Devon Trip. Pt 1
The few days we were away were so much fun! I really enjoyed them! The weather played a big part in our enjoyment and we were lucky! One day of rain…
We travelled down to Manchester on Saturday. A leisurely drive… you know… husband swearing at traffic, daughter with a face as long as a fiddle… Oh Joy!
Finally arriving at Manchester we discovered that the Travel Lodge was next to a sewage farm! Fresh!
Trying not to let it matter we readied ourselves for the P!nk concert…
F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!
Sunday morning we set off on our journey to Devon. We were in no hurry, we had all day. Driving along we started to see signs for the Slimbridge Wildfowl Park. My husband said, “I bet you don’t have our membership cards!”
I dug deeply into my handbag and right next to the greenhouse were the membership cards.
This place was wonderful. I’ve been to Washington Wildfowl Park so many times and I’ve loved it but Slimbridge makes Washington look like a poor relation. (Unfortunately true in some respects) It was drizzling, the sky looked pretty gloomy and the overflow carpark had only a handful of spaces. I think the Park has Spring/Autumn Watch/Kate Humble to thank.
We had the best tomato and basil soup there too! Major bonus!
Once back in the car, we took our walking boots and wet coats off… (I was mighty mam! I had all the gear ready… even had antiseptic spray and some tissues!
Back on the road we finished the journey and arrive safely at Dartmoor.
The next three days went by in a blur!
Day 1 Paignton Zoo
Next stop, Still Day 1, Hedgehog Hospital… Prickly Ball Farm.
I have been here three or four times now and I still love to go. Sadly I have no hedgehog pictures for you although I did get to stroke one. (Flat hand, run firmly down the spines… not away from them, and don’t pat them! )
I did however get to see a duck who thought he was a chicken and the loveliest goat in the world! (Ever!)
Can you see the Chickuck? (Or is it a Ducken?)
Gilbert the Goat having a chin rest and ear scratch! (All part of the service!)
Oh! and there were these stretched out sheep things with funky hair-do’s!
Then it was off to Buckfast Abbey… someone… *coughs* left the camera in the car!
It’s taking so long to upload my photos, (I’m having little power naps between each upload) I’m not going to be able to post all I wanted tonight so we’ll do it slowly… bit by bit… day by day.
Next time on “Devon Trip” Our intrepid travellers face the steep hills of Clovelly, the biting waves of Bude and the home of Magical Merlin and King Arthur at Tintagel! (Yes you eagle-eyed geography buffs! We slipped into Cornwall too!)
It was a bit windy at Bude! 
Tags: Break, Buckfast Abbey, Cornwall, Dartmoor, Devon, Hedgehog hostpital, Holiday, Manchester, P!nk, Paignton Zoo, Prickly Ball Farm, Slimbridge Wildfowl Park
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November 2, 2009 at 8:38 pm
you’re back you’re back you’re back you’re back!
If I was a dog, my tail’d be going round in circles!
Looks like you had a splendid time across the countryside… and you know I have a bowl of jealousy because you got to hang out with hedgies(note to self, add “find a wild hedgie” to itinerary) AT PRICKLY BALL FARM!!! I darn near fainted.
Plus, I didn’t realize that flamingos and giraffes were indigenous to your area!
You did take photos of the food, riiiiggghhhhtt?
November 2, 2009 at 8:52 pm
I can see your little tail flicking around fift to the dozen! (In my mind! Wierd mind of mine!) We had so much fun! There is still more to come I promise! The zoo animals are pretty much ripped from their natural surroundings.. some are bred in captivity. I’m not a big fan of zoos to be honest but Paignton looks pretty good to be honest and the animals are kept in pretty close to what they would class as natural surroundings. ( I’m wincing here a little…) The flamigos were flown in! hehe
. No food pics! I never have the urge to take food pics! I must start and do that. Do you mean our food ofr the hedgehogs?
November 2, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Oh lovely! You have a way of cheering long faces away. It sounds like you all had a terrific time with the concert and then visiting the park despite the traffic and odiferous lodgings! The chickens sure didn’t seem to mind the duck in their midst. And that goat looks positively purring with happiness. You did take him home with you, didn’t you?
November 2, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Yeah! Slipped him in my backpack… he’s out munching the lawn now as I type. Saving me a fortune in lawn mower petrol! ;o)
The duck was raised by the chickens and as much as the farm staff try and get him to join the ducks he just defies them and goes right along with the chickens! (So funny watching him run with the chickens when the food is being thrown!)
There is more to come I promise Nikki… some lovely breath taking views!
November 2, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Great pictures of things to see and do in the UK. Last time I was there I visited for only two weeks, in winter, and didn’t get to see much. That was in 1957. I was 15, but I did have fun. Do post more of your trip.
Bill
November 2, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Bill I do intend to and I’m promising you, I have some more interesting things to tell you! This was a trip to suit every taste!
It might have changed a bit since you were here… (In 1957 I was still 12 years from being hatched! lol) x
;o)
November 2, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Nice! I am all typed out as I just sent you an email.
The stuff in it is best left off the internet. Maybe I can say a little more.
You certainly seemed to have had a good time in the wilds of Devon. I always thought you and your daughter went places together. It just struck me that you travel with a driver and photography: the invisible man. I hope he had a good time visiting his old haunts.
November 2, 2009 at 10:32 pm
To be fair Philip, I do most things with Andy but on occasions I take the old dude with me. I do share the driving though…although I wasn’t so keen driving over the foggy moors at night when the sheep and ponies were very close to the roadside! (and there were Hairy Hands to be scared of!) (google them with ‘Devon’ on the end!
