What a great week...

...it's been.

The weather has been amazing – especially considering we've had a Bank Holiday!

My wife and I have been out and about every day since last Thursday. When was the last unbroken run of sunshine we've seen on a Bank Holiday weekend? I found myself say on a crowded beach on Thursday in temperatures warmer than the Med. The weather is truly crazy!

It has been wonderful to see the number of families out and about this weekend. I have spent a couple of days in my role as giant toy for my nephew and niece and, as someone who rarely steps into the world of children, it has been interesting to see the large amount of families playing together over the holiday weekend. It's very different from my memories of childhood where we seemed to spend most of our time amusing ourselves.

Yesterday we walked to the Barbican for a late afternoon drink (we earned it by walking a couple of miles of the Plym Valley trail in the early afternoon) and sat by the harbour with a cold beer on a hot afternoon. The perfect end to a long weekend that has felt like a holiday abroad. Sun and beautiful surroundings shared with family and friends – can it get better?

On the downside, all this sunshine means I've neglected my writing. I managed a few hundred words when we were preparing to go out, but I need to force myself to sit and work. Unfortunately, I love the good weather and need to learn some self discipline...

A lovely day in Devon

As I sit here with my door open onto the back garden I realise how lucky I am to live in Devon.

I grew up in North London and only saw the countryside, or the sea, on daytrips with the family. It is an amazing privilege to be able to enjoy the amazing scenery of Devon on a daily basis. I can see the hills of Dartmoor in the distance whenever I look out of the kitchen window. On a walk into the city I have a view of Plymouth Sound in the distance. More than once I have stopped dead as I walk around a corner and find myself faced with a beautiful view.

Not long after I moved to Plymouth I was sat outside a bar having a drink as the sun went down. Suddenly it struck me – this was my daily life if I wished it to be. I could enjoy the sunset across the Hoe (slight poetic licence here as it sets to the west of the Hoe!), or walk on the moors at any time I wished. It is like visiting a beautiful holiday location and never leaving.

The Barbican is one of my favourite places for a drink and something to eat. How can you not enjoy it when you have such beautiful and historic surroundings?

                                      

I don't want to give the impression I see Plymouth through rose tinted glasses – there are plenty of unpleasant areas – but it offers an opportunity to enjoy the summer months in a way I never believed possible when I was younger. Even in the winter we enjoy some beautiful scenery and can walk on beaches, rock hopping and enjoying being outside.

The moors are beautiful all year round - from the colours of summer to the stark beauty of winter. I often travel around the moors area and love the feeling of peace it gives you.

 
A view like that is definitely worth the walk!


I could go on about living in Devon (and I may do so another day...), but for now I'm heading out to the garden to reacquaint myself with sunshine.