Saturday 12 September - Halle to Devon (Teresa)
Continued from previous page
The plane flights to London (Leipzig to Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf to Heathrow) were uneventful only the plane was late landing due to congestion in the air and so we had a hold up with the bus at Heathrow as it was in the wrong lane to pick us up.
Waiting in the queue...
Never mind, Mary and John from Exeter were there to greet us. The trip to Exeter was very trying as it was a small bus with even smaller seats and not much air-conditioning and the weather was very hot. The traffic from Heathrow was horrendous with many holdups. We finally stopped after about one and a half hours at a roadside cafe for coffee and comfort stop. The countryside on the trip was beautiful and to us who had never been to England before it was a wonderful introduction to a fascinating country. As we passed Stonehenge the traffic was slow so we were able to take photos.
Stonehenge (photo taken from bus)
After a long trip we arrived in Exeter at about 5.30pm to be greeted by our hosts and home to a very pleasant evening.
Sunday 13 September (Lorraine O)
After a lovely breakfast we drove from ‘Truances Cottage’, Gittersham to Exmouth to meet with our group for a walk. The scenery on the way was so beautiful: country roads with high hedges, rolling hills, green lush paddocks, farms with sheep and cattle grazing, scenes straight out of a picture book: just stunning.
We arrived a little early at our meeting place and it was great to see the coastline and people on the beach sunning themselves and walking along it. This is the Jurassic Coast and dates back to 140 million years ago when there were forests, swamps, lagoons and where dinosaurs roamed. It was such a wonderful day to do some walking here - sunshine and blue skies and the ocean: a good combination to enjoy the area and get to know our hosts.
Geo Needle - Jurassic Coast, Devon
So we set off on a zig zag track with Keith as our guide for the day. This area had been designated as a World Heritage area by UNESCO in 1991. It is England's first World Heritage site. We walked up to the Geo Needle which showed the different kinds of geology in the area. The view from here was quite stunning so many photos were taken. We then drove to Bodleigh Salterton after a bit of a side track following John who wasn't quite sure of the direction. We caught up with the others at Sir Walter Raleigh's statue in East Bodleigh. The statue had been unveiled by the Duke of Kent in February 2006. Charming cottages lined the streets. A very picturesque area and cameras madly clicking.
Group with statue of Sir Walter Raleigh
Just love those thatched cottages
Moving on, as we had lots to see, we arrived at Otterton Mill which is set beside the River Otter in a lovely valley. They use water power to produce stone ground wholemeal flour, which is a 1000 year old tradition. It was such a lovely place and included a restaurant, craft shop, gallery, bakery and food shop selling locally made products. At certain times during the year they hold special events and also have live music. Otterton was once a major port but now the river has silted up and larger vessels can no longer enter. Some of the group then left to go off for lunch at home and others continued on with the tour.
Later on we all met up again at Gladys' place for a ‘Cream Tea’. Gladys, who is 83, has a large property and a lovely cottage garden and had it all set out for us to have a real Devonshire Tea. It was so nice and we were all impressed by her kindness and hospitality and the help of the other ladies.
Cream tea in Gladys' lovely garden
It was during this time that Barbara W caught up after having spent an extra day in Halle (Salle)! Everyone had enjoyed a lovely morning and afternoon and we all went our separate ways for the rest of the day.
Monday 14 September (Shirley)
Today was our visit to Plymouth, a historical town of naval connections. The Wall of Remembrance cites among its fallen, Capt Tobias Furneaux, who charted the coast of Tasmania, and Capt Bligh. The Mayflower sailed from the Barbican in 1620.
Plaque Plymouth Harbour
Our visit to Plymouth Gin was most interesting. We had a woman explain about the machinery used for the making of gin. Before entering the factory we placed our hands on a steel bar to get rid of the static electricity we had in our bodies.
The Distiller smells the oil to check for the oils to dissipate to 41.2 per cent alcohol. Some of the lesser quality is used in cleaning liquids.
The original building was formed after joining two, which was then a monastery in 1485. In 1793, the gin was known as navy strength for the officers of the Royal Navy. The factory was owned by the Coats family until 1954, then a Swedish family until 2008. The Royal Navy and Plymouth Gin date back to Nelson's time.
We sampled the gin in its pure form; with no tonic, then just with water. A special way to taste: hold and twist the glass to taste the individual herbs used in the making. Plymouth Gin is the last working distillery on its original site in the United Kingdom.
Plymouth Gin
Time for coffee and shopping in a beautiful old town of small streets and stone houses...
