‘Greenway – now that is what I call a holiday home!’

Holiday or second homes always make me raise an eyebrow when I see potential first time local buyers being priced out of the market. For so many of our young that first rung in the housing ladder is simply out of reach.  Of course it can be argued that the second home owners bring new revenue to the area and the subletting can boost local business. The debate can and often does get very emotional. That is a debate for another time because one former holiday home caught my eye recently.

Whilst I mention the first time buyer market for housing and holiday homes there are some properties that stand in a league of their own. Last week I went to visit a onetime holiday home that is now open to the public. I’ve been meaning to visit for a long time which given the fact that I don’t live that far away is ridiculous. It’s been on my ‘to do list’ for far too many years and now at last I can tick it off!

The Greenway Estate was at one time the holiday home of Agatha Christie and is now under the protection of The National Trust. I gather that Agatha Christie never lived there for any length of time and simply used it for holidays. The gardens and house seemed atmospheric in the early autumn late afternoon. I’ve seldom seen so many different trees, shrubs and plants in one place. The large house is surprisingly cosy and all the furniture actually belonged to the family which gives the place a ‘lived-in’ feel. It is almost as though the occupants have simply nipped out for a while and expected back for high tea at any moment.

Whilst walking to Greenway I paused for a while at the top of a hill. To my left were the tranquil waters of Galmpton Creek on the River Dart and to my right the distant choppy waters of Torbay. We live in a magical place and it is all too easy to miss the beauty as we rush busily around. Of course the whole Agatha Christie culture is very big business for South Devon and brings thousands of tourists annually to the area.

Recently two Swiss lads came to stay with me and they were very ‘Christie conscious’ and said how popular her books were in their country. Sadly I am not a reader of her books but suspect that is my loss. I remember Carolyn Custerson of the English Riviera Tourist Company returning from a trade show in Berlin and commenting on the enthusiasm for ‘Agatha’s Riviera’ holidays. So much of our tourism offer is themed around Agatha Christie and that certainly is something to celebrate. The uniqueness of many small hotels and guest houses add atmosphere for visitors wanting to touch the spirit of Agatha. One such guest house if the Villa Marina in Torpark Road Torquay where the rooms seemed to link the modern with the elegance of a former time free from mobile phones and wall to wall wi-fi. The Villa Marina does of course have wi-fi!

Anyway before heading down the hill to Greenway I spent a little more time thinking about this world of ours. We take so much for granted locally and although we jump up and down about local issues the wider world can be a scary place. As I meditated a fresh north east breeze ruffled my hair and I simply took as much of that lovely wind into my lungs whilst thanking God for the moment. Far below me boats chugged up and down the Dart. In the distance I could see the puffing smoke from the Dartmouth Steam Railway and listened to the whistle blast echo across the estuary. 

Daily news bulletins bring the chaos of our world into our living rooms. The conflict in Syria, the bomb blasts in Baghdad, the broken villages still rebuilding in the Philippines after that dreadful storm and many other epics must make us appreciate how lucky we are. So let us be aware of that when we want to moan about the small things and at least look for something nice to say each day.

Keep the smile! 

‘Maid Moses’ and her Mobile

The road junction at Lawes Bridge in Torquay is a scary place. I say scary because the proliferation of traffic lanes, traffic lights, confused traffic, wailing ambulances and environmental distractions can muddle the mind.  As a pedestrian crossing that junction is, or so it seems to me, a case of literally taking your life in your hands as you place trust in the sanctity of the ‘little green man’! The fact that both the hospital and the cemetery form part of the local landscape should sharpen the mind but sadly that isn’t always the case.

The other day I found myself in a queue of traffic waiting for the lights to change. A girl walking down from the hospital caught my eye because her behaviour seemed a little erratic. It soon became obvious that she was chatting away on her mobile phone and the conversation appeared somewhat heated. Then horror of horrors she started to cross the busy Newton Road without a moment of hesitation at the kerb! This reckless behaviour should have ended very badly but it didn’t. Like some modern Maid Moses she cut a path through the braking traffic and crossed to the ‘promised land’ on the other side quite oblivious of the shocked faces around her.

Some days later I listened to the angry sounding of a car horn via my daughter’s mobile phone as she crossed a busy road in London on her way to work. She too was chatting away whilst crossing a road and had not taken note of a busy filter lane. Quite shocking for me as it brought back the picture of my ‘Maid Moses’ crossing the Newton Road and gave it a curious more personal twist. Hearing a loved one in harm’s way via a mobile phone is stressful for any parent.

The invasive use of mobile phones and other smart mobile devices has started to interest me. I would suggest that you might want to share that interest. Just spare a little time looking at the amount of time you spend ‘surfing the net’ or simply chatting to friends and acquaintances via a mobile phone.  Walking down Union Street in Torquay the other day I noticed a couple of motorist’s texting away on their phones whilst driving slowly in heavy traffic. Can you text and drive safely? I don’t think so and that is probably why it is illegal! At the same time numerous fellow pedestrians were chatting away on hands free mobile phones giving the impression that the village idiot was on a shopping trip and nattering madly to himself.

For me too many hours are now lost staring myopically into my computer screen or iPad whilst drifting endlessly through cyberspace. What is sad for me is the level of distraction. I might have something specific in mind when I start the cyberspace journey but too often something catches my attention and I head down some remotely interesting path and become totally lost. It is often with surprise that I suddenly find myself in a curiously dislocated world without any idea as to how I got there! That isn’t always a bad thing because I often add to the eclectic collection of interesting things that lurk in my dysfunctional mind!

For those who follow my ramblings you will be aware of my constant message about the importance of community life. Too often in these busy times people walk the streets oblivious to those around them whilst gazing at or playing with mobile devices. You could argue that this is the nature of modern community and that we are all in touch with each other but I don’t think that is the case.  The other day whilst enjoying a meal at TJ’s Restaurant on Paignton’s lovely little harbour I watched a group of four friends sitting at a table in silence whilst all tapped away on their smart phones.  Does that matter? Well I think that it does because it gives the impression of a shared experience in real time without actually sharing. We must use the Internet and mobile communication devices as tools rather than becoming a slave to these invasive time thieves.

Councillor Alison Hernandez has recently championed a rather interesting series of events that mix cyberspace with a shared community experience. She and a number of friends have created something called the Torbay Social Media Café.  This a is useful event for those who want to learn more about modern communication and still meet at easy to reach venues like Dot’s Pantry in Union Street Torquay. This seems to me a way of embracing the virtual and the real by being part of the community rather than mindlessly tapping endless keystrokes on a mobile!

Keep the smile.