Day: 17 February 2018

A combination of clear blue sky – obviously with the sun shining – plus very little wind makes for a certain balminess and this is February during which it is not “supposed” to be nice at the seaside. Come on now, let’s all have a singalong. I do like to be beside the seaside etc.

On the bus I noticed a very challenging advertisement addressed to those who are prejudiced towards those with mental health problems.

An even more impressive list of things on. The population of Sidmouth is about 15,000 so it is smaller than Midsomer Norton where I live but packs a punch in its own way. It is very popular in the tourist season and can support all sorts of minority interest shops including the most delicious seller of crab and fish sandwiches that you could ever imagine.

No visit to Cornwall or Devon would be complete without a cream tea. These usually consist of a pot of tea with a scone and dollops of cream and jam. Expect to pay £4.50 per head. I always ask for my scone to be warmed up.
The cream is always local; they make a point of telling you that fact because a cream tea is almost a brand name so no outlet wants to be accused of letting the side down.

This commemorates part of the tour of Britain a few years ago and is delightfully done in ceramics.

Families having a lovely time strolling on the beach in the afternoon sun.

You can walk all along the coast if you want but beware the tides and take notice of the large warning signs about being cut off by the tide.

This sign was on the eastern side of the seafront itself. I was impressed to see the sign below showing awareness of the evils of microwave radiation.The smart meters send a peak of radiation every five seconds or so. If  you enjoy sitting in microwave ovens or next to towers, this is for you.

All these towns are really worth a visit but beware holiday weekends in July and August. The main and indeed the only problem is lack of parking. You may have to be prepared to walk some distance. The wardens are vigilant because they have to be.

Maybe this is your answer. At the moment, these are weapons of choice for people stealing mobile phones and so on but these look fairly innocuous and well maintained so obviously have loving owners.  Anyway, I could ramble on forever but I hope you’ve got the idea.

PS I heard that 7000 people had to cancel their subscriptions to Oxfam due to the scandal about the sexual exploitation. What goes around comes around, eventually

After a hearty breakfast, we decided to take a bus along the coast and just take things as they come. Our first stop was Budley Salterton which as other posts indicate is a posh place with a small, literate population which hosts a number of festivals each year. This will be a mostly pictorial essay. If anyone is thinking of retiring to the south coast and has a few bob to spare for a house or wants to sell a ridiculously priced property in London then this might be the place for you. It will certainly provide the intellectual stimulus not necessarily associated with such a small coastal town.

I have stated ad nauseam that one of the best indications of the vitality of the town or village is the number of items on the noticeboard. The above illustration shows only about a third of the items advertised. Click ctrl and + to enlarge.

The beach is quite amazing for its display of stone pebbles so it makes sense to use them to decorate the front wall.I counted about a dozen blue plaques without even looking for them. Because this is such a lovely place, many notable people from the Victorian era stayed in this place. I think there is even a small booklet dedicated to these notifications.

Volunteerism can be a hugely satisfying occupation even if you only have a few hours a week. it’s a good way of meeting people and keeping your brain occupied.This small town boasts a huge number of blue plaques and it was and is a very attractive place for creative people including artists, musicians and writers.

After a delightful couple of hours in the sun we decided to catch the next bus along the coast and alight at Sidmouth. I love our freedom passes. By the way, distances in Devon and Cornwall can look insignificant on a map but the average miles per hour is probably about 20 if you’re lucky and that’s driving, 2 miles an hour by walking so don’t underestimate the distance you need. Better to linger and enjoy. Try listening to unfamiliar bird sounds.

From the editor: This web page is going to be a mile long so I’m going to divide today into two parts. The rest you can see by clicking on the right-hand side.