccio’s ‘little sauce’ which is in his Passion for Mushrooms
book – just with shallots, flour and a little milk….bliss. We are on holiday at home, so saw some sights of
Devon today. First up, Compton Castle, a fairytale tiny castle near Paignton
– a delight. Next, we went to
Shoalstone Pool in Brixham – it’s wonderful, one of those old tidal pools
built on the rocks. You have a grandstand position overlooking Tor Bay, and
can watch all the fishing vessels and sailing boats going to and fro. Entry
is free. What a fantastic facility. Then we drove to Kingswear and got the ferry to
Dartmouth. From there we drove down to
Beesands, a string of houses on a shingle beach. The first thing we saw was a line from which
were hanging several conger eels and a dogfish. They were being dried for bait for the
lobster and crab pots. We bought a
lobster from Britannia Shellfish who have a little shop in the village, with
tanks full of live crustacaea. We hear endlessly about the joys of local food, well
tonight our supper was all Devon produce, and not just that but home-produced
– grown or caught by ourselves.
Mackerel caught on a fishing trip from Salcombe yesterday, with
lettuce and potatoes from the garden. We found a great new stretch of the Dart – it has
TWO jacuzzis and a wonderful deep pool for swimming. My back is sore at the moment and so I just
sat in the bubbles and got pummelled. We also did some snorkelling. My brother Matthew is
down, and is great at both spotting and identifying wildlife. We normally
just see minnows and trout, but he also saw eels and bullheads, which he was
able to point out to me and the boys. I am just loving this amazing weather – hot hot hot.
My brother James has been down for the weekend – we have done lots of
swimming both in the river and the sea.
The latter was at Torquay, which I rarely frequent, but we were
invited to a beach party there. It was at a spectacular place called Redgate
Beach which is closed off to the public because of cliff falls. It is the most perfectly formed cove with
lovely calm, clear water and fine shingle and pebbles in myriad shades of
pink. At night if you swim there is
phosphorescence from the krill. We had a bit of excitement while waiting for James’
(delayed) train at Newton Abbot station.
There was a shrill whistle and then a steam train with “Torbay
Express” on its front came flying through.
We all automatically got up and waved – well, it would have been rude
not to. We had a gloriously silly dinner party in which
eight of us dressed up in black tie and had dinner on top of Dartmoor. Unfortunately lacking a butler to go ahead and
bury the champagne, Alex and I had the job of taking the table and chairs up
to Bonehill Rocks, which we laid with the full works – dazzling white cloth,
candlesticks, vase of flowers etc. It
all felt quite surreal but rather splendid at the same time, especially with
the views down to Widecombe and across to Hay Tor, and the sun setting behind
the Rocks. Bit of a disastrous end to the day. Dropped my keys down a drain in the centre
of Ashburton. Got into a big panic,
went and got a coat hanger from a friend who lives nearby, and, quite
amazingly, managed to fish them out. I
don’t know how I did it. Then when I
got home a saucepan fell on my head. Went for a hilarious girls’ weekend away in
Cornwall. We stayed the night in a
youth hostel near Fowey. I’m not
familiar with youth hostels, having only been once before, when I was
sixteen, and the only thing I remember about that was that the chap in charge
wore brown leather hot pants all the time. Anyway, in the Fowey hostel all the other people
there seemed to be either hormoned-up teenagers or sandal-clad pensioners…and
then there was us – a group of loud thirty and forty somethings. The best bit was, late on into the evening,
when a courageous male decided to approach our group with the immortal
chat-up line “have any of you had Caesarians?” Phew – another scorcher. Played tennis in the morning and had to
retire after an hour – I just couldn’t take the heat. Took the boys to the river at teatime and
we spent ages snorkelling. In the end
we all got rather chilled, as we were so absorbed in looking at fish we
stayed in rather too long. Had the most blissful river swim today on the
Dart. It was incredibly hot, and the
pool was very still. There were
countless brilliant blue dragonflies.
At one point a snake swam across my path – its head held high out of
the water. I can’t stand snakes, but, strangely, this one didn’t upset me,
and it hasn’t put me off going in again.
The whole thing was more like being in the jungle than in England. Summer has finally arrived – with a vengeance. An old friend is down with her two boys
for half term so we hit the beach at Bantham.
