Joy’s Birthday Treat

Aside

Joy was in need of a treat; the previous day she had taken her disabled husband for a drive when the car started to stutter. We older folk only use our mobile phones for emergencies and often find we haven’t remembered to take them with us. They managed to limp into Wheddon Cross where the garage took charge of the car (new clutch needed) and drove them home.

Margaret was in charge of our outing –she who boldly goes down the narrow lanes where many of us fear to venture. She wanted us to see the heather which is excellent this year, so we drove up Porlock hill, over Exmoor towards Lynmouth and dropped down into the Brendon Valley. We remembered, in the early years of our friendship, having a picnic sitting on the rocks in the middle of the river.

We drove out of the valley onto the wild moor land where we could see for miles all around. As your eyes follow the horizon round in a circle it appears flat, but between where we were, Brendon Twogates and the horizon, are lovely dips and folds and combes. We saw the source of the river Exe and identified Combe Martin to the west, with a barely visible hill behind, which is named Great Hangman.

It was a perfect day and we drove on through Exford where we often lunch, to Simonsbath where Margaret had booked a table at the Exmoor Forest Inn. The smoked chicken salad I chose was given a delicious flavour with fig flavoured balsamic. I loved the nutty bread and when we had finished the waitress said she would leave the bread in case we wanted it later. No one did so I wrapped it in a paper napkin in case we were stranded and had to bivouac on Exmoor.

We all tried the Stiles ice cream- recommended by Granny P (see side bar) and found it yummy –especially the rum and raisin and Marsala flavoured. Then Joy had to disappear whilst we worked out the finances. These days we are inclined to round it up to make the calculation easier which means leaving a bigger tip – so everyone is happy.

On the way back we were stopped by the wild ponies and some Exmoor horns which I have been trying to photograph for years. They have delightful teddy bear mouths and in spite of there being lots of them in a pen, I was not very successful. Back in Porlock we went to the Visitor Centre to see the sculpture of the stranger mentioned in Kubla Khan with a mosaic representing Coleridge’s drugged mind, we think. The sculpture is done by an ex ranger and it was in the garden. which was locked.

Apparently there had been some vandalism but as we were clearly not exactly loutish we were given a key. In fact there were two locks so we went back and were given the second key and at last saw the sculpture. By now we were feeling ready for home and took a short cut through a small housing complex. We noted the smallness of the houses and thought it may be an old people’s complex just as we came upon an elderly couple. They had got out of their car- possibly having their first outing since the weather had improved.

They were having difficulties –the husband was slight and frail and had a tremor and the wife was very large and obviously had mobility problems as there were handles everywhere and she had a collapsible type of Zimmer frame which appeared to be of no help at all. She was wedged in the gateway to their yard. We asked if we could help but the husband insisted they could manage so thinking the last thing he wanted was an audience I continued to the car. After a few moments I realised the others weren’t following and found Jackie- the eldest holding three handbags. Joy had somehow got inside the yard and was trying to urge the lady forward and Margaret was on her knees trying to move her leg.

I gave Jackie my hand bag and joined the fray; it was all hands to the pump .She said she couldn’t move her leg and she was going. I wedged my knee under her rear and thought at least now we’ll cushion her fall but wondered how we’d get out from under. Suddenly Joy, who is more used to disability started to give her firm instructions the woman reacted by making more effort. There was nothing to get hold of in spite of her girth – it was like trying to grab dough when too much water had been added. We managed to make it into the yard - only feet away from her open door. My knee was beginning to give way so she ordered her husband to bring a stool.
‘Run Henry run!’

I don’t think poor Henry had been able to run in donkey’s years but we managed to hang onto her until he appeared with the stool which replaced my knee. Once we had her safely on the stool Henry was dispatched to make her a cup of tea and with their assurances that they would be fine now we left them to it. A lesson to us all.
As usual we had had a great day together – refreshed and fortified for the autumn.

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