A Sunny Autumn

We arrived back in Parkham at the very end of October and were lucky to hit on some lovely sunny days albeit with some cold weather towards the end of our stay.

Most of the urgent maintenance jobs on The Granary have been completed on recent trips so, other than removing bubbling paint on the lounge wall (caused by condensation) and  repainting, we were able to spend our time meeting friends, walking on the beach and entertaining guests.  Each time we visit we seem to spend more time with the new friends we have made and this also makes it harder to leave.

On most days we walk around the village to collect a newspaper and give Pebbles some exercise -  on the walk we always stop at this gate to admire the view towards the church.

The sunshine through the clouds also created some fantastic views on the coast.   The picture below shows two of the ponies which roam on Northam Burrows silhouetted at the top of the Pebbleridge.

Friends from the Midlands joined us for the weekend and we were able to introduce them to the delights of The Bell at the Cheese and Wine Evening.  The evening began with a sloe gin and bitter lemon cocktail before we moved on to a number of different wines.  We took a break after trying 3 or 4 wines to sample the excellent cheese board that had been prepared. There was a very friendly atmosphere as the 4 teams competed in a quiz between glasses and it was even better news when our table of eight won at the end of the evening -  the prize being 2 more bottles of wine!

This was our visitors' first trip to this part of North Devon and they were amazed at the wonderful scenery and fantastic skies when we visited Northam Burrows.  We also visited Appledore and Instow and enjoyed the delights of Suzies Tea Rooms and John's cafe.

Our visitors left on Sunday following the Aga Roast at The Bell, well equipped to face their journey back up the M5.  I am sure they will join us again having sampled the company, food and drink that Parkham offers along with the amazing scenery and unspoilt beauty of the area.

A couple of days later we followed them up the motorway, sad to be leaving Parkham as it may be a number of weeks before we are able to return, probably in the New Year.