It was absolutely glorious, baking hot all day, and we all got
terribly sunburnt. Still, it was
hardly our fault, as we’d virtually got frostbite at the beach the day
before. It’s either all or nothing in
this blooming country. It has been pouring with rain all weekend. I put
some runner bean plants in yesterday and they now look completely
bedraggled. It was too depressing to
go out, and too depressing to stay in, so a friend and I decided to take the
children swimming in Exeter. We had to
queue to get in as the pool was full.
We then went to Pizza Hut for lunch – well what a revelation. I have been very snobby about it in the
past (more of a Pizza Express woman) but I take it all back. They had a brilliant buffet, with pizzas
issuing forth from the oven at a great rate, to which you helped yourself
along with nice salads. Very cheap,
and no waiting around – ideal. Had my first river dip of the year. Went to the River Dart at Spitchwick and
was encouraged in by my ten year old niece.
It was truly icy but after a few ‘lengths’ of the pool it was
surprisingly pleasant. There’s just
that tremendous sensual thrill of being in the dark river surrounded by the
acid green of the trees in new bud. Today a French market came to Ashburton. It was from Normandy and appeared to be
touring round the small market towns of South Devon. It was fun, because it brought the whole town
out. The produce on sale was – shall we say –
patchy. Some nice cheese and sausage,
but the bread was shocking. I bought a
buckwheat loaf, which I thought would be a bit different, but it was just old
pap, and stale old pap at that.
Particularly annoying given I can get stale old pap locally, at a
fraction of the price. The wild garlic is well and truly out. Went to our local wood where it grows in
profusion and – wow – did it honk! A
veritable assault on the nostrils as we approached. We picked lots and had them in a
salad. Saw masses of flowers in their
glory: bluebells, violets, primroses (now on the wane) and exotic pink
orchids. Danced my socks off tonight at the funkiest band
ever. They’re called Solar and they
were playing at the Barrel House in Totnes – a venue I’d never been to
before. It’s great – a café/bar upstairs, all very bohemian with lots of
drapes, faded velvet sofas, gilt mirrors and risqué old photos in the
loos. The band were just fab –
jazz/funk/soul – or should that be soul/funk/jazz?!) – playing all sorts of
stuff from Stevie Wonder to Jamiroquai.
Had the most blissful walk today on Dartmoor which
was like some archetypal Blue Peter nature trek. The sun was out, it was beautifully still,
and we walked in our T shirts. The birds sang, and we saw/heard the
following: a swallow, a minnow in a stream, a woodpecker hammering, lambs,
and finally the most perfect clump of primroses at their absolute peak,
vibrant yellow and smelling so sweet. Went off on a Fossil Hunting Expotition today at
Charmouth in Dorset. Met up with my
friend Sue and her son George and we all had a great time. There’s an information centre at the beach,
staffed by very enthusiastic helpers, who told us what to do. We watched a rather dodgily edited video
before heading off on our search. The
boys got most pleasure out of simply hammering the rocks and causing as much
destruction as possible. We then found
some beautiful ammonite impressions in black slate – Lucian was the only one
to find an actual ammonite – a small one covered in fools’ gold. Monday 17th April 2006 My potatoes have come up – so exciting. I just love the feeling that the vegetables
are growing. Put little lettuce plants
in today which I’ve bought – terrible cheating but who cares, I just want to
get ahead. I will sow some seed next weekend. In the afternoon we went to Soar Mill Cove and I
went body boarding again – the waves were pathetic but it was tremendous just
to be in the water. Unfortunately the
sun then went in, and a howling gale decided to blow, so we huddled around
our barbeque and ate sausages and sweetcorn. Easter Sunday – went to Mass and the church was full
which was nice. Felix was very grumpy
and fidgety though, as he hadn’t had enough sleep, having gone to bed very
late and then got up early to watch children’s TV. So, as of today, the holidays are subject
to the same rules as term-time – ie no breakfast telly on weekday mornings. It is, as they say, unsustainable. My brother James is down and in the afternoon we
went off to the beach at Bantham.
