Paignton - page 2

Redditch / Newquay / Wells

1st to 13th August 2019

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Redditch: The Abbey Hotel

Saturday 3rd August

I had another quick swim (my mind was beginning to focus on a triathlon in September that I had signed up for - it was only my second ever) and, after the usual fried breakfast (my standard choice from the buffet on offer), we set off for Newquay, saying goodbye to the Abbey Hotel.

However, it soon became apparent that there had been a crash on the M5, with few options to avoid it. We opted for a mild diversion via Wales in a vague attempt to save some time (or at the very least keep moving) but the estimated time of arrival drifted and drifted - so much so that the travel time to destination showed on the Satnav seemed to be steadfastly stuck for quite a while. Having set off a short while after 10am, we didn't get to our stop-off point, Killerton House, until about 2pm, over an hour later than would be expected on a clear traffic day (not that they exist on a Saturday in the school holidays).

Hungry, we urgently grabbed some (late) lunch then wandered past the house...

...into the gardens on another gloriously warm and sunny afternoon.

Gregory posed with his guns out next to a big gun.

There were lots of vividly-coloured flowers such as these....

...and interestingly-named flowers, such as Mary Gregory.

As the girls went inside, perhaps to use the facilities or visit the shop, Gregory and I looked wistfully on over the fields of green.

We also engaged in races from A to B. As you can see, Gregory was victorious and celebrating accordingly.

Out the back of the field was a bear house, i.e. a place where someone genuinely used to keep a pet bear. Yup, that's right. Daisy was first to pose next to the bear house...

...followed soon after by Gregory.

In a small room to the side, which may have been the room where the bear was kept, there was a stain-glass window.

Regardless, Daisy sought refuge in what was presumably where a fire once burned.

As we headed back, Lynne patted Gregory's head lovingly but patronisingly.

And, with that, we were on our way, noting the following. Most notable facts being that the estate was built over a whopping 400 years; that there are 18 *whole* farms (not part farms); post offices both old and current; and a windmill alongside a working watermill, suggesting that the windmill doesn't work. Shame.

Oh and there's always time for an oddly-shaped tree.

After our well-earned fresh air break, we headed back to the car for the next leg of our journey, which thankfully was a fairly smooth hour and a half (or so) drive.

Newquay: Fistral Sands Cottage, Bezant Place

We found the cottage reasonably straightforwardly, helped by the sign below, discovering that the house was smartly laid out and very neat and tidy.

Here is the view from the back garden from upstairs, with a glimpse of the countryside in the background.

Lynne had treated the children to sweets, stickers and a book as a welcome to our new holiday home. Obviously they appreciated this top-notch bit of mothering.

We had a quick change and headed straight out for some tea and, with it being about a mile or so to where the restaurants started, we decided to walk. On the way, as we shuffled past the golf course, we could see the Headland Hotel and Spa in the distance.

We failed to get into Gilmore's (a Mexican; they weren't particularly helpful) and Little Italy (a small and very busy Italian we would revisit later in the holiday). Finding somewhere to eat on a Saturday evening without having booked in advance was proving tricky, as we elicited sad shakes of the head from restaurant staff.

However, we struck lucky with the Red Lion, taking advantage of the grab-a-table-and-order-from-the-bar approach by hanging around some promising leaves to find somewhere to sit and, ultimately, eat. This was somewhat of a relief since it was starting to get a bit late (for the kids). The food was pleasant enough and we had Ashes highlights to watch as a bonus (England were still in the game at that point).

On the way back, we were happy that we had not booked at the Fistral Bay Hotel, which it looked like had not been open for some time. We speculated as to why it had closed and who might be there at the moment.

It had been a long day. They were keen on sleeping in the same bed, so that is what we went with, although Daisy is already doing her standard thing and encroaching onto the other side of the bed.

Sunday 4th August

On the Sunday morning, I went for an exploratory morning jog that took in the well-known Fistral beach...

...and also the nearby peninsula...

...which gave a good view of Crantock beach. Although this is actually a better view, taken from the road back to where we were staying.

We had brought our own car, but always tempting to think about how we might travel in style. Real pain to park, though, of course.

There was a fairly warm and pleasant day forecast so we decided that the beach was a good option and, following my exercise-based research and the good write-up in the guide left in the house, we headed to Crantock Beach. It was a reasonable length walk (something that would become a feature of our time in Newquay, much to the disgruntlement of the children), involving steps down by the cafe to a shop where the relatively high (but rapidly receding) tide necessitated a ferry trip (on a small motor boat for a modest fee) - there weren't many more opportunities so we had timed it well.

We found a good spot between a drinks shack (which had sun loungers for rent) and some sort of army truck serving hot drinks and freshly-made sandwiches, with both venues getting our custom. Here is the latter.

We played a multitude of games, including football, cricket and catch, and Daisy replenished her energy levels by enjoying a chocolate ice-cream with the luxury of a flake...