LEJOG Day 15: Okehampton to North Tawton

Weather: Hot & sunny with thunderclouds

Distance covered today: 22.8km (13.8 mi)

Last night's B&B: Meadowlea (£30)

% Complete: 14.8%

GPS satellite track of today's route: Day 15 (click!)

Another crack has appeared in my netbook screen!  I don’t think I did anything to cause it, but the wear and tear is getting to both me and my equipment. Still, on the positive side, it still works and so do I!  I was a bit ginger with my ankle this morning, with Veronica’s stern admonitions ringing clearly in my ears. Her suggestion was that I stop at each stream and dunk it in the cold water, but that seemed too much like hard work and I decided I would probably fall in sooner or later, so I just got on and walked it! And for the record, it was the longest distance I’ve walked so far and the fastest!

In extenuation and before Veronica descends on me, I will say in extenuation that I was walking gently downhill for much of the time. I was often on quiet roads and the paths through fields were accessed by fast-opening gates rather than stiles, all of which makes a difference. And most important, my ankle felt fine!  Yesterday, I really did take it easy. I bought a packet of frozen peas from Waitrose and a crepe bandage from Boots and with the kind cooperation of my host and hostess at the Meadowlea Guesthouse, I was able to alternate between rest, ice, compression and elevation all day.

While I was lazing about, I had the chance to witness what goes on in a high quality B&B during the day. Lesley and Mark run the place on their own. Their establishment has 17 beds, I think, and they are reasonably full from now until the end of summer. They do all their own washing and cleaning, and of course they cook and serve the breakfasts. Their cleaning is as comprehensive as can be. Every room is spring-cleaned every day. I watched Mark vacuuming each room even up to the light bulbs and shades – they do this daily in every room. The attention to detail in the bathrooms is fantastic. Every single surface is cleaned every day. The rooms are finished by the time the new guests start arriving, but then they have to sort the linen washing and breakfast preparation for the morning.  The work finishes around 9pm and they’re up to serve breakfast by 7.30 if required. While all this is happening, the phone is ringing and the email requests are coming in. And it goes on 7 days a week, with holidays and weekends especially busy.  It takes a very special sort of dedication.
 
Tonight, I am staying in a lovely old country house, with a positively delightful family, who invited me to join them for dinner!  The parents, two grown up kids and their grandma made a space for me at their kitchen table and we had an excellent, two-course meal along with a glass of wine. Under normal circumstances, B&B owners tend to separate their families from their guests, for obvious reasons, so I felt really very spoiled to be included.  We discussed many things, including the huge reaction in the countryside to the government’s wind-farm policy, a policy which is much resented in this household, for very understandable reasons.  I was also interested to learn of their daughter’s ambition to take her horse up to Grand Prix level in Dressage.  This also remains a controversial issue in the family, with some paternal concern about where a decent living is to be made. We moved on, just in time, I think, but not before I informed her that she would be in tough competition with Veronica!

Much as I have enjoyed all these conversations, there have been others, I’m afraid, which didn’t go as well.  A day or two ago, I was tapping away at this netbook in a busy pub, minding my own business. I woman joined a group at the table next to me and after saying a few vacuous things, suddenly opined, rather loudly, that computers were the root of all modern evil. I think I was incensed that she was obviously aiming this remark in my general direction, and I couldn’t resist engaging her in conversation on the topic. I asked her for her evidence, with disappointing results, based on what I would describe as a populist, “Daily Mail” analysis of the problem. I drew myself up to my full metaphorical height and let her have it with both barrels.  My treatise centred on the effects on productivity of the technology and I argued that most economists would agree that a fair proportion of recent economic growth in both the West and the Far East could be ascribed to the IT revolution. I argued that the IT revolution was probably more important to economic growth and the general welfare of people than the industrial revolution itself.

I didn’t convince her. I did get her back up. She didn’t actually say it, but the implication was clearly that no Johnny Foreigner should be permitted to come in to her local and tell her the price of eggs.  I instantly regretted my response, finished my meal and left.

Hardly had I finished chiding myself for that brainless exercise than I found myself in conversation a day later with a passionate young Aussie environmentalist. Her view was that all fossil fuels and nuclear power were unacceptable in the modern world. Again I found myself calling on my years of experience in the area and rather pompously telling her like it is. Of course, I didn’t succeed in convincing her about anything.  She just looked put out, and her prejudices about oilmen were positively reinforced.

Afterwards, I gave myself a stern talking to!  My point on this journey is to listen, not to lecture. Of course this doesn’t apply to this medium, does it!  Though of course you have the right of reply in the Comments section below, should you wish to take issue!

Speaking of which, I have heard from some that they are having difficulty making comments. My good friend Richard has offered the following advice:

“To make a comment:
at the bottom of each daily blog, click on the "greenish" text that says 0 comments or 3 comments etc
This opens "Post a Comment" a box which can be written in... write your comment

Then under Comment AS: one has to select a profile.... I use Google Account -- I had to sign up for this but it was free... I think this is probably where people may be getting frustrated --

When you first send in a comment, just select any of the profiles on offer (ie Google Account or Live Journal etc.) and submit the comment... you will automatically be directed to a page in eg Google Account or Live Journal or other profile, where you are invited to SIGN IN or CREATE ACCOUNT -- follow the instructions and hey presto - you will be signed in.. you can then return to your comment and you will find that you are signed in there -- post the comment, completing the spam filter... If you are not signed in, then go to the top of the Blog where you will see SIGN IN at the top right hand corner -- sign in there..

Not very well explained ... but Its really intuitive -- the blog readers should just follow their instincts.. don't pay any money though - its all for free."

Good Friday parade in Okehampton

The Okehampton park donated to the town by Sydney Simmonds, local boy made good, selling carpet cleaning using machines he found in the US while working there in the nineteenth century.

A barbecue in the country at a farmer's stall. Is that Tom Archer's partner, Brenda Tucker?

The message says "Free". A room with a view!

What's this?

A beautiful village in Devon, Sampford Courteney

Catching stuff in the River Taw

Cumulous clouds signalling a change in the weather

Buttercups

Lambs asleep in the heat