James and I went body boarding – fabulous fun, if a tad brisk. We then went cowrie hunting. My potatoes are in – what a relief. We finally had a sunny (though not dry)
day, so I managed to get them in the ground at last. I prepared the ground in other beds so I
can sow the broad beans and peas over the next week or so. Alex and I spent the night at a hotel in Chagford,
on the other side of Dartmoor. We had
a beautiful walk by the River Teign, and saw the open air pool which takes
water from the river. Roll on summer. Drinking at lunchtime is a Bad Idea. But I went ahead and did it today. Some friends came round, and, well, it just
seemed like the natural thing to do, given the grey skies and incessant
rain. Amazingly it cleared up after
lunch and we went for a reviving walk in a nearby wood and saw wild garlic
plants starting to emerge. It’s the middle of March, and this morning it was
snowing. Per-LEASE! I mean, COME ON! AND it means I can’t yet sow any lettuces or broad
beans or anything, which I have normally done by this time. This cold spell – or rather ice age – is
starting to get really rather tiresome. Came across a new ‘forest park’ today, rather by
accident. We went up to Haldon Forest
near Exeter, because Alex wanted to check out the new Centre for Contemporary
Art and the Natural World. Sadly it’s
little more than an overgrown shed at the moment, with not much art in it,
but the idea seems interesting. While
we were there we noticed a ‘play trail’, and then various bike trails, all
heavily signposted. It turns out that
this woodland is now called the ‘Haldon Forest Park’ and is described as a
‘wonderful playground for all the family’.
The children certainly enjoyed it – there are lots of climbing frames
and wooden sculptures and even huge wooden musical instruments, dotted along
the walk. I feel a little uneasy about
the ‘theming’ of the countryside though. A gloriously beautiful day with bright, bright
sunlight. Could spring finally be
approaching? The boys and I went to
the beach at Mothecombe and had our first bathe of the year. There were some great waves and I did some
bodyboarding. Not for long though –
the water was hellishly cold (if that’s not a contradiction in terms – which
of course it is). It was great to be
back in the sea again. The long dry spell has finally broken and the rain
has arrived. Went on a windy walk
along the coast path south of Shaldon – spectacular views of the sea and lots
of big ships. Very slippery, muddy paths – we came home covered in red gunge.
Had a great evening at a rather eccentric place in
Torquay called the Blue Walnut. It’s a
café with a tiny replica Nickleodeon cinema at the back which only seats 25
people. It specialises in showing old
films, and after a quick supper we saw the original King Kong – quite
fabulous. I don’t know how it compares
with the new version which of course is out now, but I imagine they are
somewhat different….. Went to see some old films of Ashburton and Dartmoor
in the Town Hall this afternoon. They
showed traditions which have died out – like the Ashburton furry dance – but
also those which are still going strong, like the annual ale tasting and bread
weighing. Particularly poignant was the
film of the last train to Ashburton before they shut the station in the early
70s. Bought seed potatoes today which is a very cheering
thing to do. It reminds me that Spring
is not too far off. I got some
Pompadour to share with my father, and some Rocket. The latter grow very quickly as their name
suggests – I hope this might mean we can avoid them getting a horrible
disease called Blackleg which unfortunately exists in our garden soil. January blues. It’s permanently dank and wet. Stayed inside for most of the day, apart
from a short yomp around Venford Reservoir in the wind and rain. The best
part about that was when Alex produced a surprise chocolate brownie to eat
when we were half way round. I saw my first ever kingfisher today. It was an
almost psychedelic experience, and did actually make me feel deliriously
happy. We were walking along the Dart and suddenly l saw this electric,
iridescent blue, blazing along the river, like a small guided missile. It seemed totally alien among the dark
greens and browns of its surroundings.
It was uplifting and exciting - a beacon of exotic brilliance in a
dark, winter world. Back in Devon after an Oxfordshire Christmas with my
parents and brothers. It was lovely.
The entire family – aged between 2 and 80 - was together for one meal, and we
were each required to do a party piece after dinner. It was quite the Victorian evening, and
even those who’d moaned at the idea of having to perform ended up enjoying
themselves. Then on the 26th, Felix and I joined in
the annual boxing day shoot, as beaters.
