Finishing where we left off!

We were glad into be able to fit in a week at Parkham  before my mother's funeral, which was delayed because of family holiday commitments, and we were able to do some of things we had planned for our aborted week earlier in the month.

Whilst we arrived on a grey, drizzly afternoon the weather improved throughout the week and we took the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine by reading in the garden or just walking on the beach.
Our regular visit to Rosemoor found the roses very much coming to an end, all the soft fruit picked but with apple and pear trees heavy with fruit.

The Cup and Saucer vines which we had admired last year were in full flower and am pleased to say that the seeds we planted this spring have turned into healthy plants flowering in our own garden back in the Midlands.

We thought that some of our favourite places might be busy as this was the week before the Summer Bank Holiday but still found plenty of open spaces for beach walks with the dog.

Both of the photos were taken at the estuary end of Westward Ho! beach,  one on the Saturday afternoon of the Bank Holiday weekend, showing just how few people will take the extra  minutes to discover these unspoilt spots, not that I am complaining.


We were sorry to leave for the Midlands after lunch on Sunday in glorious sunshine.  There was some trepidation as we normally never travel on Bank Holiday weekends however, traffic was light and we were home in record time.  A week back in Devon had given us just the rest and relaxation we had been looking for.


We arrived back feeling well prepared for the funeral which went well and as my Mother would have wanted.

Just a short visit.

We arrived in Parkham in early August hoping for some good weather but whilst we did have some sunshine it was interspersed with rain showers and drizzle.

We still managed to enjoy walking at Skern and then returning to our favourite cafe, Susie's Tea Room in Appledore . Dogs are made very welcome here and are all given a biscuit!

From Skern with Appledore in the distance

The 'Inn Over the Road' was open on Friday evening and we were able to catch up with some of our friends from the village. Hopefully work on re-building the pub will start next month although the time-scale for completion is looking pretty long.

We had planned to spend a whole week in Parkham but sadly our visit was cut short when my mother was taken to hospital  - we returned to the Midlands in time to see her before she died later in the evening. We do however plan to visit again once funeral arrangements have all been put in place.