Buses, boats and leafy pathways somehow for me capture
the essence of South Devon. Even though the local area seems to be a sprawling
urban landscape it is the almost endless green tapestry that catches the eye when
viewed from the sea.
A week or so ago I hopped on a Western Lady ferry for the
return trip from Torquay to Brixham and back. The day was sunny and the boat
crowded. It is the first time in a long while that I have had the opportunity
to look at Torbay in a very different way.
It was interesting to compare the cost of the ferry trip
and then a bus journey. The return trip on the Western Lady was only £3 which
seemed far too cheap. The bus fare from Torquay’s Pavilion to Manor Corner in
Preston was £2.40. The new high speed ferry has a £6 return fare which also
seems very good value for a fast trip. Fine weather does make people want to
play on boats but when waves are rough and the rain falls numbers inevitably
drop.
I did have a chat with the lady staffing the Torquay
kiosk for the Western Lady who told me that this month had been busy and the
boat I boarded was full in both directions. At £3 return it is ridiculously
cheap given that it’s a lovely way to travel across the bay offering stunning
views of the South Devon Coast. Almost a mini cruise!
As we chugged into Brixham the new high speed ferry
service was heading out. Sadly the new ‘super-duper’ high speed craft has yet
to reach Torbay and for the while they are using the Silver Sea charter boat.
This Paignton based twelve seater boat is a very fast way to skip across Torbay.
So many cities around the world now use water transport
to avoid traffic congestion and I was very excited when it was announced that a
new high speed craft would offering a brilliant commuting route between Brixham
and Torquay. The operators say on their website that “Brixham Express Ltd operate an all year ferry service between Brixham
and Torquay. The custom built twin screw catamaran is suited to the beam seas
of Torbay and we hope to deliver a service that can weather the east winds and
swell. Travelling to work by sea, across beautiful Torbay, is a new innovative
way to both start and finish your work day. Stagecoach 33 will link with the
ferry at Beacon Quay, Torquay to deliver commuters to their places of work.”
As yet this innovative craft has yet to appear and Mary
O’Discoll from Brixham Express tells me that she is pulling out her hair out in
frustration! Bureaucracy and administrative hiccups seem to be slowing the
process. Hopefully within the next month this exciting new boat will reach
Torbay. It must be very annoying for Mary and her people that they will not
have the benefit of a busy summer season. Mary says that she simply keeps
smiling! I like that of course.
I have a certain empathy with them because years ago we
had a running battle with Torbay Council in attempting to operate a commercial
aqua-sausage business off Paignton beach. At one point the whole elected
council was at a standstill debating the future of an inflatable toy on a sandy
South Devon beach. Hmm. The main concern apparently was the number of
objections received. This was before the Freedom of Information Act and getting
detail as to who the complainants were was almost impossible. We did find out eventually
after ‘ambushing’ a councillor and it seems that it was a case of numerous
objections from one person!
The latter part of the week was dimpsy and so my woodland
walk to Occombe Farm was along dampened leafy pathways. My two year old
grand-daughter needed a damp weather activity and Occombe offers endless fun in
the converted barns and hard standing outside the popular café. Watching the
young ones racing toy tractors around the barns and yard is it seems to me a
quintessentially Devonian activity! Dimpsy actually means getting dark or
twilight but I’ve always used it to describe those soft soggy days when the
mist rolls in from the sea. By the way I have to say that Occombe’s home made
beef burger is a sensation and very welcome by this hungry grand-dad!
Keep the smile.
From my column in the Herald Express on the 26th August
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