We had a picnic lunch [provided by our hosts] on the Hoe, after which we had a boat tour of the harbour. We passed Drakes Island and saw the Mayflower steps [where in 1620 the ship sailed to America], the naval dockyards, ships in dock, the women's quarters.
Lunch on the Hoe
There is a lighthouse on the top of the Hoe, which is also a memorial to sailors in both wars, Australians included.
After a busy day we dined with friends. A pleasant time was had by all.
Dinner with friends
Tuesday 15 September (Patricia)
Where does one start to say what a beautiful part of England we are so fortunate to visit, enjoy and explore with our excellent hosts.
Today we are to do a Round Robin which I hadn't experienced before so it was with great excitement we set off in the car with our host Terry who incidentally was our E.D. for Devon. The weather was again perfect so the drive to Paignton Station was most enjoyable as the country side was very lush and noticeable by the hedges dividing the paddocks. Six different plants go into these hedges and they jell together to form a divider.
We left Paignton Station at 10.30 on a Steam train which was a great thrill as one does not get to do this these days. It runs for seven miles in the Great Western tradition along the spectacular Torbay coast to Thurston and through the wooden slopes bordering the Dart estuary to Kingswear.
Scenery along the train route to Kingswear
 
 
 
The scenery was superb. Approaching Kingswear is the River Dart where the Britannia Royal Naval College and Dartmouth Castle are situated.
River Dart and Britannia Royal Naval College
After arriving at Kingswear we caught the ferry to take us to Dartmouth (a few of our members missed the boat but no worries as the boats leave very frequently) where we visited a small fishing village with the Castle towering above. I am sorry in one way that I did not explore this Castle but one can't do everything. We found the markets at the back of the shops and perused them buying a couple of gifts which we bartered for.
Dartmouth Harbour
Plaque celebrating the Pioneer ships Mayflower & Speedwell
One of our hosts suggested to a few of us to have lunch in this beautiful old pub. It was a small walk out of town and was just like a picture from the past. A lesson on history itself being so old and tiny but oh so much atmosphere. To get to the dining room we had to go up these rickety old stairs but it was worth it to enjoy a lovely pub lunch.
There was so much to see and do in this seaside town and it was with some regret we left to go by boat to Totnes. A short stay by the river and then it was time to board a bus near the station to take us back to Paignton. We saw so much more of the Countryside and the beautiful homes with magnificent views out to sea. While waiting we passed the time away with coffee, as it was rather cold at this stage.
Breezy trip on the double decker bus
After picking up the car we drove to Torquay to the best Fish and Chips Restaurant or so they say! Incidentally at the Station car park a lady member from Devon drove over the curb and became stuck but with the help of her fellow passengers managed to lift it off and drive away without too much trouble.
Enjoying Fish 'n' Chips at Harry Ramsden's
Our hostess Jean came down with Mary in the car to be with us, which made the evening complete. This was another experience of Devon and once again one must thank the friendship Force of Devon for another wonderful day.
Wednesday 16 September - Exmouth (Dennis)
Today we could sleep in as it was a free day and we could start when our hosts were ready.
Terry and Jean had planned a leisurely trip to Dartmoor National Park so we set off about 9.30. Not far from Exmouth is the small village of Epford where a particular house was owned in the past by James Hewitt's mother. This was the “love nest” where Diana and James were said to meet and no doubt they shared a few Cream Teas.... Very nondescript - just another English cottage! We then called in at the village of Drewsteignton where the landlady had been still pulling beers at 97 - she died aged 101.
“Cream Tea anyone...?”
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Fingle Bridge Inn
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Castle Drogo
Lunch was enjoyed at a fine old pub on the banks of the Teign River at Fingle Bridge - very pictersque. Castle Drogo, a National Trust property, was our next stop. A very modern castle it was built in 1933 for Julius Drewe, the highly successful founder of Home and Colonial Stores, one of England's first chain stores. The plans of the Castle suggest it was built for £50,000 but other estimates state it was more like £120,000 with renovations expected to cost £6m. The castle with its extensive gardens and woodland walks, occupies a site high on a cliff overlooking Dartmoor and the River Teign.
As we left Castle Drogo and travelled higher on to Dartmoor the tree line ended and the terrain became a vista of low scrub and grasses where sheep and ponies roamed free. Regular features of the moors are “tors” - usually just a small hill with a rocky outcrop on top. Coming down the southern slopes we passed through Postbridge where there is a well preserved Clapper Bridge, one of a number in the moor area. These are constructed by huge stone slabs supported in the river or stream by other large flat stone slabs stacked on top of each other - probably built around the 15th/16th C. Not far from Postbridge is Princetown, the site of Dartmoor Prison - a very sinister looking place.
