This Week's Walk: Holiday Day 10: Heavitree.

On the bus I happened to mention that I wanted to visit the charity shops of Pinhoe.  As it was raining, the suggestion was that I should take another bus out there.  I walked up Exeter main street in the rain, stopped to look at the work John Lewis' were doing to the old Debenhams shop, and thought 'blow it, I'll walk!' and strode purposefully down Paris Street.  What an important decision I made there, as it was Heavitree I wanted to visit and so would have been mightily disappointed if I'd got on a bus to Pinhoe.
It was striding up Heavitree Road, out of town that gave me this revelation.  I've been up and down that road innumerable times on the bus but I don't think I've ever walked it.  Past the baths, up to where Waitrose now occupies the hospital site, passed lovely old houses.  All in beautiful Devon rain.  True!  There is a quality to the rainfall in Devon that has to be experienced.  Rain soaked, rain bathed, rain kissed.  Even in January I enjoyed my walk in the rain.
Dropping down into Heavitree I began to trawl the charity shops - I found three, there may be more,  My favourite was the Force Cancer Charity which had taken over a whole house and every room had more and varied delights.  My current fad is wool, and I'm sure the puce 4ply I've acquired will come in very handy.

I decided to return to Exeter centre, via Magdalen Road - nice looking coffee shops there too, ditto houses, ditto posh schools. The old Eye Infirmary was covered in scaffolding which makes me think it may no longer be the Hotel Barcelona and about to acquire a new identity.  I turned into Southernhay with a nod to the old Maternity Hospital aka Dean Clarke House (place of my birth) and, glimpsing the cathedral, was reminded of my mother telling me she looked out over that during her stay in the maternity ward.

I headed through the cathedral close back to the main street.  How many miles?  No idea, can't find a pedometer anywhere!

Holiday Day 9: Teign walks

OK, today's walk was split up into three little bits, but all were near the river Teign, hence the name.  First up was a pre-lunch stroll covering some of the ground I did yesterday round Back Beach in Teignmouth and along the prom and back.  Tide going out and what looks like a very tricky entrance to the river marked by buoys quite a long way offshore.  It's always interesting to see where the sand has been deposited over the winter, looks like the sandbar has moved quite a bit this year.
Secondly, after lunch at Jacks Patch, we walked down to Flow Point.  A short, simple walk but one that I had never done before.  It was another view of the estuary and the houses over on the back road to Shaldon.  We also caught a glimpse of a train as it hurtled past.
Third part was the footpath past Forde House down to the river and then back along the route of the Templar Way to the Town Quay.  A well trodden route over the years.  It was dull and cloudy so the moors couldn't be seen but we did see a heron fly past, so that made up for it.

Holiday Day 8: Beach Walk

This is my first proper beach walk of the year!  I really enjoy walking on the sand, and I know we walked some of the pier to pier walk on the beach, but this was the whole thing!
I began at back beach at Teignmouth, they're doing some work on the wall by the pub but it's still possible to walk along by the boats if you're careful of the mooring ropes and the tide is going out. The view across to Shaldon and up the estuary to the moors is superb, and on a clear sunny day like today it can't be beaten. I continued past the ferry and the expensive beach huts out to the mouth of the estuary.  The tide was roaring out, the river almost looked alive the current was so strong.  I went right to the edge of the sand spit and then doubled back along the front beach.  The tide has turned enough for me to walk along the sand below the car park - the first footprints there! - I had to dodge the waves at the slipway a little further round but didn't get my feet wet!  Then it was straight along to the pier.  Family groups were busy making sandcastles, dogs were being walked.  It was busy and yet quiet - I really noticed the absence of traffic noise, the general peacefulness, and I really appreciated it.
I got as near to East Cliff as I could along the sands and then had to come up onto the prom to walk from the Lido to the start of the sea wall.  The East Cliff cafe was doing a good trade and it seems a very warm spot, I was quite tempted to have a bacon butty but I resisted.
And so, back to Teignmouth town and its narrow little nooks and crannies and its out-of-season charm.

I have to report a second walk too!  My brother and I walked in the National Trust woodlands at Bradley in the afternoon remarking how the course of the river has altered in the last 40/50 years and how many more people visit now.  We even made it up to Devils Pit for a look round - it's been repackaged at Puritans Pit and has a plaque to prove it.

Holiday day 7. Memory Lane

Very short walk today but long on memories.  Walking home from the new ASDA store from the market to Hero Bridge and then beside the river to Lemon Road, I was struck by the hundreds of times I must have made this walk - long before ASDA was thought about.  To the library, to the market, to school.  What I noticed tonight more than anything else was the stars.  It's not exactly dark-sky here but you can still see more than I have become used to.  I could recognise Orion and the Pleiades and the Plough.  I remember my mother pointing that out to me and saying how her father had pointed it out to her when she was a girl.
I suppose I got my exercise for the day carrying the bags of shopping, but the memories have certainly been good too.

Holiday Day 6: Stanhope Road and round

I grew up listening to my father and my aunt reminiscing fondly about Stanhope Road.  For my walk today I decided to walk the length of it.  I wonder what they would make of it now, even I can see changes in the short time I have known it - butchers closed to make way for sandwich shops which in their turn have closed.  McRaes the baker, home of the most wonderful cupcakes before they were popular - closed also.  The flats still look sturdy though and I know just how big those Tyneside flats can be - lots of property up for sale though. 
I passed West Park which is still waiting for Spring to arrive, and remembered the lovely display of Christmas tree lights from the flats opposite.  Then on to the roundabout where the derelict flats have been demolished - something new to be built there then.  I continued up to the junction with Boldon Lane, pausing only for a couple of charity shops, and then turned left and headed up towards All Saints church and the junction with Harton Lane.
By now I was wondering why I don't walk more.  I do love it.  there's the chance to be nosy, see what people have in their gardens, what's advertised in shop windows, who's about.  The chance also to let your mind wonder back over things to do, things you should have said, things you plan.  I went down Harton Lane in such a haze that it was only at the last minute that I remembered my uncle pointing out to me the part of the hospital where Catherine Cookson used to work.  And then, I swear, I saw a car covered in astroturf parked in a driveway.  Don't believe me?  Then go for a walk and check it out!
And so, past the Grey Hen, up Mortimer Road and back to my starting point.  Took me barely an hour.  I should do it more often.

Holiday Day 5: A Shopping Expedition

I decided to turn a walk to Aldis for a few groceries into a mini adventure.  Walked from Chi to Laygate and then back round to Aldi pausing only to shake my head at Bethesda Chapel (my father used to preach here) which is looking a bit shabby on the outside.  Then past The Office and cut behind Dallas Carpets in Aldi car park.  Shopping mission accomplished I headed back up Chi Road pausing only to look longingly at the chairs in a skip outside Chichester Court - could they be revamped and re-upholstered?  One day I will pluck up enough courage to ask.  Recklessly, I turned in behind The Cyprus (lovely tilework) and headed up Delaval Court to the Co-op to check the bank balance (shoulda known!).  From there, it was home via Dean Road and the back lanes of Mortimer Road.

Holiday day 4: A short walk to food

OK, not even a stroll this, but I did manage a walk from home along Hartington Terrace to Momo's restaurant at Westoe Fountain to meet a friend for tea.  Then I had to walk back, this time stuffed with sticky toffee pudding!  A good evening!