Off on another trip - South West England for a month

Warming up after a cold hike in the Black Mountains. LtoR: Helen, Ghanch, Jarred, Brian, Ash, Kieran and Jackie (Also Tony, who is not in photo as he was taking it)

Busy busy busy, but now we can breathe....

I had a lovely catchup with Sarah, a friend from a previous life, on Wednesday. She has inherited a delightful cat, Maneki, so it was a chance to meet him with a view to potential future housesitting, and to have a great lunch and chat. Time flew, how did it suddenly get to 16.00? Just as well I did some of the prep for dinner before I went out, and left Delia open on the correct page for Brian!

On top of Table Mountain (not the one in Cape Town!) in a bitingly cold wind. Ash and Kieran hiding in their bivvy tent

Thursday we went and got Ted out of storage, well John doesn’t seem to need us, and Ted hasn’t been used for virtually a year! He started first time, and despite being incredibly cold inside there was no sign of damp, till we started warming him up and condensation appeared on all sorts of things! Brian gave him a clean while mum and I shopped. Then Friday we started on the inside, purifying the water system and packing clothes and food. Not to mention changing the habitation batteries. We’ve been talking about changing them since we got the van, but were finally kicked into action after the last habitation check when we were told they weren’t really holding a charge anymore!

The scenery was fabulous even though it was almost too cold to appreciate it

Saturday we had a break and went to the Black Mountains in South Wales for another mountaineering club walk. A linear walk so with the associated faff of getting cars to both ends, not helped by one of the cars not arriving, the occupants having unfortunately gone to north Wales instead of South Wales! It was cold, very cold, with a biting wind, which we hadn’t really quite dressed for. It was a shame as it would have been a great walk otherwise. Eight people, two dogs and 16km. A well deserved meal and pint in the pub before being driven home. It could have been worse! See our short Relive video with more photos: click here

Wild horses in the hills

Sunday was a family gathering at Denise and Paul’s. Sadly Fiona and co didn’t make it, but the rest of us had a good chat and catch up. We even got back in time to collect John and make it to Sunday Club. Monday we had planned to go away in Ted, but Mark suggested a real life Monday Club, in a real pub, with real beer (well nearly real beer). So we took advantage of the extra day before leaving on Tuesday and coming straight to Dawlish, in Devon, near the coast, and just off the end of the M5 so a relatively painless journey. We’ve booked for a week, which is probably the longest we’ve ever stayed anywhere, but this was to give us opportunity to deal with any unforeseen problems. There haven’t really been any, except the failure of quite a few of the cupboard and drawer catches. He’s replaced three, and we still have three in reserve, will it be enough?

On our very big but also very quiet site in Dawlish

The site in Dawlish, Cofton holiday park, is very well appointed, on site bar and restaurant and pool as well as all the usual facilities. Tuesday I had my meal all planned, until we looked at the menu for nearby pub, the Anchor, with its huge quantity of seafood. That was it, we were off! Not a bad nights sleep, we are right by the fishing pools, the fish and fishermen are ok, it’s the incoming geese that are noisy!

On our 10 mile circular walk from the campsite

Wednesday another 16km hike, from the park, into the countryside, down to Dawlish for a great teashop stop, before back to the park via Dawlish Warren, not quite open for the season yet. Fortunately I’d picked up a leaflet from reception as this gave the route, including the permissive path, only for residents of the caravan park. See our short Relive video with more photos: click here

This may be just a buzzard, but it might also be something more exciting!

Yesterday we got the bikes out (well Brian did, fixing my puncture etc) and went on a great cycle route up the Exe. 12km to a swing bridge before returning to the Turf Inn for lunch. A limited menu, but as all I wanted was a crab sandwich, and that was on the menu, all was good. It was sunny all day, so we took the opportunity to sit outside for the first time this year. Fabulous. See our short Relive video with more photos: click here. Today then, a day off, breakfast in the restaurant, blog and book our next stops. This may not be necessary, but we are not actually at the place in Dawlish we wanted to be. Brian from the pub had recommended Ladies Mile, which one day had spaces, but not the next. Weekends seem to be busy!

We saw a group of these guys on the lower seawall being washed by the tide. They liked nibbling away as a wave receded but ran off quickly on an approaching wave 

Little lambs are already in evidence, this field was full of them

We followed a very pleasant route outlined by the campsite, across fields

And into the lovely coastal town of Dawlish

Where we found the lovely Daisy's Tea Rooms

It had to be done!

And just to clear up any confusion... I do mine the Cornish way, but as we were in Devon I tried to do it without anyone seeing!

The return leg of our walk took us along the seawall from Dawlish, alongside the railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in May 1846. Originally it was broad gauge track and was powered by his revolutionary atmospheric system. This used a vacuum tube laid beneath the track and sucked the train along the track. Early passengers reported a very smooth, quiet ride, but it was fraught with problems, mainly caused by sealing problems, which caused many delays. Brunel eventually admitted defeat and it was converted to steam power in 1848

Next day we got our bikes out for a cycle north along the River Exe estuary and along the Exeter Ship Canal

In the distance there is Powderham Castle, the seat of the Earl and Countess of Devon. Originally the Exe estuary was navigable right up to Exeter but, in the 1280's the Countess built a weir across the estuary to power a mill, cutting off Exeter from shipping. Thus was born the Exeter Ship Canal, built in 1566 after a lot of petitioning to reopen Exeter to shipping. The Exeter Ship Canal became the first canal to be built in Britain from Roman times

And here, alongside the canal was our lunch stop for the day, the Turf Hotel, dating from the time of the canal. It has undergone restoration but keeps its original style, has an excellent position between the canal one side and the Exe estuary the other. A simple but excellent food menu is accompanied by a couple of well kept real ales. A perfect stop!

It was too early for lunch them, so we went further to the swing bridge before we felt we earned our lunch, turning around and heading back to the Turf Hotel

There's the beer garden, what a view! It was sunny and just about warm enough to sit outside

Cheers!

Its a quirky place, there's a cat flap in the gents loo to allow the cat that adopted them to get in when it wants to (we didn't see him, he was upstairs asleep), and also a tame duck, Goliath. Here he is sheltering in an outhouse. His mate sadly got attacked by a customers dog a while back so he's now alone here - poor thing! He's well looked after though

And here is the entrance to the Exeter Ship Canal from the Exe estuary

It wouldn't be the same if Jackie didn't find a cat to stroke, so today was no disappointment!