Monday, August 13, 2012

Le Weekend Part 1


Le Weekend Part 1


Our French son arrived Friday evening; Saturday was another lovely day so we opted for lunch out.  We have whittled it down to about four Inns that can be relied on for good cuisine One of these is The Blue Ball Inn on Exmoor, just above Lynmouth.  The car park was pretty full but to our delight the pub was almost empty and delightfully cool.  Did I tell you we are having a heat wave?



Although I knew it would be fun I was slightly nervous about our next day visitors and what we were attempting to do, so wasn’t feeling very hungry.  M discovered there were ‘light bites’ so we opted for these   I had an excellent spaghetti bolognaise, MTL had ham, egg and chips and M had a Thai curry.  We were all very pleased and at a fraction of the cost ‘light bites’ will be another favourite.

M had a ravishing rhubarb and berry crumble with vanilla ice cream and I had just vanilla  ice cream but M insisted on spooning some crumble onto mine which is why I know how ravishing it was.

These days we avoid driving down very narrow lanes so MTL cheekily suggested M may like to drive to Oare Church which we hadn’t visited for years.   M was totally unphased and decided we would take an even more hazardous route on our return.


The Church of St Mary the Virgin is mentioned in the Domesday Book.  For at least 800 years this building has been a parish church.  Oare is named from Are Water, an ancient British river name.

There is a memorial to RD Blackmore to the west of the entrance door.  A local jingle describes the unspoilt isolation of Oare Church and its neighbours.


Culbone, Oare and Stoke Pero,

Parishes three no parson‘ll go to,

Culbone, Oare and StokePero.

Three such places you’ll seldom hear o’.



RD Blackmore has taken the lively tradition of the presence of a band of outlaws (The Doones) on Exmoor and around this he has woven one of the best selling romances in literature.  There is evidence that the Doones did come to Exmoor in the seventeenth century after they were forced to leave Scotland.

Blackmore’s grandfather John Blackmore was Rector of Oare from1809 to 1842.


The story is set in the days of the Monmouth Rebellion, in the latter part of the 17th C and there is some evidence that a number of marauders did settle on Exmoor and sustain themselves by raiding farms and highway robbery.  They abducted women and children and committed some horrible murders.  The rhyme:

‘Child if they ask who killed thee,

Say t’was the Doones of Badgworthy.’

Is said to be the result of a particularly brutal murder by the Doones.

.
On our return drive we came upon a familiar place – Robber’s Bridge.  We remembered playing there with our grand daughters – Ruth and Catherine who are now both married and Catherine the mother of two children – Pippa and Arthur.



See Photos below.

17 comments:

Ms Scarlet said...

So beautiful in that part of the country... and yes, the roads are scary! But I think I deserve a trip out somewhere nice.
Sx

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Makes me think of the highway man, that narrative verse.

And all this time I thought the Doones were not 'real'. Now I must read Lorna Doone. I'm still reading the oldE, oldE, books.

The stories back then were so well-told. Such varied styles in writing.

I'd love to get my hands on old diaries, oooh.

Pat said...

Scarlet; go for it!

GG: well if it inspires you to read - that's great. Not that T
you aren't already a book worm:)

The Unbearable Banishment said...

I just finished reading my thrashing by the appropriately named Angry Parsnip. Thanks for reducing me to a stereotype, my little cupcake. Do you speak for the entire southwest quadrant of the U.S.? Of course you do. Ridiculous of me to ask.

Sorry for the altercation, Pat. This is such a demure place. I don't like to see these things happen.

Richie Blackmore is the lead guitarist for Deep Purple. Any relation, I wonder?

Pat said...

UB:UB: you ain't going to please all of the people all of the time.
In the end it is my blog so I get the final say - whatever that means.
I suspect Richie Blackmore isn't a blood relation. But I could be wrong.

kenju said...

I hope you are enjoying your company!

Pat said...

Judy: we did. All gone now.

Anonymous said...

I know where I am going next time I am in Lynmouth

lom

Pat said...

LOM: I'll look out for you:)

GYPSYWOMAN said...

your beautiful posts [images and stories] are by far better than any travel brochure could ever be - it's such a pleasure coming by here for your offerings of beauty and history and a touch of tranquility! ;)

Mickle in NZ said...

Dear Pat, you live near so many beautiful places to visit, and to sit and just enjoy the wonderful views.

Thank you for sharing the glorious food that you and your family and friends get to enjoy at each eatery spot. I keep coming away from visiting your blog with a huge, happy smile on my face.

Sending care and huggles, Michelle/Mickle

(with a sleeping Zebby Cat on the bed, unknown to him he is heating up my side of "our" bed, bless this senior pussy cat)

Pat said...

Gypsy: I feelthe same about your poetry and images:)

Mickle: Zebbby - much more fun than an electric blanket. I'm happy to bring a smile to your face:)

angryparsnip said...

ahhhhhhhhhh UB you have your opinion so do I, My mistake was to say so on on Pats blog. So very sorry Pat.

As for the angryparsnip it is a family joke about parsnips always being over looked because of how pretty carrots are.
If you saw my blog it is about Scotties, animals rights, clouds and my life in Japan. And rarely angry. But it could be now.

I speak from my southwestern view point as you speak from many of like minded in thought on the East Coast.

And thanks so much for the little cup cake stereotype, as I think that is very interesting that a man has again used a term that puts in to question an opinion that any woman has had.

And yes Pat this is the last time I will comment on what someone has said, on your blog, as it is their right.
Next time I will post my thoughts about what someone has said on my blog !
Many apologies Dear Pat. I was wrong to do that. Huge mistake.

cheers, parsnip

Pat said...

Parsnip: all is well.
BTW do you have an editing page on your Picasa where you can crop and 'warmify' and make differnt effects? Mine has suddenly disappeared and I don't know how to get it back.

angryparsnip said...

I might have that on my edit page, I will look. I have a problem with Picasa and really like iphoto better. But I get to post several photos and texts with picasa so I am sticking with it.
I will ask my Japanese son who fixes my computer long distance. Lurve him !

also... when I was having problems with blogger/picasa I went on-line and said ... I really did, "ack what happened to my blog button on picasa" up popped several helpful and I must say very helpful sites.

cheers, love my name but not angry, parsnip

LL Cool Joe said...

Rhubarb and berry crumble is just about my favourite pudding ever. I say pudding because I wouldn't call it a dessert. It's a good old fashioned pudding, but I'd have to have it with custard not ice cream. Does that make me a bit of a peasant? :D I just wrote Pheasant. Ignore me, I'd had a couple of beers tonight.

Pat said...

Parsnip: any helpful suggestions gratefully received. Suddenly everything went sepia which scared me half to death but that has now recovered.

Joey: MTL ALWAYS has custard so you are both pheasants:)