We’ve just had a brilliant weekend in London – an easy 2 hour trip on the train from Exeter to Paddington. We went to see Warhorse at the theatre – a treat to ourselves! Warhorse was exceptional – clever and moving. Since it was filmed here on Dartmoor, we’re looking forward to seeing the film too. It even snowed while we were in London which was magical!

What is in your stocking darling??

Whether there’s snow or the mildest weather we can remember, Christmas in Devon is a joy.

We spent it in Lympstone in our little holiday cottage while Orchard Barn was let for the week to a family from overseas. Back here for New Year – village life, a beer or two with friends and locals, drinks invites galore! Dartmoor was looking amazing; Exeter was charming with its lights and wonderful shops – Jail Ale hit the spot as it always does.

With bird feeders in the trees, we get a lot of birds visiting us – one of our favorites is a pair of woodpeckers who nest in the woods by the river and can often be heard making a racket knocking on the trees!

With dippers in the Teign Valley, king fishers, woodpeckers, lots of blue tits and nuthatchs, this is a lovely place to sit and admire these colourful active birds. You’d never believe that you are only 7 miles from Exeter….

Who's making all that noise!!

Anyone for hot tar?

On Nov 5th we all went to watch the incredible sight of boys and girls as young as 7 running through the streets with flaming barrels of tar on their backs!! Using gloves, they run in teams sharing the barrel until it falls apart…

It takes real guts to do this when the heat from the barrels was apparent to the crowd!!

The tar barrels attract big crowds – it starts at 4pm and goes on until midnight!! A fun fair, huge bonfire complete with Guy Fawkes and lots of good value food on offer including a new fishmonger selling dressed crab in little pots – not all burgers, then!!

View towards Dartmoor from our garden

It’s not much like Tobago but it’s still really beautiful! After a fabulous 2 week holiday loafing in the sunshine (our only responsibility being the supplies of gin, limes and tonic….)  we have returned to find Autumn has arrived!! Devon is cloaked in gold, red and yellow…. simply beautiful.

The famous stepping stones over the River Teign!

If you’re brave, it’s a hop and a skip into National Trust woodlands and up onto Dartmoor for a bracing walk onto Heltor Tor with amazing views across Dartmoor and towards the coast.

It's Renee in the Teign Valley

Watch out, bootnecks dressed as Renee in the Devon countryside – it’s extraordinary what you can find in Devon!!

I’m posting this Blog from a laptop in Cornwall as a trial………..being a techno-biff I’m hoping I can proove to myself that it can be done remotely and then I can travel around the world happily in the fullsome knowledge that I can still post them from wherever and keep my web site active. Well that’s the general idea anyway.

I get lots of quests from sources various to improve my SEO………..invariably they all want to charge for this service!! Well between Paul my very able web designer and I we’re managing to be up there or there abouts and with more regular blogs from me that should help a lot………..that’s the plan anyway!!

Here are a few wonderful photos of Sunny Cornwall to remind us of our few days camping on the North Coast………..it’s quiet beautiful and but a 90 minute drive from Orchard Barn…………..priceless.

What a joy it was to have Bryan and Janet Deacon to stay at Orchard Barn B&B………they booked in several months ahead ostensibly to come and see if they could find some Devon Dippers!!

Well to our absolute delight they not only managed to see several on a variety of different days and locations nearby but also managed to prove it too!!

Er tizz…………….as they say down in these parts!!!

It’s wonderful to note that guests are booking in to come and see both the ‘Dippers’ flying about and hunting on the River Teign with their distinct gizz and bob as they watch and wait for their next meal to float/swim/crawl past ……………..and others who’ve planned a variety of  walks along the river bank to see the marvel of Daffs, a short stemmed local variety with a charm of their own.

Spring Daffs on the

Edge of Dunsford’s famous stepping Stones across the River Teign

Ian’s favourite Fergie T20 Tractor used for Cider Pressing and other essential jobs around the place!!!

Lesley has helped me launch into the world of Trip Advisor promotion to assist Orchard Barn in both the Exeter and Dartmoor fields of e-finding me!!

It’s an exciting time as we’ve already had 5 or 6 enquiries since we started……..so it bodes well for our ‘Get Away’ ourselves plan!! Fingers Crossed.

And the Daffs are starting to come out again………………..it’s pure magic!!!!