Devon Blog

December 2007

Could not believe it 10 days before we move woke up on a Saturday a week before the move with a very swollen uvula ended up at the Worcester hospital at ENT had a camera up nose down to my voice box thankfully they did not keep me in Ros was also in tears thinking they were going to keep me in, they told me to rest & to be honest I did not feel at all well, to think some people have the uvula pierced! I was choking with mine. Ros worked so hard packing I felt really guilty & felt so sorry for her.

Tuesday 4th Ros had a busy time packing had 3 storage containers filled & taken down to the secure storage unit.

Wednesday 5th Bennett's of Malvern were excellent would recommend every time we did recommend them to two people in Malvern before we left one was in the same street! The removal men came to heavy rain & on the day there were 6 pairs of hands helping with the packing we thought we had done most on Tuesday 4th could not have done it with out the removal men they were excellent. They left around 4pm to travel down to Barnstaple, I thought we were ready to drive down as well then Ros said still a lot to do! packing & cleaning! my van was full of stuff & the car was also packed up as well as food for our evening stop over at a travel lodge. I had been in a old track suit & training shoes as I was cleaning out the workshop & had been sweating with the climbing up the side steps. I said to Ros where are my clean clothes to travel down to Barnstaple? Ros could not stop laughing they had been packed! I could not believe it but saw the funny side.

We left Malvern at 19.30pm! dropped the van off at Gloucester then drove non-stop down to Barnstaple arrived by 22.45pm could not wait to get into the shower, Ros did a fantastic salad with water-cress, rocket, tomatoes with chicken & ham all tasty & organic, we celebrated with 2 bottles of champagne, we had achieved the dream of living by the sea & in Devon & before I retire! got to bed at 2am slept like a log we were both shattered from the stress of the last 12 months.

Thursday 6th We had a young dog jump on the bed which woke us up, good job too as the alarm was on for 07.00am it was 08.00am & we were meeting the lady from the estate agent at the rented Bungalow at 08.45am we could have stopped in bed it was warm & very comfortable so a mad rush to have breakfast & get ready for the viewing.

The removal men were outside Bungalow at 09.15am even more rain, it was forecast as a very bad weekend the worse across England for a long time, the removal men were excellent again, Ros supplied the coffee & sandwiches all day they have filled up the two spare bedrooms & they left at 15.00pm.

Friday 7th Started unpacking & trying to make the Bungalow look like a home this went on until Sunday afternoon had a house viewing at Bradworthy old property with 2 acres house which was lovely but something was ringing in my ears about the village, we drove into the village & saw posters stating we do not need the wind farm! yes it has been the one on the TV & the wind farm would be in front of the house!

Monday 10th We have seen a house at Great Torrington a original period house, this area is a compromise with houses if you want a period house with a sea view you are looking at 500,000 plus or you have a sea view it will be with a bungalow which Ros does not want as she grew up in a bungalow as a young girl & she hates them. Ros viewed the house by herself as I was back at work she came back to the bungalow so excited about the house she loved it & talked about it all evening, I did say to her then if you like it so much put in a offer, she said what without me viewing it! I did say I trusted her judgement but she said no I must view it with her.

Tuesday 11th Viewed it together & I loved it as well, all original but a very long garden! over 200ft long think I will leave a quarter of it to a wild garden with a few trees, looking forward to setting up a vegetable garden & the garden will be excellent for HF & VHF/UHF aerials, went passed the house today (Wednesday 12th) stopped & got the GPS out & it shows it is a 100ft A.S.L.

Was hoping to leave a bit of money in the bank what with Ros not working anymore & becoming a house wife for the first time in 35 years, but the seller would not take a offer of 360,000 for the house & we have got it for 375,000 with nothing in the bank, but like Ros said once you have had a period house you need another one after all the hard work we have done on the old house in Malvern we just wanted to chisel it away & bring it with us.

Still we have no mortgage, Ros is not working & looking more relaxed & I am not constantly on the M5 motorway a nice lifestyle change for both of us with hopefully with a nice house & garden also. The house has loads of parking which I really missed in Malvern I had to park my works van on the road which in the end became a real problem as I have a parking at home licence with the company & they insist that you park outside your own home when ever I moved the van someone from the shop next door or the B&B or the chiropodist owner or customers would take up the space this really got to me in the end, when it was my rostered day off the following day & Ros had an appointment she would park the car in the space to save it for the van & walk everywhere, yes I know it sounds ridiculous but these are the lengths we went to save the parking space for the works van!

Thursday 13th Been to a works meeting in Bodmin went passed Jamaica Inn & the famous museum a lovely trip out & a good meeting with manager & L2, down to Okehampton Friday.

Ros is already getting fed up with bungalow & so am I stuff in boxes no space & no space for the tumble dryer we cannot have wet clothes around the house as it makes the condensation in the bungalow worse, it was 6am & had a really bad start to the morning before work, sewer was blocked but managed to sort it out Ros said why should I be doing it, but by the time I rang the estate agent & they sent around a person it was easier to do it myself & I was successful not a pleasant job but was told it is mans work! so much for equal opportunities lol, joking apart I would not want Ros to do this type of work we both know what we do best & this is not a job Ros would have liked.

Got a few Christmas lights up, bungalow is warm had a few frosts in the mornings which was a surprise, but by afternoon had some lovely sunny afternoons, going to look at changing the car to a VW van would be useful for the new house & for Ros getting rid of stuff at boots sales or antique fairs would be good for the surf board as well in my dreams lol, found a surf shop in Braunton which sells OAKLEY got myself a nice tee-shirt & hat with the OAKLEY logo well it is my name shame the owner of OAKLEY is not a relation must check my family tree lol.