It was his first time, and he loved it. Which is hardly surprising, as it involves
brandishing a large stick and hitting things - a small boy’s idea of
heaven. Am recovering from our annual Carolling ‘n Carousing
party. Assorted adults, children and general hangers-on converged on our
house for sausages, mince pies, mulled wine and all round Christmas
Cheer. We had a great old sing-song
round the piano, and a friend played her viola which added a much-needed
touch of class to the proceedings. I opened the front door this morning to find a
crumpet on the drive. Hmm.
Surreal. Was puzzled for a
while, then decided to forget about it, as the whole thing was freaking me
out. Then we found some stones had
been taken out of our garden wall, and then Alex found he had a flat
tyre. So someone obviously had a wild
Friday night (Devon-style). Bring on
the ASBOs I say. After the unseasonal snow of last week, has come the
all too seasonal rain. It’s been
bucketing down all week. On one
occasion I got caught in a rain storm which literally soaked me to the skin
though four layers of clothing in just thirty seconds flat. The roads are messy, muddy and
slippery. Come back snow! It’s a November Winter Wonderland. Mercifully we haven’t been snowed in, as
we’re just on the edge of Dartmoor, so not high enough, but there’s enough of
the stuff around to look pretty. We
walked up on the Moor near Holne – not sledgable, but satisfactory snowball
fights were had by all. Last night was the Ashburton Winter Carnival – a
procession of bright lights, loud music, spandex and ceremony. Everyone is out on the streets, the pubs
are packed, and the floats make their way slowly through the town, their
queens resplendent and the crowds admiring. A rather tiring day spent fetching manure (five car
loads), shovelling it around and digging it in. Still, the veg patch
desperately needs a good dose of heavy duty horse poo - which is what it got.
We built up a real appetite for dinner which was an
amazing steak and kidney pudding, which took five hours to steam. It was very
easy to do – just a case of making the pastry, lining the bowl and putting
the uncooked meat and chopped onions in, and steaming it. Thanks Delia. I am recovering after the Tennis Club Tango
Night. Yes, that’s right, the Tennis
Club Tango Night down at Ashburton Town Hall, and hey, was the joint jumping. We had a real live Argentinean teacher and everything.
Everyone was very embarrassed and British at first, especially when the first
exercise involved engaging complete strangers in a steamy, Latin stare. I made sure my plastic cup of white wine
was at close hand and as the evening wore on it all became increasingly
silly. I even met a man called Bill who evidently is some
sort of rock musician. It turns out he
was the drummer on the hit ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ and got two thousand pounds for
being on Top of the Pops. He’s invited
us to his next gig, in the Fox in Newton Abbot. Who says we have a dull life in Ashburton? Rain, rain, rain, rain. It just doesn’t want to stop. The fields are flooded, the roads are like
rivers, the Dart is a raging torrent.
We went up to Princetown and looked round the Dartmoor Prison
‘Heritage Centre’ – ie museum.
Everything was very forbidding in the grey, driving rain. The museum was fascinating, if sad. It struck me forcibly that although the
emphasis now isn’t so much on punishment, being locked up and deprived of
your freedom is the terrible (and unchanged) thing, regardless of whether you
have to do hard labour or Open University courses while you’re in there. Back in Devon after a week away for half term. Went off in search of mushrooms but came
back empty handed. This really has
been an appalling season. However we
DID find lots of fat, shiny sweet chestnuts which was some consolation. We brought them home and roasted them on a
shovel on the fire. I had a very happy surprise. I got phoned on my
mobile (nobody ever phones me on my mobile normally) and told I’d won a
competition in the Observer newspaper.
A real turn up for the books, I don’t think I’ve won a competition
since I was a child. It was to write a
review of less than 80 words of the new Rachel Whiteread installation at the
Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. To write
something that short is very difficult. As Oscar Wilde said: “I’d have
written you a shorter letter if I’d had more time.” The review will appear in the paper on
Sunday. Here
it is. Alex found a solitary (but thankfully quite big)
Chanterelle in some woods by the Dart.
I put it in a mushroom tart and it was delumptious (as my niece Ruby
puts it). The recipe comes from Alastair Little’s Keep It Simple – although
he credits Simon Hopkinson. It’s just
puff pastry with mushrooms and garlic butter.
