An unusually long blog this week - with photos to illustrate - I'd welcome feedback if it's too long.
We've just been on holiday. Devon, not abroad. I've been going to the same place in North Devon for many many years. It's a fishing village called Appledore. Sandwiched between Bideford and Westwood Ho!
There's just something about Appledore that fills me with joy and tranquillity - I've spent so many weeks and weekends there it feels like home.
Appledore is perhaps not what you'd typically expect to be a holiday destination. It's actually on the estuary of the River Torridge - just before it opens out into the sea at Westwood Ho! It's a very broad estuary. On the other side of the river is a place called Instow - a much more typical holiday resort with sandy beaches. But it's not Instow I love, it's Appledore.
Because of it's position the view is always different, when the tide is out the river can be about 10 feet across, when the tide is in it's a broad expanse of water. The way the light plays on the water is stunning. It really doesn't matter if the sky is gray (and it really was during this week) it just means the view is different.
We've found this perfect cottage we love - it's right on the estuary - I mean RIGHT on the estuary on Irsha Street. The rear of the property forms part of the river defences. We love it so much we've been back about 4 times now. This was particularly useful this holiday as we could plan our visit really carefully with all the COVID-19 worries.
I remember staying in Appledore for the first time when I was about 8 - we had a cottage just off the Quay side. Appledore was very different then. There was a small newsagents that sold papers and crabbing equipment (I'll get back to crabbing), a fish & chip shop and one small corner shop (now a coffee shop) that sold iced buns that came with a free wasp
There really wasn't anything else - well nothing but the amazing Hocking's ice-cream van. There's really only one problem with Hocking's ice-cream - once you've tried it it ruins any other ice-cream for you for the rest of your life.
I stayed in the attic room with my brother (see picture) - He had a proper bed and I just had a simple camp bed in the corner (times were different then). The only window was a small velux window - every morning I'd get woken about 5 by the noise of the fishing boats going out to sea. As the rest of the family was asleep I'd get a chair to stand on and watch them on their way.
There's not really a beach at Appledore, but there is an amazing quay with steps down to the water.
This is the perfect spot to fish for the plentiful crabs to be found on the river bed. Back when I was little my brother and I would go out with a penknife and some rocks. We'd bash the limpets off the quay wall with the rocks - wash our bleeding knuckles in the water, scoop the limpet flesh out with a pen knife and then stick them on a hook with a barb. It goes without saying health and safety hadn't been invented then. And I LOVED it. On a really good day we'd find a dead dog fish at low tide - you could catch about 20 crabs in one go with one of those.
The only issue with my love for doing this was that my mother then insisted on telling every boyfriend I had just how much I loved catching crabs. Depending on your mindset I'll let you work out why I wasn't thrilled about that!
Such was my love of Appledore I traveled there every year if I could - I remember doing a very long journey by 3 trains and 4 buses before I learnt to drive. Never again. Especially as when I got to the Exeter bus connection I needed a wee, but didn't have time to go or I'd miss the connection and have to wait 3 hours for the next bus - by the time I got to Appledore I was in agony.
Every time I had a significant other I'd introduce them to Appledore - they liked it, but they didn't have quite the same emotional connection as me. That's until I started dating my now husband. He fell in love with it too.
Then when son was old enough not to throw himself off the quay we introduced him - he's been all over the world (because he's spoiled and I work in the travel industry) . In his recent year book they were asked to write about their favorite place in the world - he wrote about Appledore.
As with the rest of the world things have moved on, there are now many more shops in the village - you can purchase art, pizza, coffee, cream teas - and you can buy freshly baked croissants for breakfast. They even sell dog friendly wifi (this sign just makes me crack up - every visit I search it out and am thrilled to see it's still there).
As well as steps to the water there are slipways so you can get boats, kayaks etc. into the river - it's quite bustling over the weekend with water sports. Back when I originally went (makes me sound 100!!!), you were more likely to have a blow up dinghy - although it never occurred to us to launch it in Appledore - we used to go to Putsborough and my dad would send my brother and I alone out into the sea on an inflatable - keeping us safe by tying a washing line to the dinghy (again - health & safety hadn't been invented yet).
Things have changed for me too - I sleep in a proper bed - yes really - and we use bacon as bait to catch crabs - I mean how high end are we! It's not nearly as much fun as bashing limpets off walls, but it comes with less injury. Crabbing is also done with nets - which comes with a greater haul - but I do still hanker back to the vicious hook we used to use.
We had a wonderful time this year. Husband had surf lessons in Westwood Ho! Whilst he was busy son and I would walk up to where the estuary meets the sea. I've been to many places, but NEVER found somewhere that sings to me like this spot.