Clapper Bridge
That evening Patricia, Barb and I took our hosts Terry and Jean out to dinner at “The Puffing Billy” - a modernised pub which served a very nice meal. This finished off a lovely day, with great company, in pleasant surroundings.
Dinner at “The Puffing Billy”
Thursday 17 September (Brian H)
We walked around to the nearby bus stop in Shaldon to go on a dummy run to Exeter for our departure on Friday and caught the No. 32T bus across the River Teign to Teignmouth. After a short wait we boarded a No. 2 bus for Exeter and sat upstairs at the front We went through Dawlish, where black swans were on a small pond; after travelling in and out of Dawlish Warren, where there was a nice view over to the Exe Estuary, we continued on through Starcross and Kenton. In Exminster we were held up for 10 minutes while a truck loaded some building supplies from a house over hedges onto his truck.
We crossed the Exe River, and went through suburban Exeter, passing the Army Base where Margaret's son Christopher had been stationed previously. The bus terminated in the Bus Station and we walked with Margaret and Arthur to High St, where they showed us the direction of the Guild Hall where we had to meet the group that afternoon, and while they went off to shop, we started exploring Exeter. We first walked along High Street to check out the location of the Guild Hall and then had a look at the Exeter Cathedral and saw the historical Gate built by William the Conqueror.
We returned to High Street and walked further along the street, and then passed the Medieval Exe Bridge as we made our way around to The Quay, looking in at Cricklewood Mill with its water-wheel on the way. The Quay was a very old area and looked quite pretty, with a number of white swans on the Exe Canal. We walked back up to the town centre and had some lunch at a Burger King. We met Margaret and Arthur near the Guild Hall and then went to sit near the Exeter Cathedral for a while and have a drink. I also wandered down to Cathedral Close, plus we saw a bride and groom come out from the Cathedral.
We went around to the Guild Hall to meet our FF group, and after looking around at the paintings of the various Lord Mayors of Exeter we saw where FF member John Holman was one of them. We moved into a room upstairs where we were welcomed by Lord Mayor Winterbottom and his wife. We were given scones and hot drinks and ED Eric also made a short speech in response to the welcome. Margaret showed us the Regalia and Silver Gifts given to the Lord Mayors over the years.
Friendship Force Ambassadors with Mayor of Exeter and his wife
We then left as we needed to be back at the Bus Station to catch the 4.10pm back to Teignmouth. We stayed on until Shaldon Bridge and then walked across the bridge to Shaldon, and it was interesting to see the Teign River at high tide as all the boats were now afloat and no bare patches of sand or mud could be seen.
It wasn't long after we got home before it was time to leave for Sidmouth for the Farewell Dinner, which was quite a distance from Shaldon. We went via the M5 for some of the way and Margaret used the GPS to good effect. We had a nice evening meal and EDs Terry & Eric both made their speeches and presentations, with a special bottle being given to Eric with compliments of the Golf Club Manager. Then it was time to make the trip back to Shaldon and finish our packing.
Friday 18 September (Eric)
This is the official last day of the exchange though last night's farewell dinner was, in effect, the last official day of the exchange. Today is the day when the ambassadors ‘move on’, some to return to Australia, some to visit other friends in England, some to go on tour throughout England, Ireland and France, and some to stay in Devon for another day or two. Joy and I fitted into this last category as we were staying for a day or two before going to Ann Harding's wedding in Islap, a small village near Oxford.
Our host, Trish, left early this morning as she was going to appear on Bargain Hunt as a contestant. This is a show about two teams buying antiques and then selling them later to see how much could be obtained for them, and the show is shown in Australia on Channel 9. We had an early breakfast and then we said goodbye to Shirley as she went with Patricia to catch a bus to London. We also spoke to Dennis and Barbara and said goodbye to them as they went to catch a bus to take them onto the next part of their journey.
We were eventually picked up by Mary and we went into Exeter. Here I looked for a suit to hire for the wedding. Eventually it was cheaper to buy a new suit, which I did. I then met up with Joy and Mary and we went to the Barn Owl for lunch.
After that we went and picked up the hire car we would be using in the coming weeks. We had ordered a VW Golf but as one was not available I was given a small A Class Mercedes Benz. I then followed Mary and we visited her house that had been burnt down a week before we had arrived in Devon. We then went to see her new flat that had been arranged for her and into which she had moved the day before. It appeared to be very nice and there were no steps that Mary would have to navigate.
We then went back to Trish's house and packed while we waited for Trish to arrive home. Mary arrived to take us out to dinner and we went to The Point restaurant where we were joined by Trish who had had a long, tiring day After a lovely seafood dinner, we came home and had a drink and then went to bed.
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