As our Al says, keep it simple and you can’t go wrong. Worked in the veg patch clearing beds. All I have
left now is rocket (quite plentiful), little gems (minus the hearts), runner and
purple beans (fading fast) and perpetual spinach (mostly gone to seed; not
very perpetual then). I also have some
purple sprouting but I’m going to have to wait until next year for that. Oh, and I nearly forgot, the strawberries are still producing,
even if they don’t taste that great.
Still, as long as they can be slathered in cream or ice cream, who
cares? Major mushroom excitement. Found a huge penny bun – aka cep or
porcino. The irony was that we’d spent
the whole afternoon on a fruitless mushroom hunt, going miles off the beaten
track in local woods. After finding
nothing we gave it up as a bad job and decided to stop and buy the children
an ice cream on the way back. I then came across the monster under a bush
about 50 yards from the car park. Lucian fell from a climbing frame in the Rec and we
had to take him to the hospital to be mended.
Naturally I didn’t have my mobile with me when it happened so I had to
carry him, screaming, to a friend’s
house in order to phonel Alex to bring the car down. Thank God for our cottage hospital in
Ashburton, which has a minor injuries unit.
The nurses there were very kind and used some amazing glue to
literally stick his chin back together. On a happier note I am a year older (as of
yesterday). Celebrations take place
tonight. Thoroughly knackered myself on a long walk which
involved much climbing. We went around
Bench Tor and down to the river (which is where the climbing came in). It was all worth it though when we came
across a really stunning pool. It
consisted of a waterfall going into a channel which then widened out into a
deep, black area of water. There were huge smooth rocks at the side – ideal
for sitting on or jumping off. It was
so inviting that despite the cold I stripped off and went in. Not for long
though. After about a minute I could
feel the iciness attacking my toes. Towards the end of my walk I found a shaggy ink cap
and another type of mushroom which I believe is called The Miller. It is apparently good to eat although I’ve
never come across any recipes which use it. Went down to the beach at Bantham in search of surf
but instead found still, glassy, greenness. It was like a millpond. Had a wonderful swim. It was a beautiful
sunny day with no wind. The beach was
very quiet. Slightly more encouraging mushroom news. Found two hedgehogs (mushrooms, not small
prickly things) while out in woods by the Dart. Let’s hope they’re the start of many. Awoke to rain – and lots of it. It poured down all morning and we all got
very soggy out shopping. The only
consolation was that rain is good for mushrooms, so we went to look for them
in the afternoon at Hembury Woods. Not
a sausage unfortunately; there can’t have been enough rain yet. We collected blackberries instead but even
they were on the way out, with many of them mouldering on the bush. Autumn is most definitely here. In the evening we had our first fire of the
season. Decided to go fishing. This was inspired by a touristy mackerel
trip two days ago in Cornwall, on the last day of a week-long holiday there
with my extended family. It was so
satisfying catching these feisty fish I decided I must try it at home. After all, living in Devon, it seems a bit
stupid not to be hauling fish out of the sea on a regular basis. So, on the advice of a very good website, www.torbayfishing.com, Felix and I set
off for the breakwater in Brixham. And
shock horror - we actually caught a mackerel.
Though I have to say it was only because we had help. Having trudged the mile to the end of the
breakwater, we then proceeded to lose two sets of gear through total
incompetence. By that stage we’d run
out of hooks and things, so we hung around looking hopeless and watching all
the other fishermen (and it was all men).
