Our Home in Devon

A November to Remember!

2011-11-28T08:50:00.000-08:00

Usually cold, damp, grey and miserable, November is not my favourite month. This year, however, we have been so busy that it has flown by and we haven’t even noticed the weather!

Suzie had a trade stand for her high visibility dog products (see http://www.glo-balls.com/)
at the “Discover Dogs” show at Earls Court on the 12 and 13 November. Preparation and packing everything up kept us busy at the beginning of the month. This is the stand just before the show opened ...

... and this is a few minutes later!

The show itself was excellent and although it was quite exhausting it was well worth doing.

On the Monday after the show I had a quick visit to The National Gallery and then went on to Ramsgate to spend some time with my two sisters, Marilyn and Christine. (This is Marilyn beside the "Great Wall of Ramsgate").

The following day we visited our long lost half brother, Chuck – the first time we have all been together for over 50 years. He is writing a book about his worldwide animal training exploits. I can't wait to read it!

The rest of the week passed far too quickly. We had an enjoyable evening with Angie (my niece) and her husband Tim. We enjoyed drinking coffee overlooking the sea at Broadstairs and visited the new Turner Contemporary art Gallery in Margate where we admired Rodin’s famous sculpture “The Kiss.”

This is the three of us reflected in the mirror!

It was lovely for us all to visit our artistic cousin Jacqui who prepared a wonderful lunch for us.

That evening I returned home to Devon.

On 26th November we were invited to attend the opening of the Heritage Photographic exhibition at the North Devon Museum.

Hundreds of photos were submitted so I was delighted to discover that 6 of mine had actually been included in the exhibition.

Even more amazing - I was awarded 1st prize in the “Towns andVillages” category (the central one with the black mount) and 2nd (the top left picture of Ben) and also highly commended in the “Characters” category. I now have a medal and more certificates to add to the collection!

We have a new family member at the moment - four month old Caspar, one of Bella's kittens.

See http://www.bellaskittens.blogspot.com/

He has completely taken over the house!

Our Anniversary!

2011-10-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

Today was our 46th Anniversary - how many life sentences is that!!!

Becky & Jonathan & the boys very kindly arranged to meet us on Exmoor and treat us to dinner.

The weather was warm and sunny & Exmoor looked beautiful.

We enjoyed a lovely 3 course meal at the Hunters Inn.

After the meal we set off down to the beach.

It was a beautiful walk alongside the river.

The sides of the valley grew much steeper as we neared the river's mouth.

When we eventually reached the beach Becky produced a bottle of bubbly to celebrate....

while the boys were busy climbing the rocks.

Elliot silhuetted against the sky,

The time passed very quickly and soon it was time to head back up Heddon valley to where we had parked the cars. It was a wonderful day and the weather could not have been better. Certainly an anniversary to remember!

A Weekend near Dartmoor

2011-07-26T05:07:00.000-07:00

We spent the last few days at a lovely guest house at Horrabridge on the edge of Dartmoor.

From the moor it is possible to see for miles.

The native Dartmoor ponies were enjoying the sunshine.

A family group.

This cute little foal was very young.

As well as ponies there were also sheep and cattle on the moor.

The reason for our visit to the area was to attend the district convention at Plymouth.

It was a wonderful and upbuilding programme with over 6000 in attendance on Sunday.

Although the weather was quite chilly we did have a bit of sunshine on Saturday.

This is Ben, our grandson, trying to keep cool!

It was a wonderful opportunity to meet up with old friends.

In fact we met a brother, Barry Turner, who we had not seen for at least 45 years. Although he was just a young lad at the time and living in Kent, he actually recognised David after all these years!

Finally we are pleased to announce that Suzie's Siamese cat Bella gave birth to 6 kittens on 20th July. Mother and babies are all doing well!

Bella now has her own photo-diary of her babies progress

http://www.bellaskittens.blogspot.com/

The babies are now a week old and still doing well!

The Famous Five Discover Treasure on Exmoor.

2010-05-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

It was May bank holiday and the Famous Five; Elliot, Ben, Dan, Carrie and Jessie the dog set out on an adventure to discover the wonders of Exmoor .....

Down below them is a fast flowing river, the broad shallows spanned by a series of massive flat boulders (the largest is 10ft long and weighs two tons) lying across equally massive stone piers. The edifice looks as if it should be guarded by a troll to match its scale - it is 180ft, including the surface stones on the west side.