Saturday 15th Viewed the house in Great Torrington again, first of all we had a walk around the town & listening to the local school singing carols such a lovely Christmas feeling to the place, open log fires in the pubs would have loved to be in the house before Christmas but it will not be until the new year on the way back to the bungalow we stopped at Instow beach & took Beau on it for the first time wow did he love the run he was like a dog with two tails.

Sunday 16th Woke up to lovely sunny weather decide to drive over to Croyde bay so many surfers in the sea & we thought we would walk to Baggy point a NT area it was a 2 mile round walk on the south west coastal path one of the houses for sale with a sea view is on the market for 2.5 million! On top of Baggy point it did have a wind chill but the views were excellent really enjoyed the walk, came back via the scenic route back into Barnstaple did some food shopping then back to the rented for a quiet relaxing afternoon with a few glasses of bubbly, well it is coming up to Christmas.

Wednesday 19th Was so excited brought us a Tom-Tom one XL brought the extra holder, one for the car & one for the van, unit worked well, loaded the software which came with the unit then told me to connect the unit & download the new upgrade, which I did now I have no maps! yet the software on the PC states they are there! spent 2 1/2 hours of wasted time, Ros is taking it back tomorrow, been onto the forums & they state the holder is very poor as the unit falls off the windscreen, so fed up with it & more frustrated about the time I spent on it trying to get it to work. Team meeting in Weston super mare on Thursday so a trip on the motorway yuk.

Thursday 20th Ros took back the Tom-Tom & got my money back the guy at the shop the best one to buy is Garmin & it has a much better holder.

Saturday 22nd Took Beau again on Instow beach & he ran into the sea! we think it was a mistake he must have thought it was solid ground & as soon as he went in he was out & not looking to happy. Went around to our favourite shop Marshford Organics http://www.marshford.co.uk/default.aspx got a very good web site & there are no queues like the big supermarkets. Was at the T/M in Weston super mare in the week & just happened to say that Beau is fed organic they all thought this was highly amusing but like I have said to Ros many times if we are eating good healthy organic food with no pesticides then our Beau will & so did Biggles & he lived to 17 years old.

Sunday 23rd Decided to have a walk with Beau to Foreland light house on Exmoor I love lighthouses so was excited about the walk. The lighthouse on Devon's farthest north point Foreland Point was built in 1900. It is reached by a hair-raising zig-zag road which is not open to public vehicles, but may be walked. We parked in the small parking area just off the road & to the lighthouse is around 2 1/2 miles from the parking area. At the top of the hill we saw 3 vehicles driving up from the lighthouse which we thought was strange, when we eventually got down to the lighthouse we realised it is a NT holiday cottage you can view the cost on http://www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk/nt.asp?p=79&c=16

As we were walking down to the lighthouse we passed Exmoor ponies & as we dropped down into the valley we looked up & we saw 5 deer 3 adults with 2 young what a treat also in the heather was a grouse which flew up as we were walking past at the end of the long walk down looked over the wall to see the lighthouse, Ros said shall we have a closer look so we descended down the steps to the living quarters of the house but was concerned as the people renting the house had left outside the door all their Christmas bottles of booze including lots of Champagne! then we started the steep climb back up, we were both worn out when we got back to the car, on the way back up the steep hill a couple stopped & asked if we wanted a lift back up the hill, he was the volunteer coastguard at Lynmouth & had been down to the lighthouse, They passed us as we were leaving the lighthouse, because we had Beau with us we did not take him up on his kind offer as he had a very posh car. I must say the Devon people are a very friendly lot & very chatty which is refreshing.

Monday 24th We called into Marshford organics. For the Christmas food shop, see the menu on the food page.

Tuesday 25th It is Christmas Day decided on a walk on Saunton sands, could not believe how busy it was for Christmas Day & the amount of surfers in the sea was amazing, had heavy rain during the night but today is it is around 8c, let Beau off the lead & he ran of to some surfers walking down to the sea was calling him but he would not stop running, once he got to them he came running back at such speed, then he saw a little dog, then he ran off again this time I had to run after him & put him on his lead he was not happy. Just opened up presents got a lighthouse calendar well pleased will look good in the new study/radio shack. Have not brought many presents was to busy with everything else will wait until we are in the new/old house, we thought we would treat ourselves with a couple more bottles of champagne well it is Christmas.

Wednesday 26th Had a drive to Hartland point & another Lighthouse! the walk around the headland to the lighthouse was very refreshing & the weather was sunny you could also see across to Lundy Island, as a BT Openreach assessor this is part of my area for quality checks! Beau is still pulling on his lead so need to get him to training lessons. Had my first contact on my VHF ham radio handheld was given a warm welcome to the area & it was really nice to have the chat with the local hams.

Thursday 27th I am off all week so decided to have a shopping day, Ros had her list & I wanted to go into Halfords for another sat-nav, purchased a Garmin nvii 200 an excellent holder with it & it does everything it states on the box have tried it out & works very well really pleased with it & it was cheap they have taken off another £30 got it for £99 with £12 for the leather case. Went over to the pet store & purchased some items for Beau, then into the tile shop looking at floor tiles & wall tiles for the house in Torrington, then went into the bed store we are sleeping on a mattress which is on the floor! not sleeping to well, we are waiting for the sales & have got some good offers on at the moment looking to purchase a vi-spring, there is also another large bed store in Pockington will go there Friday. Went into B&Q Ros has saw a large Christmas tree looks nice was hoping it had been reduced but no joy yet, I was looking at all the tools in the sale really fancy a motorised saw & I also need a new tool box & spade for the new vegetable patch. We then took Beau on the Tarka Trail at Instow & walked up to Bideford bridge then a quick look around Atlantic Village which is a self contained large area with different shops in it with very nice shops & so easy to spend money in them.

