October 2019

For long time we have been looking forward to our long weekend away in the south west of England.

My elder daughter has just started studying medicine in Exeter University and we went to have a look at where she and her husband have gone to live.

Most of the time the weather was too wet for us to get out into the countryside, but we did get to follow a treasure trail around Exeter, Devon’s county town, with its impressive cathedral. 

The grey rainy weather wasn’t well suited to panoramic views, but it was good to capture small interesting details which might otherwise go unnoticed, such as this carving over a cathedral doorway.

But then on Sunday afternoon the weather opened up and we were able to go up onto the exposed moorland of Dartmoor. 

A characteristic feature of Dartmoor are its tors - outcrops of rock which offer wide views over the moorland and down to the sea.

It was great to enjoy the fresh air and blue sky after such a grey weekend. But up on the moor you have to reckon with wind. A few moments after this picture was taken my cap was carried away on a gust of wind like a Frisbee. 

This autumn has brought good weather: plenty of rain, sunshine too and no hint of a frost, in our region at least.

This means that our little patch of garden is still continuing to produce crops. Our runner beans (a plant which you would find in almost every British garden in summer) have flourished. Today I visited the garden and was delighted to be able to pick nearly a kilo of of long, straight beans. With hindsight I can also say they were both tender and tasty.