This strange structure is known as Tarr Steps and has been the victim of legends attributing it to giants and the devil - you immediately imagine they are of an age with Stonehenge and Avebury, but the likelihood is that they are a medieval construction to allow drovers to get across the river without their sheep getting soggy, like the clapper bridges of Dartmoor.

Like most young people the Famous Five are fascinated by water ...

And they soon discover a rope swing enabling them to swing far out over the river...

It's great fun but it isn't long before the inevitable happens!

There is a path alongside the river with many natural wonders to discover...

Fungi, lichens and moss covers the fallen tree trunks while a multitude of wild spring flowers bloom alongside the torrent.

The sides of the valley get steeper and the woods close in. The path is easy to follow, allowing us all to relax among the shadows and birdsong, admiring the dramatic beauty of the landscape.

There are so many amazing things to discover - like this beautifully coloured iridescent beetle that looked just like a jewel!

There are red deer, badgers and foxes in the woods but nothing could prepare them for the next discovery ...

... that money actually grows on trees!

They found an ancient tree trunk studded with hundreds of old coins - treasure at last!

Scrumping is probably not allowed but, nevertheless our intrepid five found a few bent windfalls!

Anxious to get home, in order to hammer their ancient coins flat, they hurried back on the path alongside the river until ...

... they came upon an old farmhouse serving refreshments.

While the grown-ups enjoyed their afternoon tea they watched a little bird helping himself to the left overs on the next table ...

... and decided that their bank holiday adventure on Exmoor was far more exciting than a day at an expensive theme park - and hadn't cost them a penny. In fact they had each ended up a penny better off - even though it was a rather old and battered bent one!

Spring on Dartmoor

2010-04-28T04:58:00.000-07:00

With the sun shining and the sweet smelling gorse in bloom Dartmoor, normally bleak and inhospitable, shrouded with mist and mystery was magically transformed to this beautiful golden landscape.

A kestrel hovered silently overhead and the wild moorland ponies grazed contentedly, obviously enjoying the warmth of the sun on their backs.

The buds on the gnarled and stunted trees were beginning to burst with fresh green leaves.

This canary yellow sheep was a bit of a surprise!

We haven't yet puzzled out why it had obviously been dyed yellow.

The weather was beautiful and Jessie enjoyed playing in the crystal clear streams.

This is part of Meldon Resevoir...

... a haven for nesting ducks and geese.

Dartmoor - a perfect place for a walk in Springtime!

Definitely recommended by Jessie!

A Very Scary Day!

2010-01-07T15:04:00.000-08:00

This is the view from our kitchen window today. It looks quite pretty but the reality was very different. The road outside our house was covered with a treacherous sheet of ice. It has quite a steep slope and was more like a bobsleigh run. Any drivers who were brave enough to venture out didn't know what they were letting themselves in for. When they came over the brow of the hill they slid down, completely out of control. We phoned the police suggesting that they closed the road as it was just a matter of time befor there would have been a very serious accident. Because of the dangerous conditions the meeting at the KH was cancelled - the first time I think that has ever happened.

A few pictures of the problems due to the ice. The worst one was when a large refuse lorry lost control and slid all the way down sideways. I was so petrified of what would happen that I forgot to take a photo!

I took this photo from the window last week before the snowstorms.

A Surprise!

2009-12-19T03:22:00.000-08:00

I couldn't quite believe it when I discovered that one of my photos, that I had entered in the National Trust photo competition, had been used as the cover picture on the Sunday Times Spectrum magazine!

It also appears in the online version -

www.timesonline.co.uk/nationaltrustpix

What is even more embarrassing is that there is an article in the local paper -

http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/Sylvia-s-photo-time-spent/article-1612609-detail/article.html

It just shows that all you need is to be in the right place at the right time and make sure you have your camera with you!

A Weekend at Earls Court (Discover Dogs Show)

2009-11-18T10:26:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Suzie launched her new website www.glo-balls.com at the Discover Dogs Exhibition at Earls Court in London.

We had a nice stand at the show where she could display all the night visibility products for dogs which she is selling. This photo was taken before the show opened as we were inundated with customers during the entire opening hours.