Friday 28th Woke up to heavy rain & it has been on most of the day, had a good cooked organic breakfast (well I am still on holiday). We decided to have a drive over to Pockington to look at the beds. Then onto the DIY shops looking at Kitchens, Bathrooms & Wardrobe doors, B&Q have an excellent sale on, Ros has seen the worktops she wants in her new kitchen a black onyx with mirror fleck in it, also saw a walk-in shower tray & cubicle for the on-suite off the main bedroom, just little frustrated as the sales end in January & we do not get the house until the end of February early March. We hoping to order a few items then have them delivered to the new house. Went around to Tesco for some bargain hunting, We then went up to Atlantic village again & Ros brought a couple of new skirts & we purchased a new pair of curtains for the new sitting room reduced from £200 down to £50 a real bargain. When we got back to the car the rain had stopped so walked Beau around the village in Appledore then back to the bungalow for a glass or two.

Sunday 30th Went for a walk to Baggy point again & around to Putsborough beach this beach was recently voted 7th best beach in the world! Took the handheld with me but no contacts made which was a shame, lovely to see Lundy Island must have a trip over to it.

Looking up to Baggy Point Looking down to Croyde Putsborough Beach

Monday 31st Back to work today which turned into a very busy day, was awake at 5am & could not get back to sleep, finished work at 18.00pm it is going to be a long day with waiting for the new year chimes! Ros had been to Tesco & got a real bargain she brought a couple of boxes of Duchy Organics Champagne Truffles they go well with Champagne, like I said before it has been Christmas & tonight is the start of a New Year which you have to celebrate.

Got a really busy start to the New Year work wise loads of mileage, so we are hoping to have a relaxing day with a walk with Beau.

Tuesday 1st January 2008 The start we hope to a great year.

A very Happy New Year to all our readers

Just click on photos to see larger picture

Woke up to sunshine after a late night, We did not go out as Beau does not like the bangs from fireworks & it would be cruel to leave him here on his own, there were some nice fireworks in the area which we were able to see from the bungalow & still comfort Beau, it is not as good vista like we used to have in Malvern.

I am back at the salt mine on Wednesday so not much in the week on the Blog, we thought we would finish off the celebrations with a walk on Exmoor drove over towards Lynton & Lynmouth, we saw a sign for Simonsbath with a NT car park must have drove past it but decided to carry on & venture into a new area, we ended up in Exford there were Landrovers everywhere they were following the New Year day hunt!

Parked on Holnicote estate which is owned by the NT, we took Beau on a nice walk, did you know that 80% of Exmoor is privately owned! which is a very large area of outstanding beauty. We then drove onto Dunkery Hill nearby is Dunkery beacon which is 1705 ASL! We then ended up at the top of Porlock Bay, during the drive we did take a few photos which I have put onto my new page Devon Views.

After a rest looking at the views over to Wales we started the drive back to the bungalow, took a detour via Coombe Martin then back into Barnstaple & popped into B&Q & ordered the new walk-in shower cubicle, new toilet & sink for the en-suite.

Saturday 5th Well it did turned into a busy week work wise have completed 500 miles completing training for the assessors very tiring but a good feeling, also had my APR , I felt I had gone that extra mile which the company wants & the APR showed that, I did do a lot of work in the Gloucestershire area after the floods & gave a presentation to Karen Witts a director of BT! a big thrill for me.

Ros ordered our new vi-spring bed in the week, we had one since 1980 & got rid of it recently that bed cost us £500 back in 1980 but it was an excellent bed & we had for 27 years! Ros has been sale watching she saw one reduced in Barnstaple from £5,200 with a sale price £3,500 well it is 2008 & prices have gone up! having it delivered to the new house in March. Drove around to B&Q & ordered the tiles for the shower room £800 pounds down to £600 just pleased there are sales on! money seems to be going out very quickly!

Afterwards we took Beau on the Tarka trail towards Braunton he walked very well which was pleasing. On the sand banks we saw curlew, oyster catchers they do make a lovely noise & also turnstone to see the birds please visit the RSPB site http://www.rspb.org.uk/ & listen to the sounds.

Curlew Osystercatcher Turnstone

We took him into Braunton for a walk around the village, Beau pulled all the way around not enjoyable will be pleased once he has had his training. Was upset in the week, Ros rung me to say that Beau had chewed through a electric cable on the dehumidifier! thankfully it was not plugged in to the mains otherwise we would have had a dead dog on our hands, he has also started to shred the post which is not a bad thing with all the bills we have been having! but need to stop him doing it, we have booked up a dog trainer on a1.1 for £15 a hour, I still think it is because we are in rented he is a different dog once we are in Great Torrington in our new house & in a long garden he will be more relaxed & a different doggie that is my belief.

Sunday 6th We went for a drive to Clovelly drove down to the Red Lion Hotel which is in the harbour area, took a look at the menu in the snug they were serving a bar lunch, we went in & saw the open log fire what a welcome, decided to order the home-made salmon & haddock fish cake, home-made tartare sauce with side salad glass of lager & wine for Ros, the food was delicious, the lady behind the bar was so friendly & chatty she told us about Bucks Mill which is like Clovelly a must visit. After the meal we had a walk up the cobbled streets & took some photos of the lovely village. Went into the fisherman cottage a 2 bedroom cottage which 13 children were brought up in! then into Charles Kingsleys house author of the water babies.

