An Afternoon in Town.

This is the entrance to Barnstaple Pannier Market. Today it was antiques day and the market is decked out with flags because it is the first day of The Fair. (I'll give The Fair its own post tomorrow). Friday is 'market day' with fresh produce being sold and there are farmers selling their own produce as well as plant stalls and bigger fruit and veg stalls. Saturdays is more of a general market and on other days there are crafts and I can't remember the rest. There used to be a proper cattle market on Fridays but that declined and shut before the F&M hit the area.

Looking down the High Street.

I was in town today after a visit to the dentist. I don't have a lot of confidence in that practice but I have no choice unless I want to go back to paying for private treatment. Today's visit was to tidy up a filling that he had repaired for me recently. The day had started badly with panic stations as Romas was not quite ready to go up to meet the 8.05 bus. 'It was only half past seven a minute ago'. he wailed as the tv announced it was 8.00. We threw everything in the car and discovered it had a flat battery. So we ran, (sort of) , 1/2 mile up the hill Romas carrying the heavy bags with the cymbal stands and foot pedal while I followed at a more sedate pace with the snare drum and cymbals. Luckily the bus was still there. Then I had a pleasant stroll back down the hill. It was all very peaceful with just the sound of the birds, a dog along in the valley and distant tractors cutting silage. Last year I had dreadful trouble with the landrover's batteries . There was always a battery on standby but they are massive things the size and weight of a concrete block and have to be lifted up into the passenger seat so it wasn't an easy job. I charged up a spare car battery we have only to find it was too big, the micra is such a tiny car. Gave the micra's battery 45 mins charge and luckily that was enough to get it going. Being a worrier I went straight to the parts shop and bought myself a new battery so of course the other one has continued to work perfectly. It may be a different story in the damp of the morning but it won't take long to put in the new one and I think I might 'encourage' Romas to get up a little earlier so we don't have all this stress. Lights and loud music at 6.00 perhaps?

Inside the Pannier Market.


For most of the year the doors on the sides are open.

This shop in the market makes the best fudge EVER. You see it boiling there in a big copper saucepan and the latest batch is usually cooling off on a big marble slab. They make different varieties but the nicest is the vanilla, or the maple and walnut, or the coffee or.... .

Out in the High Street is The Three Tuns Pub, one of many in Barnstaple. It dates back to the early 1400s and is the oldest pub in the oldest borough in England. Inside are original oak beams and floor, probably from the Armada. Records show it was sold in 1408 for £10. It was known as a smugglers' haunt and is famous for the fact that King Charles stayed there in the Civil War. Now look closely at the plaque on the wall, it's no longer a pub but a pizzeria!

I had a good old wander round in town but that will do me for quite a while. At least there weren't too many signs of Christmas. I hate it when Christmas decorations appear almost as soon as the summer holidays finish. At least wait until after Bonfire Night.

Back home I spotted this brightly coloured Great Tit on the bird feeder.

Birthday joined me for some bird watching.

(Don't look at the walls. They're horrible and we didn't do them).

Actually Birthday wasn't interested in the birds. He was just waiting for me to sit down so he could jump on my lap. He is a very cuddly cat especially when he has been away for a few weeks.