Just before the sea are the burrows - a nature reserve - we call it the mumbles - but that's a long and boring story. So the spot is usually completely deserted. When the tide is in you can actually see the waves breaking on the river - the exact spot where it flows into the sea. When I took this photo the tide was out - but it's no less stunning.
On the far side of the river you can see Salcome - it almost looks like you could walk there when the tide is out (but you'd probably die if you tried - what with currents and sucky mud).
We also always do a trip to Instow so son can create 'pooley' which is basically a dog catcher. There's a small stream that comes down the beach (not telling you where - our secret) where the stream joins the Torridge. With copious digging an impressive pool can be dug with turrets, dams and tunnels.
As it's fresh water part of the joy is that every time a dog comes by it senses it's fresh water and takes a flying leap into the pool to cool off and have a drink. Fortunately we are major dog lovers (a story for another day).
Once the tide comes in it's all washed away - which means you can come back the next day to start again. This stretch of beach is also one of the spots they practiced the Normandy landings - just a quick point of interest!
We didn't have a clue where we were going, which became very apparent when we found ourselves on a cliff path that was about a foot across with a sheer drop to our left. We stuck with it though and did find a nice spot for a picnic - in the pouring rain! On the way back we spotted where we should have gone and so will try that when we visit next year.
On our return to the car I ended up shrieking at family - as you know I'm accident prone - in the pouring rain some of the path was quite slippery because it was made of slate. Husband and son were clucking around me to make sure I was safe and as a result were not looking where THEY were going. Not a great idea as there's only one person who is more accident prone than me and that's son. I told them in no uncertain terms to stop worrying about me and focus on themselves - in the end I had to get down on my hands and knees and crawl it so they would stop worrying about me.
Another thing we did for the first time this year was hire a bike. I'd seen signs for the Tarka trail but had never explored it. As things were different this year I explored a bit further than normal and found that the Tarka trail is basically an old railway line - the perfect spot for a pleasant cycle. I can't believe I didn't find it before.
I rapidly found we could hire a bike in Bideford and we duly set off for a cycle from Bideford to Barnstable. I was very impressed that I managed this. So much so that when we got to Barnstable husband suggested we went over the bridge and at least started on the other side of the river.
I agreed - off we cycled - the bridge was much higher than it looked and I was using every muscle in my body to keep the bike going. I was just about to give up and push when a lady who had a good 20 years on me cycled past like Mary Poppins without a care in the world. Horrified by my lack of fitness I pushed on - pulling a muscle in my back in the process.
When we got to the other side I said to husband I was injured and I had to sit down for 10 minutes. As he's the caring type he said fine he'd just carry on and come back for me later. Son stayed with me. I mentioned the Mary Poppins woman to him and why that had made me push myself too hard. He looked at me as if I was stupid and pointed out to me that the lady had been on an electric bike!!!
Back didn't get better and journey back to Bideford was a nightmare as I couldn't sit on the saddle. We kept having to stop so I could stretch my back out and do the next section of the journey.
COVID-19 seems to have been one injury after another.
So anyway - that was my holiday. I'm not going to lie it was a strange one this year. People were socially distancing, but there were many many more people around than normal. Normally you pretty much have the quayside to yourself - there were people everywhere. I guess because the kids were off school and people couldn't go off into pubs, restaurants etc. etc. so had to just mill around like zombies outside.
On the Friday we had to queue (socially distanced obvs) for an hour for fish and chips. The people of Appledore did amazingly - although I wonder how long the goodwill will last - it must be a bit frightening for them to be descended upon quite so suddenly whilst the Pandemic is upon us.
There were also lots of people that seemed very dressed up for a fishing village - almost as if they'd packed to go to St Tropez and their trip was cancelled at the last minute. They seemed quite startled at my scrotty t-shirts and Harem trousers - but then again I was quite startled by their mega ironed chino shorts and linen shirts with creases pressed into them.
They looked quite uncomfortable in their brand new sparkly deck shoes - I can't imagine they went through a good tromp in the mud when the tide was out. Doubtless though they also recognised what a beautiful place it is. I hope everything isn't taken before we book next year!
By the way it was in Appledore we gave son his special night - because he missed out in so much in his final year in Junior School. We even found the perfect spot to do sparklers as dusk fell, then gave him a piece of tech as a present. Hopefully we made up for what he'd missed out on a little.
Spent our first day back doing about 20 loads of washing - then hung it outside to dry. At which point neighbour started building an extension and covered the lot in dust. Trying to decide whether to shake the dust off or start again.......
ps. if you're interested we book the cottage (The Old Boat House) from holidaycottages.co.uk - and I'm telling you this because I want to, not because they've paid me!
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