See the full range from the day in my Devon Views page

We did have a drive down to Bucks Mill looks a great Saturday walk so will go back soon to take some photos, afterwards we drove onto Atlantic Village & Ros went into the Windsmoor sale she got 2 skirts reduced from £190 to £10 she was so pleased! then went into Ponden Mills got some more sale items king size sheets for the new bed & also some towels, again another bargain £150 in total down to £50 well pleased with the purchases.

Friday 11th It was my rostered day off we had planned a walk with Beau down to Bucks Mill but woke to heavy rain which was with us until 15.00pm but managed a walk on Tarka Trail starting at Pockington at 15.30pm. But we did not allow the rain to dampen our spirits we went around to the solicitor in Bideford & paid the 10% deposit & exchanged contracts on our house Elmleigh in Great Torrington yippee it is ours so please & relieved as we were worried the seller would take a higher offer or rent it out for 12 months, when you look in the local paper & look at house they want prices in excess of the asking price & with no chain as they sell more in the winter months because they go into season rented holiday cottages!

Saturday 12th Heavy rain during the night but woke to sunshine, went around to Roundswell Community Centre to the local antiques fair then we went for a walk in Bucks Mill a really enjoyable walk & Beau did loved it.

Stream by the road to Bucks Mill The water fall from the stream Down on the beach Looking across to Clovelly

Afterwards we went to Atlantic village again for more bargain hunting! home for lunch then in the afternoon we went into Braunton Village & Beau pulled me around again! he did have his 1.1 training in the week we call her the headmistress & Beau is going to school he was not impressed but she was excellent taught us a lot about owning a young dog, when I got home from work he was a different dog looking forward to the pulling on the lead training I know he can do it, some days he walks so well than another day all he does is pull! really worried about the garden in rented at times he tears around the garden & rips up the grass with his speed he is so fast, will have to reseed before we leave to our house in Great Torrington.

Friday 18th Changed my roster day to due to work load. Went into Barnstaple centre for the first time since we moved here, well my first time, Ros has been into the centre during the week. Enjoyed the walk around the town a very busy town centre got a lovely feeling to the town. Finished off the afternoon with a walk on the South West Coastal path near Appledore.

Saturday 19th Took Beau along the Tarka trail near Pockington, then drove along to Braunton Village purchased a VW van with surf board on top it is a money box it is the closest I am going to get to owning a VW van had to look seriously at the money so had a reality check on our money we are spending & it looks like will not be able to afford one which is a shame. Visited a antique shop where they sell mostly clocks & barometers we have got a passion for clocks & barometers. Purchased a battery clock for the radio shack/study with a map of the world & time difference to countries in the world, I know it was plastic but for £4 could not leave it. Ros spotted a over-mantel mirror in gold with shells on it she fell in love with it, the owner purchased it from a mansion in the area which was being stripped out by builders! she also had chandeliers but sold them straight away as they were a matching pair! the house in Great Torrington has got the original fire places &the mirror would look good on one of them she good not resist it so we did purchase it & they are storing it until we move. I have also got my eye on a Venetian wall clock if it is still in the shop when we go back for the mirror might be a birthday present!

Sunday 20th Had a nice morning at RHS Rosemoor gardens just outside Great Torrington they had a Orchid Day the Orchid society had brought up some wonderful displays just a couple of brochures from the morning.

A lovely place to visit Ros purchased two orchids Weather Pressure & Radio all go together.

Saturday 26th Had a late walk along part of the Tarka trail near Barnstaple took a few photos.

Looking back to Sticklepath & new bridge Late afternoon sun over the estuary. Picked up a great book in the sale at WH Smiths

Sunday 27th Woke to glorious sunshine started the day off at the Cedar Lodge hotel antiques fair brought a couple of postcards of Looe harbour memories of my 18th Birthday, Ros spotted a car park in Westward Ho & found out it was Abbotshams cliffs on the south west coastal path, was a busy walking area but met friendly people all saying hello & stopping to talk, we think it was Beau they wanted to talk about he is such a charmer. We started off in a shaded walk but looked over to the sunny beach then came into sunshine did walk about 4 miles was very enjoyable.

Looking over to Baggy Point Passed NT Kipling Tors Looking from burrows over to Appledore.

Finished off the afternoon on Northam Burrows was very busy for a January month the locals know all the good places

Monday 28th Roster day off, I need a new desk for the radio ham equipment in the new study, went around to the Newport antique centre in Barnstaple purchased a late Victorian desk well pleased with it just hope it fits in! they are storing it until we move, we then went around to St Johns garden centre we could spend a lot of money here such a good range of goodies got myself a rain water measure for the garden also purchased solar garden lights, have decided to make the end of the garden a cottage garden & put in another pond really looking forward to the garden even knowing it is a 1/3rd of a acre.

Friday 1st Feb Was working in North Cornwall had a real heavy downpour of hailstones, then heard on the TV on Friday night they had a snow fall on Dartmoor the kids were loving it.

Saturday 2nd Been a good tenant in a rented bungalow noticed that the guttering was overflowing & dripping down the walls decided to investigate found a shuttlecock in the downspout which had trapped lots of rubbish then noticed the joining pieces on the guttering had parted also repaired that as well. Had a walk on the beach at Appledore let Beau off the lead & took his whistle with us there were some people walking along the beach he started to run off blew his whistle & he came back! was well pleased his 1.1 training is working.

Sunday 3rd Very windy morning decided to have a drive over to Ilfracombe went via Saunton Sands love stopping at the view point on the high ground looking down at the beach & sea.

Looking out to sea at Saunton Looking back to the beach Rough seas in Woolacombe

Lovely Sunday drive via Saunton Sands, Croyde, Ilfracombe, Mortehoe, Woolacombe & onto Combe Martin then back into Sticklepath Barnstaple. Have put all the days pictures on the Devon Views page.