The only photos I don’t take are the ones I’m in! So, nearly all my own work!
He had a wonderful time! He loves to see the old place again. (and again, and again!) ;o)
November 3, 2009 at 12:19 am
Yay! You’re BACK! Glad to hear you had such a lovely time, and so many animals to pet. We would surely have fun together. Yes that does sound weird.. I LAUGGGHED about the sewage farm! When I was a child we once had to sleep in a motel right across from a nudie bookstore, and I spent half the evening amusing myself by making comments about the clientele as they would enter & exit.. LOL
November 3, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Andrea nearly passed out as she wouldn’t breath when we were getting in and out of the car! hehe It was the worst Travel Lodge ever but…. it was close to the Trafford Centre so it had some (one) good point(s). If Allen was with us and there was a nudie bookie store I’d have been patrolling the doors! ;o)
We had a blast! So many laughs, so many close calls on the foggy roads and my hubby was too funny… the compass part of his brain is upside down I think! x
November 3, 2009 at 5:50 am
YAH! I bet the Pink concert was great. I love the picture of that cute old goat.
November 3, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Driver hi! P!nk was great! This was the second time we have seen her this year. Andrea loves her. (and my hubby has a soft spot for her too! I just go along so as not to be left out!) That old goat was mine! So cute… There is something special about goats… (not sure what but I have a tendancy to make a bee line for the goats!)
November 3, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Wow. Gorgeous photos! Aside from the sewage next door, it sounds and looks like a delightful trip.
November 3, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Nick it was wonderful and also we found a friend for Alex! The B&B we stayed out had two outside cats that visited and Arthur took to Andrea… He was all white and very sturdy looking. He would sit on her knee outside the house and beg hugs and kisses! I’m surprised I never found him in her case when we got home! xx
November 3, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Love the pics and it looks as if you had a good time! Even your daughter is trying to smile!!
I have never heard of a hedgehog hospital but I would love to see one, I think they’re adorable.
Devon and Cornwall have some of the best beaches in Britain I think but from the look of the weather you wouldn’t have been trying them!!
November 3, 2009 at 7:56 pm
It was pretty windy Jenny and those waves were huge! Good for surfing though I hear! Not that I would want to give it a go! Andrea doesn’t smile much since she got her braces on her teeth but a few managed to escape!
November 3, 2009 at 6:08 pm
A lovely entry, and terrific photos, which I enjoyed looking at this morning.
It’s clear that you really enjoyed your break, and were lucky with the weather which realy does make all the difference.
I bet that you wanted to take that baby elephant home with you!
As for your ’stretched out sheep things with funky hair-do’s’(!) I’m pretty sure that they’re alpacas! xx
http://www.bas-uk.com/
November 3, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I prefer to call them funky sheep! lol It was really fuuny watching them! Can you remember those books you used to make when we/you were young… the flicky books where it would look as though things were moving? Well I took so many pics of the funky sheep that if I pressed the forward button on my camera it looked as though they were walking across the screen! I guess you had to be there! ;o) Once I get more time sorted I’ll post a few more pics which I am sure you will love! Some pretty amazing views! xx (Thanks for the link… Alpacaas they are… cute!)
November 3, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Oh! and the elephant is in the garden alongside the goat…and Arthur the cat.
November 3, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Slimbridge isn’t that far from me and I’m only a couple of miles from the motorway you should have dropped in for a comfort break on your way to Devon.
November 3, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I was thinking I must have been close! On the way back we stopped at Portbury Service Station. I bet that’s not too far away from you! (That was just before my hubby accidentally got onto the M6 toll road..for a half a mile, had to pay £3.70… to go to the roundabout…go back on the M6 Toll road for another half a mile and paid another £3.70! He wasn’t happy! The M1 got away from us some how! Oh! haha and then the second time he was too far away from the money bucket and had to throw the coins from a distance! I had to turn away! The air was blue!) I hope you had a wonderful break Chris! xx
November 4, 2009 at 8:15 pm
What a lot of cute creatures you saw! Would have loved to have seen the abbey though. *sigh* haha!
Sounds like you had a wonderful time and I am just going up to read the rest of this adventure
November 4, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Laura, it’s your own fault! You left the camera in the car! What? Well I have to blame someone! The Abbey was very beautiful but I get to see Durham Cathedral every day if I want to and it’s very impressive so I’m not easily impressed! ;o)
Part 3 is coming in a few days time but it’s nearly all views… really lovely views though! x
November 4, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Yay, a trip! Thanks for sharing. I love the flamingos.
November 5, 2009 at 1:44 pm
oooh me too Tracie!
) Like anything pink to be honest! 
)
November 6, 2009 at 12:26 am
I respect that duck. He has the guts to leave the duck herd for, well… I guess another herd but it’s a different herd!
November 7, 2009 at 7:56 am
There is no getting him back either Seb! They keep trying but he just runs off with the chicks. (our equivilant of running off to the circus? )
November 7, 2009 at 10:49 am
Daffy, I’ve really lost touch of your blog, so it seems. I’m off now to read of your exploits down in the lovely county of Devon, and Cornwall! You put in a lot of travelling, and must have been tired, especially after the Pink concert too. It’s great you all had a good time. x
November 7, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Oh my stars. You saw Pink. I love Pink!
I love the photos too. I really have to get back to England one of these days. 30 years is much too long.