There were all sorts of flashing and glowing balls and toys and also collars and leads that glow in the dark.

They were all very popular and many products actually sold out by the end of the show.

It was a very interesting and satisfying weekend, but also very tiring so I am really glad we have returned to Fuerteventura for a bit of a rest!

Have a peep at her website

www.glo-balls.com

Devon in the Autumn

2009-10-30T05:17:00.000-07:00

I was really pleased to discover that this picture of David & Jessie was a winner in the British Heart Foundation's photograph competition!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhforguk/3986849474/in/set-72157622527336108/

We were walking on the beach last week when I got this shot of an approaching storm - we did get very wet soon afterwards!

This was a better day. We do get some lovely sunsets at this time of year!

Assembly Day at Bristol.

2009-09-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

We arrived back from Fuerteventura on Wednesday, just in time for our special day at Bristol Assembly Hall. (The bottom picture is the water feature in the dining room).

Andy, a young brother from our congregation was one of the seven who were baptised.

A New Arrival!

2009-08-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

This is Amber - the new baby of our friends Yas & Bob.

She is the most beautiful golden cocker spaniel puppy, just 8 weeks old.

Life's a jungle!

A flower for you!

She is so cute...

...and so photogenic!

She has her own website http://www.ouramber.info/

A photographic accolade!

2009-08-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

I took this photo of the last surfer leaving the waves as the sun was setting a few weeks ago.

On impulse I submitted it to the Times travel photo competition. Obviously I had no expectations; the winning picture is usually of some wonderful exotic location taken with an expensive camera. (Mine is a spontaneous snapshot taken on our local beach with my trusty but inexpensive s5800!)
I went online this morning to see the winning entry and, true to form, it was a fantastic picture taken in India. However I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that my humble offering was on their online gallery of this month’s nominated images! I was so surprised I just had to share this with you!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/global/article6726716.ece?slideshowPopup=true&articleId=6726716&nSlide=2&sectionName=TravelTravelImages

PS. 1st October 2009

I heard today that this same photograph won first prize in the Best Western Hotels Photography competition! (I had forgotten that I had submitted it so it was a fantastic surprise!)

District Convention at Plymouth

2009-07-29T05:34:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, July 24 -26, we enjoyed our district convention held at the Plymouth Argyle football club, Home Park, Plymouth. This was one of thousands of similar conventions being held throughout the world during 2009.

The theme for this year's convention was “Keep on the Watch!” based on the warning Jesus Christ gave to his disciples shortly before his death. As you can see everyone was listening very attentively to the faith building, encouraging and uplifting programme.

The baptism pool was situated on the edge of the pitch and the baptism was one of the highlights of the convention.

26 people being baptized, 13 new brothers and 13 new sisters.

Although the weather was not perfect, it rained almost all day on Sunday, we had a very encouraging weekend!

Invasion of the Painted Ladies!

2009-05-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

During the last few days, here in North Devon, we have had the privilege of witnessing a rare and spectacular phenomenon -

the arrival of hundreds of these colourful fast flying butterflies crossing our shoreline after an amazing 1000 mile migration from North Africa.

As they energetically refueled on the swathes of crimson valerian currently decking our roadside walls and banks it was difficult to comprehend how such beautiful and fragile creatures could endure such a long and arduous journey across the ocean.

Apparently scientists have been predicting an unusually large migration since late winter.

The butterflies originate from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, where heavy winter rains allowed good germination of the caterpillar food-plants.

Although the majority of the butterflies arrived unscathed after their long journey we noticed that quite a few had suffered minor damage to their wings as seen here - but they made it!

Bideford Kingdom Hall Project 2009

2009-05-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

After almost 17 years of constant use our Kingdom Hall’s air handling system (air conditioning, cooling & heating) was no longer working and it was decided, after approaching the Regional Building Committee, that it should be replaced with a new and improved version for the comfort of the congregation.

The RBC came to survey the property and gave us details of the extensive work that would be involved and the considerable costs that would be incurred. Both congregations agreed that the work should be done and the necessary funds were contributed by the brothers.

The Kingdom Hall was cleared and boards were used to protect the carpet. The new air handling unit was to be situated in the roof space so that also had to be cleared and boarded out, a new loft hatch and ladder installed, all the old insulation removed and a timber platform erected for the unit.