Friday 8th Roster day off woke to sunny morning & decided to go to Bull Point Lighthouse, the beach at Croyde was empty it must be winter months! Beau loved it, we then went onto Mortehoe where Bull Point lighthouse is situated it was a fabulous walk down the sun just got stronger. Finished off the day buying some new tee-shirts in Barnstaple at mount bay trading wonderful shop on way back to Sticklepath over the bridge saw a shag in the water, just kept dipping under the water for a long time but came up with fish great to watch.

The Shag who was dipping under the water in Barnstaple.

Beau & I on Croyde Beach, looking down into Woolacombe bay, Bull Point Lighthouse & gates then looking around the coast the sun just got stronger great day off.

Saturday 9th Woke to another sunny day took Beau on the Tarka Trail walked towards Instow it was so busy with cyclist & walkers but everyone was saying morning such friendly people must be the area, we then went into Appledore Ros stopped off at Uncle Wainwright's a charity shop for St Mary's church in Appledore, Beau & I sat on the quay then went onto a beach just outside Appledore, finished off in another charity shop in Westward Ho, we then went to complete some retail therapy in Barnstaple.

Beau a sleep on the settee, also sat on the quay at Appledore, looking down into the water from quay then on the beach just outside Appledore a really fabulous sunny day.

Sunday 10th Woke to another stunning warm day & still only February! when we were in Mortehoe on Friday Ros noticed a walk to Rockham beach which we decided to complete today, went pass Saunton sands the sea was full with surf dudes & babes never seen so many in the water at any one time Croyde was the same. parking was difficult so unable to stop & walk beau on the beach he was not a happy doggie.

It was such a lovely walk down into Rockham Beach such a sunny morning, on the way to Ilfracombe we passed a sign to Lee decided to take a drive down ended up in a lovely bay with very narrow roads came out on the road to Ilfracombe drove into Ilfracombe harbour, the drive back home was via Combe Martin then back via Woolacombe. Had a good chat in the evening on a PC generated ham radio program with a ham from Worcester who now lives in Falmouth, also spoke to another radio ham in North Quarry car park in Malvern!

At Rockham, in the harbour at Ilfracombe, the old coastguards look now a church & seagull looking out to sea.

Monday 11th Another day off & another sunny day decided to take Beau over to Croyde not so many people in the car park so had a walk on the beach he absolute loved it, he ran his feet off as I type he is fast asleep by Ros on the settee.

Came back to Braunton found the Saltrock factory outlet with 75% off all goods was like a boy in a sweet shop got some great bargains, had a walk around Braunton then dropped Ros off at the North Devon College where she was having a facial, I went home & vacuumed the car out & also washed it, picked Ros up at 14.45 then parked in the local retail park & had a walk into Barnstaple purchased some more tee-shirts then home in the afternoon for some web surfing. Back to the salt mine tomorrow in Exeter for a training day & also in Truro for a coaches meeting on Thursday.

Saturday 16th Woke to a cold crisp yet sunny morning, Ros had noticed in the National Trust book that there was a behind scenes tour at Castle Drogo on Dartmoor the day has turned into a very enjoyable one. Had to wait in the cold for a hour the timed ticket should have been set up for the organising of the day they got caught out as there were a lot of visitors which they did not expect but the wait was worth it, went onto the roof & saw the glorious views over Dartmoor & saw rooms we would not normally see when just visiting the castle.

Castle Drogo was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens between 1910 - 1913 for Sir Julius Drewe.

Lutyens was also involved in the design of the large formal garden but most of the layout and planting were carried out by the garden designer George Dillistone who was employed at Castle Drogo in 1922. There are massive yew hedges cut in geometric shapes and granite steps leading up a series of terraces. At the top of the garden a huge circular lawn is edged by more yew. To the west where the ground falls away to the valley and is an informal shrub garden, created in the 1950s, containing magnolias, camellias, cherries, maples and rhododendrons.

Afterwards we took Beau in the grounds. Whilst we were waiting inside for the tour got chatting to a couple from Brixham who relocated from Birmingham 31 years ago & they used to live in Redditch, had a really nice chat to them they also told us about Chagford a small village close by & a must visit as there are 2 old fashioned hardware stores still in the village. I have been looking for some 2ba & 4ba screws unable to get them from anywhere as most shops have converted to metric m3 & m4 well it was my lucky day the shop it was like stepping back 60 years, if you ever saw the program Two Ronnie's with the famous 2 O's jokes it was just the same, I asked the gent inside if he had BA screws & he said follow me! well the draws were metal ex MOD & they were full of goodies & YES he did have what I wanted to repair an old hall light was well pleased & he only charged me 40 pence eight shillings old money! The website of Chagford http://www.roundash.com/background.asp it is a famous Stannary town find out more from their website.

It was a 96 mile round trip & took Ros into some new areas she had never seen before went through Torrington, Hatherleigh, onto Okehampton on through into Whiddon Down came back via Winkleigh & Beaford.

Sunday 17th Woke to yet another cold crisp but very sunny morning, in the week for work went over to Timberscombe so wanted Ros to see the area, we went up over Exmoor went pass the White horse hotel in Exford the sister hotel to Sandy Cove hotel in Combe Martin where we have stopped many times. Drove up to near Porlock & turned left towards Lynton & Lynmouth, went past a original AA breakdown telephone box, drove up to Lynton & parked the car for a coast walk around to the valley of the rocks then back round to the ruin of the manor house once owned by the magazine magnet which got burned down in suspicious circumstances. Also saw the feral coats. Attached a few photos of the day.

