Western closure

We left Holne and decided to call in Seaton on the way to Lyme Regis, a seaside town where BH had put in a few weeks at what was then a junior approved school. But not a town that I think I had ever visited: Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton yes, Seaton no.

An establishment which had started life as a farmhouse, being converted to a small private school around 1920, taking perhaps 50 girls, and then to a junior girls' approved school around 1940. Rebadged as a community school in 1973 and is now a private home.

Present just above the 'R' in the middle of the map from the library in Scotland. Former farmhouse apart, and a rather grand one at that, it looks to be a fairly modern housing estate.

Passing the top of the road on our way in, reminded BH of this episode. Pushed on to the Orchard Road car park where I was able to play with my new RingGo app. The odd hiccup, but successful. We were slightly puzzled by the status of this boat, which did not appear to have moved for some time. Perhaps it was not a council car park after all, and it belonged to the owner? Perhaps it belongs to the chap who polices the car parks in Seaton?

The first café we tried, Hughsies in Fore Street, fairly old-fashioned looking inside with no avocados to be seen anywhere, was by no means full but was fully booked, presumably for fried lunches for regulars. Access denied. Snapped below. But the second café was fine, possibly the snap above refurbished, and we took the traditional tea and tea cake.

The only catch was that we were sat within earshot of a talkative lady to whom I took an instant dislike. Which was probably silly of me as, had I come across her in different circumstances, she might well have been fine. I find it all too easy to jump to the wrong conclusion in such matters.

We worked our way down to the beach where we found a sheltered spot to take our simple picnic and an early siesta. A pretty place and I was surprised to find that they had some white cliffs, rather than the Jurassic red sort.

In due course we pushed onto Lyme Regis where, for a change, we had booked into the Mariners of reference 1 (no idea why the website is named the way it us), having found our usual Royal Lion a touch expensive on this occasion. Perhaps a touch of end-of-the-month-itis? A down side was rather awkward stairs to hump our rather heavy case up - but we made it to our entirely satisfactory room, complete with sea view. 

It was also a fairly stiff walk, uphill from down-town. A hill that I could perhaps have got up on a bicycle fifty years ago, while now it was a bit of an effort to walk. At least there was the odd bench on the way. There were also two proper public houses, both quite busy later on (it was Saturday night), busy mainly with what appeared to be people who actually lived in the town, rather than grocks like ourselves.

In due course, we made a rather cursory inspection of the lower town. But not so cursory that we missed this Yamaha Royal Star, as of reference 2, possibly a retread of a once famous British name.

We passed but did not enter the imposing dinosaur museum, clearly a rival to the better known Dinosaur Island near Yaverland in the east end of the Isle of Wight. Furthermore, on the Isle of Wight they have their own building, whereas as here they have repurposed a Grade I listed building, that is to say a 250 year old Congregational Church. But they can claim a connection in Mary Anning, the famous fossileer, who was baptised there and who subsequently attended prayers there. See references 3 and 4.

We dined in the Italian restaurant a bit further down Coombe Street, at the junction with Monmouth Street, the establishment to be found at reference 5, which manages in the winter months just opening for a few hours each evening. Not even Sunday lunchtime for Sunday roasts!

Started with a plate of veggie starters and a plate of meaty starters, which did well. Then pasta, ditto. But we failed on the wine, which was fine it itself, in that we had to change wine at the halfway point as we had taken the last bottle of Gavi. A proper London sommelier would have warned us. Maybe! But whatever the case, I prefer to stick with the same wine through a meal, excepting pudding wine from time to time. It was the same with beer in the days when I did beer.

Marco Bonfante, to be found at reference 7, is from a long established wine making family, but one which seems to have grown massively since around 2000, now making a large variety of wine.

While the other wine comes from a place with a more old-fashioned flavour about it, albeit another big producer, knocking out a variety of wine. Where do the proprietors of the restaurant go to get it all? Some London wholesaler, or do they make an annual trip to some Italian wine festival?

I don't think I took a proper dessert, but we did take some cannoli, which turned out to have come out of a big jar sat on the bar and which contained some rather sweet and pasty goo. But presumably robust, as the cannoli might be sitting in the jar for some time. I may have taken some grappa with them.

But I did take some whisky at the Volunteer at the top of Broad Street, half way up the hill back to our hotel. One of the two proper houses mentioned earlier. Perhaps too far up the hill for the average holiday maker.

The next day saw the drive home, with BH opting for heading north across Marshwood Vale to Crewkerne and picking up the A303 just north of Crewkerne. I dare say she drove for the middle stretch, but I forget now. In any event, we took our usual break at the Holiday Inn at Solstice Services and we got home in time to take most of our picnic there. Consisting mainly of some rather salty - but still quite acceptable - focaccia, purchased from the dinky little grocer more or less next to the Volunteer.

I had thought one of the two shops, one red and one blue, just to the right of the Volunteer in the snap above. However, in Street View, one shop is the wrong sort of Italian, and the other is at one of those joins the Google world where the image changes with the point of view. Bing fails to provide further information, but Google turns up reference 6, which says that red is the answer. A place by the name of Cibo, which has come back to life after a break.

The Street View van clearly not keeping up with the churn of shops on Broad Street. Perhaps the driver was in the Volunteer instead of behind his wheel.

PS: for once in a while, in the course of preparing this post, some unpleasant system messages about things not being saved. Took a chance and carried on and, so far, all seems to be well. To Google's credit, they very rarely actually seem to lose things.

References

Reference 1: https://www.hotellymeregis.co.uk/.

Reference 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_Royal_Star.

Reference 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaurland_Fossil_Museum.

Reference 4: https://www.dinosaurland.co.uk/.

Reference 5: https://www.italialymeregis.co.uk/.

Reference 6: https://lovelymeregis.co.uk/cibo.

Reference 7: https://www.marcobonfante.com/.

Reference 8: https://www.ilcascinone.com/.