Safety was a priority and inflatable airbags were required during this time.

Because of the work involved it was scheduled to be done over a number of weekends.

This meant that we could not use the Kingdom Hall for meetings and had to make other arrangements for this time period. Torridge congregation was able to share Barnstaple's KH but our congregation, Bideford bay, had to find a suitable local hall to hire. We hired Kingsley Hall at Westward Ho! which is normally used for bingo and pantomimes.

It meant that we had to take everything with us; all the sound equipment, notice board, lectern, contribution boxes etc and set it all up in the short time we had before the meeting began. It was hard work and made us appreciate what we had taken so much for granted in the KH.

Mobile sound system in the back of our car!

The new air handling unit was very large and heavy and had to be delivered and installed by a crane through a hole in the wall.

The ducting was then fitted, the power and controls installed and the unit was set up and tested.

The local sisters were marvelous, providing all the appetizing meals and refreshments for the volunteers throughout the duration of the project.

Finally the KH was thoroughly cleaned, repainted in parts, the chairs reinstalled and we were able to return for our first meeting last Sunday.

It was good to be back and the unit was working brilliantly – silent and effective and completely unobtrusive! It was over a month of hard work but we are so grateful for all the hard working brothers and sisters who made this project such an amazing success.

Sunset over Lundy

2009-05-13T03:41:00.000-07:00

This is the view from our window last evening - it was such a magnificent sunset I just had to share it with you!

Tim & Satna in Mauritius

2009-05-13T01:46:00.000-07:00

I've just received these photos of Tim & Sapna's wedding celebrations in Mauritius.

(Please see previous post for photos of their wedding in London).

It certainly looked like they had a good time!

Wayford Woods, Somerset.

2009-05-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would share a few pictures from Somerset. On bank holiday Monday we went to visit Becky & Jonathan & our two young grandsons, Ben and Elliot.

Although the weather wasn’t wonderful the boys suggested that we go to explore the nearby Wayford Woods.

It was a beautiful place to visit. The woods were amazing – everywhere was so fresh and green.

The bluebells were out in abundance as were the rhododendrons in a multitude of colours.

Even the dog had a wonderful time!

There were so many photo opportunities!

We all had a lovely time and are looking forward to going back later in the year.

The Devon Coastal Path

2009-05-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

The weather in North Devon was beautiful today; sunny with a fresh wind, ideal for a brisk walk. Accompanied by my faithful border collie Jessie and my trusty F50fd camera we set off along the coastal path.

At first we climbed through lush green woods carpeted with bluebells.

Soon we were on the top of the cliffs where a hawk hovered overhead while rabbits played among the golden swathes of sweet smelling gorse.

Clumps of pink thrift clung to the sheer cliff face while, far down below, the tumultuous sea crashed upon jagged rocks.

Everything was so beautiful it made me realize just how privileged I am to live in such magnificent surroundings

The wedding of Tim & Sapna

2009-04-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went up to London for the wedding of my nephew, Tim.

His beautiful bride was Sapna from Mauritius so, as you can imagine, it was a very unusual & exotic occasion!

The wedding was held at the Tower Hotel - a wonderful location situated beside the Thames, overlooking Tower Bridge.

The wedding was followed by an amazing celebratory dinner & dance.
(It's just as well we enjoy curry!)

It was a truly memorable day & night spent by the river!
We were also invited to their second wedding being held next week in Mauritius.
That will be a three day affair with lots of food & dancing.
What a pity that we can't make it!

Congratulations Tim & Sapna.
Thank you for inviting us!

Some of our favourite photographs

2009-04-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

David & I both love the sea.

This is the view that we have from our kitchen window which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.

We also have a beach hut on the cliffs.

David walking Jessie at Westward Ho!

Rainbow over the Atlantic.

Enjoying the surf!

There are beautiful sunsets, especially in the winter months.

Learning to surf!

Golden glow!

Jessie & Rufus

View from the cliffs!

Another lovely sunset!

And another!

Sunbeams over Lundy.

Bluebell woods.

Suzy & David in the woods.

More bluebells.

The picturesque village of Clovelly with its cobbled streets & donkeys.

We used to live in the heart of the Devon countryside in this little thatched cottage in Tythecott.

We had a large garden with a pond which was a haven for frogs, toads and other wildlife.