When we got back from the coast walk we walked up to the cliff railway & took Beau down into Lynmouth it is a wonderful sight to see as it is operated by water, took a lot of photos, in the cabin & looking down the rails in Lynmouth.

What we found upsetting was all the time we have been on holiday in the area we never explored Lynton & Lynmouth it was just a drive through! the walk back up through the church back to the car was very enjoyable. Went pass the water fountain also harbour & looked up at the rails to the cliff railway.

Tuesday 19th For work been down to Minehead could not believe what I saw in the old BT garage which has been moved, in the car park was a Porlock Hill RAC breakdown phone box just like the AA box I took a photo of on Porlock Hill, just had to take a photo for the web got to have one of each they are so rare!

A couple of months ago was in Bude & had my lunch outside the surf lifesaving club the sea was wild but great to see, also been down in Bude on sunny days so thought would also add the sunny beach photos.

I also have been working in & around the Ilfracombe area on the way back to the bungalow went pass Saunton Sands the afternoon sun was fabulous the view point above the beach was excellent. The time was around 15.00pm I love this beach & view point.

Saturday 23rd Woke to drizzling rain but we had decided to visit behind the scenes & also took Beau in the wood at NT Knightshayes court near Tiverton it is a house designed by Burges it is a stunning house a must see, it was a great morning but I forgot to take my camera! finished off the afternoon in Braunton.

Knightshayes Court is known principally for its beautiful gardens but the house is fascinating in its own right. It was built for John Heathcoat-Amory a Member of Parliament for Tiverton. He commissioned the architect William Burges to design the striking gothic house and work began in 1859.

However the building work progressed so slowly that Burges was sacked in 1874 and J D Crace was employed to finish the decoration. The painted ceilings and wall stencilling added by Crace were mostly hidden by later decorations but are now being uncovered and restored.

Knightshayes Court is a rare survival to the work of Burges and his features are still evident including wood panelling, a vast painted bookcase in the stairwell, comical corbel figures and architectural drawings. Many of the rooms are a combination of the work of Burges and Crace making them of particular interest.

Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame now lives in Tower House London once home of William Burges & he loaned a Burges painted wardrobe to Knightshayes .

Finished off the evening with a excellent meal glass or two watching the England rugby team, what a great win.

Sunday 24th Because I had forgotten to take my camera on Saturday decided to go back to Knightshayes because there is a lovely gate with a stunning design so want to copy the design for our gates in Great Torrington, also the daffodils were in full bloom & the walled kitchen garden is a joy to see.

Went into the house for another viewing because we love this house, after the visit we decided to take the senic route back to rented drove up A386 into Dulverton a really old village on Exmoor walked around the village with Beau, as we drove further over Exmoor the fog came down & so did the heavy rain which was a shame, drove into Barnstaple & finished the afternoon in Atlantic village with some retail therapy. Heard on the news in the evening Tottenham had won the Carling Cup against Chelsea an excellent end to a great weekend.

Monday 24th Been to the doctor today found out I have got an hernia which was what I thought, looks like I will be out of action for 8/10weeks after the operation could scupper the plans for a few jobs around at Elmsleigh house at Great Torrington.

Friday 29th Been doing acting manager this week first time since 1999 when I offered the managers position in Stafford more information in about me page. Did enjoy doing the work & I was also able to rest the hernia, been doing some training also with the assessors & today been up to Weston Super Mare for team meeting, driving home was very windy cross winds made difficult driving, high winds tonight & heavy rain.

Saturday 1st March Woke to a dry sunny morning but still windy, Ros has planned a walk at Crow Point a toll road onto the beach the dog trainer stated it is a wonderful beach, we stayed many times in Curlew Cottage in Appledore & used to look across to a beach but could never find out how to get onto it! well once we had parked in the car park at Crow Point & walked onto the beach could not believe our eyes it was the beach we used to look at! The beach was very windy & took some great photos, on the way back out we saw a little egret looks like a heron.

The little egret is a small white heron with attractive white plumes on crest back and chest, black legs and bill and yellow feet. It first appeared in the UK in significant numbers in 1989 and first bred in Dorset in 1996.

On Crow beach we saw another lighthouse run by Trinity house, also the sea king from Chivenor was on exercise need a new camera with a descent zoom on it to get better photo's. On the beach was a wrecked boat looked like some of the things I have purchased off Ebay, expect it would have said ripe for modernisation!

Sunday 2nd Went to my first ham radio rally at Pinhoe in Devon & first one of the year, was a little small all in one room but a lot of effort to put it on, afterwards we went to Killerton house a NT property had a walk in the woods & took a few photos of the area. Took the scenic route back to Sticklepath rather than going up the A361.

Monday 3rd Rostered day off & decided to walk Beau on Croyde beach, this is the first day we have been the only ones on the beach with no surfers! the sea was very frothy & white could see why there were no surfers, It was freezing cold with a wind chill from the sea & it started to rain but still loved it what a lovely feeling, could not resist taking a few photos. Went to Saltrock factory outlet in Braunton brought a tee-shirt & hood top, then finished off at Atlantic Village then a drive back via Westward Ho.

Tuesday 4th A very sunny start to the day & it stayed sunny all day, decided on another walk back on crow point Beau loved the run so much could not resist it, we walked to the opposite side of the beach up towards the sea.

Afterwards had a walk into Barnstaple purchased a retro DAB radio in cream for the new kitchen & had a look around the antique centre then drove up to Atlantic village again! yes I know we do enjoy the walk around the shops Ros has now got a VIP card for all the shops! when we move to the new place will have to keep her busy in the garden & decorating lol.

