July in Parkham

As I come to write this blog I realise that it is 3 weeks since I was last in the village so I will have to rely on my memories. The key memory that comes to mind is of spending time with friends, both those from the village as well as other friends who were visiting Devon on holiday. For me, the strongest and best memories are not just of places, but of the time spent with friends or family at those places. It also takes me back to business trips spent in the U.S. where any sightseeing was done alone and none of which was particularly memorable. 

Some of these friends were staying in Westward Ho! as their family was having a surfing holiday. They came over to Parkham for a walk around Bocombe followed by lunch at The Bell. It was very clear that they enjoyed the peace of Parkham as a break from the hussle and bussle of Westward Ho! in the holiday season. Other friends were staying further afield in Tavistock and primarily visiting South Devon. We agreed to meet roughly half-way at the Bull and Dragon in Meeth. It was the first time we had visited this area and we followed the sat-nav’s instructions down some very narrow Devon lanes. We took the opportunity to visit the nearby nature reserve at Meeth Quarry where we were impressed by the number of butterflies including 3 silver-washed fritillary which was a first for me, although apparently they are quite common there.

We visited Rosemoor again as we hoped to catch the roses before they were over and we also enjoyed a wander around the vegetable and fruit gardens. Some of the borders were looking a little tired because of the recent very hot weather, as in our own garden in Knutsford. On a wet Sunday afternoon we decided to visit the Bideford Water Festival at the quayside. Sadly the rain did not hold-off and after an hour or so we returned to Parkham dripping wet, including the dog. We did however see some of the cardboard boat racing which was great fun and well worth getting wet for.  We also had some lovely sunny days and a walk at Greencliff provided wonderful views along the coastline.

Finally, and a first for us, was a visit to The Farmers Arms in Woolsery. At Christmas our daughter had given us a voucher for a meal and we enjoyed a lovely evening sampling the food. 

 The weather was dull when we set off on our return to Cheshire and this always makes it easier to leave the village. On this occasion we broke our journey to catch up with old friends in Stourbridge for lunch and arrived back late in the afternoon. As I write this we are looking forward to and planning our visit to the village next week.