Eventually a kind soul took pity on us and offered to set us up with a
float etc, and after that we caught our mackerel. So it’s mackerel tonight again. After mackerel sushi, barbequed mackerel,
mackerel fish cakes, and smoked mackerel pate (all still being eaten from the
Cornish trip). A second attempt at river snorkelling today – much
more successful than the first. It was a warmer day, the water was more still
than in the previous place, and I even saw some fish. (only fry though). A mystery environmental artist is at work in South
Devon. He – or she – or they – have
created ‘mini tors’ at one of our favourite swimming pools on the River
Dart. At this particular place there
are lots of rocks, boulders and pebbles, and when we turned up to swim we
found lots of them had been arranged in small towers. This is not uncommon round here. Last week
at the woods we found a picture on the ground made of flowers, leaves and
bracken. At the pool, I snorkelled in the river for the first
time. Unfortunately I couldn’t keep it
up for long as it wasn’t very warm today and having my head in the water for
anything longer than a few minutes was just agony. Next time I will wear a wetsuit and perhaps
it will be easier. But it was
fascinating to be able to see the bottom of the river bed, with all its slate
and stone and rocks. No fish
unfortunately but I think I would see them if I snorkelled for longer – I
know they are there. Today at the beach I encountered a man who was
determined to Go Commando. We arrived
at Mothecombe and went to our usual spot ‘round the corner’, slightly away
from the main drag. As we dumped our
stuff I noticed a chap with his crown jewels on display, but assumed he was
just changing. Oh no. He was determined to blaze a nudist trail
it seemed. Ironically he had a woman
with him who was sunbathing completely clothed. He had one of those pop-up tents behind
which to hide his modesty, but eventually he gave up and put on a pair of
trunks, as he’d inadvertently chosen a place where lots of people kept
passing. It reminded me of an incident in Cornwall in the
70s, on a family holiday. My brothers
and I were intrigued by a couple who were obviously determined to be
different. She was topless – the
horror – and he was wearing a thong – unheard of then. Eye watering stuff. The first ceps of the season have been found. They were eaten with great ceremony, butter
and garlic – all two mouthfuls of them.
It just goes to show you can never start the search too early. The hunt is now truly on. Excitement on the beach at Bantham. I was returning from the rock pools with
the boys when the lifeguard announced through his megaphone that a helicopter
would be landing in five minutes, because of a ‘serious casualty’. He asked
everyone to clear that end of the beach and added that it wasn’t a joke. Sure enough, five minutes later, the red
helicopter of the Devon air ambulance was approaching. The life guards lit an orange smoky flare
on the beach to guide it in to land, and the entire beach turned to
watch. A woman was brought out of the
lifeguard hut on a stretcher. She’d been stung by a weaver fish and had gone
into anaphylactic shock. I knew weaver
fish could give you a nasty sting but I didn’t realise they could cause that
reaction. Like bee stings I suppose.
The helicopter had got to the patient within about 25 minutes.
Incredible. I hope it saved her life. Back from a week in Spain and of course the veg
patch has gone mad. Enormous fat
French beans with the seeds inside podging out. Weeds.
Lettuces going to seed.
Annoyingly though, despite the rain which we’ve apparently had in the
week we’ve been away, the carrots and the beetroot are still minuscule. We just don’t seem to be able to grow root
veg. Nevertheless I was determined to
celebrate my one little beetroot and four mini carrots in a salad. I grated
the beetroot, chopped the carrot finely and then blanched green beans and
broad beans. I mixed it all up with
olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper and very good it was. Sunday 17th July 2005. More fabulous weather. A friend had heard from another friend
about another swimming place in the
River Dart, at Hembury Woods, so we went together to find it. It was beyond expectations. Huge - long
and wide and deep - and we swam for ages.
We took a surfboard which the children enjoyed floating about on. The dappled green shade of the wood was
soothing. This must have been the hottest day of the year so
far. We went to a barbeque at friends
which was lovely but by four o’clock we were in serious need of total
immersion. We found a new pool in the River
Dart at New Bridge that was deep enough and wide enough to swim in
properly. As I entered the water there
was no cold shock at all. Just a
beautiful refreshing coolness and dark greenness. As I swam around fish kept jumping to
either side. It was the most cooling
balm you could imagine. Decided to investigate an unknown beach – Lannacombe
right down near Start Point, the southernmost tip of Devon. It was truly
remote. It took ages to get there –
well, an hour – and the last part of the journey was down a tiny lane through
what seemed like a jungle it was so green and lush. We were wondering when on earth we would
get there when suddenly the road came to an end in a tiny car park and the
most beautiful, breathtaking cove. We had checked the tide table before we set out
because this is a beach which gets mostly covered at high tide. It was fabulous. Great swathes of rocks either side –
particularly good on the left, I caught two prawns and saw a big fish in one
of the rock pools. The boys played for ages in a stream going down the
middle of the beach, and I swam and then body boarded (without a wetsuit). The sea was as flat as a pancake when we
arrived but after a while the wind got up, and there were quite decent little
waves. I used one of the children’s
boards which was very effective despite its flimsiness. A friend, Roseanne, came on down with her three boys
and we finished the day with a bbq watching the sun go down. Unfortunately, going home, disaster struck. Roseanne got TWO punctures going up the
lane. Of course there was no mobile
phone coverage and we were miles from anywhere. My mobile phone said ‘orange France’ when I
turned it on. By the time we’d gone to
the village to phone the rescue services, waited around, tried to change both
wheels etc etc, it was ten o’clock before we got home. Oh well, an adventure for the boys. Back in Devon after going to New York for a few days
over half term. I am not in the habit
of just ‘going off to New York’ – the last time was 14 years ago, before zero
tolerance – but I had the chance to go because Alex who was going on
business. We had a great time.