Saturday 8th RHS Rosemoor had a free open day with tours & talks & displays on how to grow veg decided to visit was drizzling with a little rain but very enjoyable & very busy. Managed a walk on the beach with Beau at Appledore heavy rain & high winds arrived in the afternoon. Shame about the rugby but the better side on the day won.

Sunday 9th Had heavy rain through the night, woke at 09.30am! could not believe the time considering we are still sleeping on the mattress which is directly on the floor boards. Been completing a lot of training in the south west with the assessors & my manager put me in for some reward & recognition, told me to go for a meal with Ros & claim it on expenses, did not fancy having just a pub Sunday lunch so booked in at The Boathouse in Instow the restaurant over looks the beach & across to Appledore.

For starters we had butterfly prawns with garlic mayonaise & side salad, for main we had Lundy dress crab & prawns with herb & cheese crust with more prawns & salad, for pudding we had lemon ice-cream brulee with Devon clotted cream, all washed down with a bottle of fair trade white wine from Chile, while in the restaurant had a couple of heavy downpours. When we came out the sun was shinning so we drove back to bungalow picked up Beau & finished off the afternoon on Croyde beach a nice finish to a lovely afternoon, as I sit & type this whilst watching the rugby the sun is still out so much for the wild weather day they had forecast.

Welcome to the Boathouse at Instow.

Monday 10th The weather people did get it right! what a wild day high winds & heavy rain all day, was programmed to a meeting in Okehampton but the weather people where stating if you have a high side vehicle stay at home which I did plus I was doing acting manager again so taking a lot of calls & replying to emails & updating calendar.

Thursday 13th Ros dropped of the bankers draft to the solicitor for the house just waiting now for the keys. Been to Bude today met a colleague from Fowey in Cornwall did some work together in the exchange, our manager turned up, I did some manual handling training to them both, then we went out for lunch which the manager treated us to, I had another crab salad with prawns with a bottle of Malvern spring water to think I used to get it for free!

Friday 14th Was leaving the bungalow around 10am & got a call from the solicitor stating Elmsleigh House was now ours yippee, it has been a long time coming but well worth the wait, she stated yes the house is yours but the owner is still in it! Devon time here lol, she stated he would be out by 12pm, we were not worried about it as we had no removal men waiting to get in, we took Beau on Saunton sands for a really long run he does enjoy his time on the beach but he sulks if he does not go on it, he is so funny. On the beach a little girl who was with her mum had just finished off her sand castle which I had to take a photo off it was so sweet with it's own swimming pool built from a plastic box taken off the beach which was washed up, you can find some great things on the beach, last couple of weeks two lots of drugs have been washed up worth about 5 million in total they say it has been in the sea a long time due to the barnacles on it. After Saunton we drove back via Crow point which I have found out is a Anglo Saxon seven field with ditches just like the fens. There is an old restored animal feeder which is great to see.

Picked up the keys for Elmsleigh at 14.30pm & drove up to the house the guy had left on the Rayburn & there was a really nice warm feeling to the kitchen, we did take a bottle of Champagne up with us & had a glass each to celebrate our purchase would have drunk the bottle but I was driving back to the bungalow, the house has very little to do to it, got to put in some wardrobes & we are going to change the ensuite to a walk in shower cubicle, stayed a couple of hours to be honest did not want to leave & return to the bungalow. I have always loved large hallways & stained glass in houses, our friends in Redditch have a Edwardian house & it is so inviting when you walk in.

Saturday 15th Heavy rain was forecast & it came at 11am & it is still rain as I type, did manage a walk with beau at Instow on the beach but he really worried us he ran off to another dog but the dog & the owner was heading towards the main road I was really shouting at him to come back we love to see him mixing with other dogs but it does worry us if he is close to the road as he has no road sense. Thankfully he turned around then ran off to another dog near the sea & a guy grab hold of him for us, so stuck him back on the long lead. In the afternoon we went up to Elmsleigh & did some measuring for the wardrobes & been looking at putting in a hard wired alarm & also looking to replace worktops in the kitchen Ros would like black star galaxy.

Tuesday 18th Finished work at 12pm & went to see the surgeon at the hospital reference the hernia, he stated do I want a general or local anaesthetic I stated local he did say it is more painful but it is only a day visit to the hospital & would be back home in the evening, because the operation is more painful doing it local anaesthetic the waiting list is not as long lol, so they will be doing it sooner rather than later. Finished off the afternoon with a walk on Croyde beach a good start to the Bank Holiday break.

Friday 4th Friday afternoon went to the hospital for my pre op, had my MRSA checks, blood pressure, height, weight. The staff nurse got me worried she stated that she has never met anyone who wanted a local anaesthetic for a hernia!! she stated most people wanted general, but hey why do I want to stop in hospital when I can be in & out in on the same day! yes I expect it will be a little more painful but the recovery rate is quicker they told me not to drive for 2 weeks & with my job climbing poles & lifting concrete boxes will make sure to take it easy & make a full recovery, what a good excuse to be playing on PC or working the world on my ham radio.

Sunday 6th April Woke to a snow flurry & hailstone but not as much as the rest of the country is suffering. On the way up to Elmsleigh house we stopped in Instow to take Beau on the beach had a little wind chill but a sunny morning. I also wanted to take a few photos of the Instow now redundant Grade II signal box which you are able to visit as it is on the Tarka Trail which is a ex railway line. This week I noticed at east of the water the now redundant Bideford Railway station thankfully is now a visitors centre & not just left to go into a ruin, this station would have been at the heart of transport in this area thanks to Doctor Beeching North Devon is paying the price for his cuts & what are we left with more congested roads.

