On Friday, I had 
to go to a meeting in Dorset. I took the train to Bournemouth [Google it!]. This is the third time I've been in Bournemouth, and I have yet to see the beach. Allegedly, it is seven miles of white sand. I'll have to get there someday.
to go to a meeting in Dorset. I took the train to Bournemouth [Google it!]. This is the third time I've been in Bournemouth, and I have yet to see the beach. Allegedly, it is seven miles of white sand. I'll have to get there someday.One of my staff members, Dianne, met me at the meeting. It lasted an unprecedented three hours! Usually, we are ushered out after an hour. As this last week, Dianne and I were as originally planning to be in the States, her husband planned to fulfill one of his sailing qualifications [and sadly, it was his birthday]. We decided to hang out on Saturday.
Dianne and her husband have a cottage. The property backs up against nine hole golf course. They are curre
ntly working on the garden: walls, water feature, orchard, vegetable garden, solarium, and so on. It's a really nice place. Originally built in the 1860's.
ntly working on the garden: walls, water feature, orchard, vegetable garden, solarium, and so on. It's a really nice place. Originally built in the 1860's.They are just outside of Exeter. Exeter is the other place that I looked to move to when I was moving here. It's a seaside town with a rich history. Exeter is a city, district and county town of Devon, England. It's located approximately 70 miles (110 km) southwest of Bristol[where I did move], on the River Exe. The city has a population of 111,076. Exeter was the most south
-westerly Roman fortified settlement in Britain.
-westerly Roman fortified settlement in Britain.On Friday night, we went to a pub on the Moors for dinner. The Moors being Dartmoor National Park where I spent last Easter with the dogs. It was really cool. Small rooms. Fire places. Traditional pub fair. On our foggy drive out of the Moors, we saw the most famous of its residents, the ponies.
On Saturday morning, we went to Teignmouth, a town in Devon, situated on the north bank of the River Teign. In 1690, it was the last place in England to be invaded by a foreign power [important information!]. The town grew from a fishing port associated with the Newfoundland cod industry to a fashionable resort of some note in Georgian times, with further expansion after the opening of the So
uth Devon Railway in 1846. Today, its port still operates and the town remains a popular seaside ho
liday location.
uth Devon Railway in 1846. Today, its port still operates and the town remains a popular seaside ho
liday location.The red sandstone headland on the Shaldon side called "The Ness" is the most recognisable symbol of the town from the seaward side. This is it on the right from a view under the pier.
The itself sits right on top of the seaside. Here are a coupled of cool photos where you can see the sandbags outside the houses to keep the tide out during high seas, AND the cool set up of the village.
One of these dingies had a sign painted on the insid
e, "if you borrow this boat, please return it".
e, "if you borrow this boat, please return it".
The town backs right up to the seas. Can you see the sandbags near the front doors?
Just in case you need a pair of boots ....
After the walk a bit of lunch, we went into Exeter for a rugby game. This was my first live rugby game. It's as cool on the ground as it is watching the Six Nations tourney on TV. The Exeter Chiefs are not a bad team. Dianne and her husband are season ticket holders.
I would have to say that my favorite play in the game is the line-out. It is a way of restarting play after the ball has been knocked or kicked out of play past the touch line. The line-o
ut consists of three to eight players from each side, up to 16 in total, and is taken where the ball went out of play. The aim of each player is simply to get their hands on the ball for their team. So how does it work? The advantage is with the team throwing in. They get the ball because they were not the team who last touched the ball before it went out. They also get to decide how many players will make up the line-out. The cool part is when the team throws a player up into the air to catch the ball as it's thrown in. Why don't we do this in the US in basketball or soccer?
ut consists of three to eight players from each side, up to 16 in total, and is taken where the ball went out of play. The aim of each player is simply to get their hands on the ball for their team. So how does it work? The advantage is with the team throwing in. They get the ball because they were not the team who last touched the ball before it went out. They also get to decide how many players will make up the line-out. The cool part is when the team throws a player up into the air to catch the ball as it's thrown in. Why don't we do this in the US in basketball or soccer?Anyway, other than the incredibly intoxicated woman I saw at the train station yelling, "agghhh!" Which is drunk-girl for , "Scott!", the weekend was quiet and restful. Definitely going to have to go back.