The best thing was the skyline of Manhattan – especially when sitting
in the Rainbow Grill at the top of the Rockefeller Plaza watching the sun
going down over the Empire State Building and drinking Prosecco. We did the usual New York things. Including seeing a cockroach speed across
the floor of our hotel room. Back home it has been raining incessantly. It’s supposed to be summer for goodness
sake. The only benefit is that the veg
patch has gone mad. The snap peas are
now about two feet high and looking healthy which is great. The climbing French beans, on the other
hand, look distinctly unhappy. I think I put them out too early, and they’ve
suffered from the unseasonable cold.
Still the dwarf French beans are doing well – the second sowing is
romping away, whilst the earlier ones aren’t so happy – proof that sowing
early is a waste of time. I need to get out there and weed. Sunday 15th May – In the veg patch and at
the beach Hauled myself out of bed at around nine o’clock
after a not very restful night. Had
got to bed late, after drinking a bit too much. Slept fitfully, and dreamt about
the house burning down. Was woken at six am by the insistent, repetitive and
highly irritating cooing of the collared doves outside. Lay awake for around forty minutes before
finally getting back to sleep, only to be woken again half an hour later by
my smallest boy demanding a snuggle.
He came into bed, wriggled around and then left after a few
minutes. I managed to get back to
sleep only to be woken again a short time later by demands for breakfast. Drove down to church as couldn’t be bothered to
walk. Mass ok. The homily was about the importance of
listening – in which Father Sebastian started by talking about how he hates
meetings and gets irritated by people droning on. Back home, and I decided I had to bite the bullet
and dig over the last bed in the veg patch that needs preparing. Our own compost is STILL not ready, because
we put egg shells in and they just haven’t decomposed. I suppose I could go through and pick out
the egg shells and then we could use it. Back in the real world… Got hot and dirty digging the patch. Then sowed some more French beans – the
ones I sowed a few weeks ago STILL haven’t come up, I’m keeping my fingers
crossed. Planted some perpetual
spinach that I bought off a market stall in Totnes. Am hardening off some sweetcorn plants
which I intend to plant in a couple of days. After lunch we went off to the beach. The sun was
shining, hence our decision to head beachwards, but we thought we’d better
take raincoats, wetsuits etc ‘just in case’. The car looked as though we were
off on holiday for three weeks by the time we’d stuffed it with surfboards
(three), wetsuits (four), spare sets clothes for boys (two) fishing nets (two), rucksacks (two) and
barbeque (one). By the time we got to the beach – Bantham – it was
spitting slightly, the clouds were grey and there was a biting wind. There
was a wobbling moment of uncertainty in the car park before we decided to
push on. By the time we’d got the boys into their wetsuits
their teeth were only chattering slightly.
I also changed into mine, which I teamed with my Wellingtons, a rather
strange and, no doubt, highly unflattering look. Still, I’d rather look odd than freeze to
death through lack of footwear while standing in the surf minding my boys. Alex went in and bodyboarded for about ten minutes –
surf not brilliant but he got a few rides.
I then went in (after swapping my wellies for Alex’s wetsuit boots – a
slightly awkward exercise). It was cold, but it felt good. We then walked round to Barbados. That’s what I call a beautiful beach only
accessible at low tide. Bantham is at
the mouth of an estuary, and Barbados is round the corner slightly up river.
It’s Barbados because the sand is so white and the river a beautiful deep
greeny blue. (I’ve never actually been
to Barbados of course – but hey, one can dream). By this stage the boys were pretty cold, and we
debated whether to go home but decided to be British about things and persist
with our barbeque - chicken kebabs with pitta bread and yoghurt flavoured
with wild garlic. We sat eating it contemplating Burgh Island opposite |
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