Tuesday 8th Was working around Winkleigh & saw in the local paper a company which supplies granite worktops for the kitchen, also lots of handmade kitchens & reclaimed wood, decided to have my 1/2hour dinner break to find out more, wow what a company http://winkleightimber.com/contacts.htm they sell reclaimed wood, granite work tops & reclaimed flooring. Will have to take Ros down there at the weekend it is only 10 miles from the new house, Ros booked up a van for Friday to move some light stuff from the bungalow, plus we are going to try & pick up the wardrobe doors & move them to the new house, there are times in life when we wish we had close family & friends to help out but wayhay. Ros as always been a rock when it comes to lifting stuff & helping out. On April 27th we have been married 36 years & she has always been ready to help. What I am really worried about is last week we went to Exeter hospital on Tuesday 2nd & Ros is still in amber with her bone density she was really upset from the results but got to stay positive & keep moving, we are not getting younger but need to look after ourselves.

Friday 11th Hired the van to pick up the wardrobes doors, desk & water ball, we also moved soft items from the bungalow, unfortunately we pushed ourselves to hard we did 4 journeys back & forth with the van full after loading it & unpacking & did around 100 miles very tiring.

Saturday 12th Dropped the van off, went up to Elmsleigh & did woodwork rubbing down on the picture rail in dining room & also bedroom also sanded down the radiators also put up the light in the dining room which we got from a car boot just before we left Malvern, looks great on a high ceiling when we had it on the landing in Malvern we kept walking into it!

Got the missing droppers which are in storage somewhere.

Sunday 13th Did some wallpapering in the bedroom, then in the afternoon we have some free tickets from the local paper for RHS Rosemoor such a lovely afternoon & seeing it more months into the year.

Monday 14th Woke up with hernia aching very tired after the last three days, Ros said we would have a pottering day! went up to the house for a spot of gardening, the guy we brought the house off did no garden in 14 months but the previous owner had a gardener! Ros stated she had a few bulbs to plant so started to clear out the dandelions then Ros walked over with a shopping back of bulbs, I could not believe it I was not a happy chap but did manage to plant then all, so much for a pottering day but I did also manage to get in some tomato, pepper & courgettes plants in the greenhouse.

Wednesday 16th My colleague in Cornwall is on holiday so there has been no figures going in, decided to help him out with a few checks, drove into Padstow for the first time, it reminded me of Fowey, the village was so busy & Rick Stein was doing a roaring trade! well he has got quite a few businesses in the town. Also saw Phil Vickery TV cook walking around with his two children he is married to Fern Britain. Then drove onto St Merryn & saw the wonderful beach photo below, after I did my checks at the exchange at St Merryn I noticed a sign for Padstow lifeboat station decided to have a look in my lunch break also around the corner from the lifeboat station is Trevose head Lighthouse & coastguard station what a wonderful lunch break, I have to keep pinching myself still cannot believe I am living & working in two lovely counties. The trouble I had was the memory card filled up so will take Ros down into Padstow for our wedding anniversary.

Friday 25th It is the start of my 3 1/2 weeks off, got the stuff out of storage coming down on the 12th May, then we empty the bungalow on the 23rd May, got to finish off the dining room & bedroom & also build some wardrobes. As it is such a lovely sunny day we decided to visit Hartland Abbey which was built in the 12th century & still privately owned, in the local paper was half price tickets to house & grounds, rather than write loads on the place you must visit their web site an interesting read www.hartlandabbey.com the house was a really great visit afterwards we walked Beau through the grounds down to the beach which is still part of the grounds to Hartland Abbey, we passed the cottage which was recently filmed in for sense & sensibility about a 3 mile walk to the beach & back but such a very enjoyable time.

Saturday 26th Woke to another sunny day but we have got work to do up at Elmsleigh. As we arrived at Instow beach could see the Appledore sailing club hold a dingy event so have attached a few photos, we like to take Beau on the beach & have a run on the way up to the house as this settles him down for the day.

Had a really productive day Ros finished painting the picture rail in the dining room, I gave the bedroom ceiling a third coat of paint, then finished off the lining paper. Started to put some more electrical sockets in the study/office.

Sunday 27th Rain was forecast for the day, but it will not dampen our sprits as it is our 36th Wedding Anniversary makes us sound old! we got married in 1974, Ros was 18 but one month off her 19 birthday & I was 19 & 3 months from my 20 birthday who said it would not last? We had decided to have the day off from work. We have purchased Elmsleigh on March 14th & we have worked every weekend making 7 days a week with no relaxation time. We took Beau on the beach first, then visited the Cedars Lodge Hotel a monthly antique fair was on, in the afternoon we visited Arlington Court a NT property & managed to take a photo of the peacock but not with his tail in a fan also saw the little Jacob sheep.

I did ask Ros would she like to go out for a meal? she stated no as money is getting a little tight with all the bits & pieces we have been purchasing. Saw Dan the fisherman from Clovelly & purchased Cornwall Sardines for a starter, prawns & scallops for the main meal & purchased a mixed salad bag from Marshford organics & a bottle of Lanson Black Label Champagne from Tesco well it is our anniversary & we have to celebrate! what upset me was we only had two anniversary cards one from each other, since we have married in 1974 12 of our friends have divorced plus cards & postcards are a dying out with more people emailing & sending e-cards. Ros likes to send out Easter, birthday & anniversary cards she is like me a traditionalist.

Wednesday 8th May Been a glorious 4 days of sunshine 70f! been hard leaving the beach to go up to the house to work decided too have a day off & do our bits & bobs stayed on the beach for a couple of hours, from 1st May dogs are not allowed on the beach at Instow but we are allowed to walk beau on a beach further up the Tarka trail which we have not been on before took a few photos of the beach.