Differing colours of the sea ....

The view out over Plymouth Sound is wonderful, and it can vary considerably from day to day, depending upon clouds/light on the sea etc - sometimes the colour can change very quickly. Here are some examples below:-

Afternoon light ... sparkling silver

A bit later, it is about to rain, and the colour changes to a dark grey ...

Now we see it on a beautiful sunny day, a wonderful (picture postcard!) blue colour ...

Finally, on a peaceful & calm evening, the colour is almost transluscent white ...

There are other times when it is exceptionally stormy, but usually you can't see a thing at that time!!

Wall of Death on the Hoe!!

A few weeks ago, there was a motorcycle rally on the Hoe, which also featured "The Wall of Death"! This can be described as a carnival sideshow, featuring a drum- or barrel-shaped wooden cylinder with high perpendicular walls, ranging in size from 20 to 36-feet in diameter, where stunt motorcyclists ride and carry out tricks. The audience views from the top of the drum, looking down. The bikes start in the middle, at the bottom of the drum, and drive up an initial ramped section until they gain enough velocity to drive horizontal to the floor, defying gravity. It was an incredible show, starting with a go-kart ...

followed by one of the motorcyclists - notice he is not using his hands AND has got his feet over the handlebars - let alone the fact he is also defying gravity!!

And as a finale ... all three together!!

The whole show was fascinating ... luckily, Bob has not been tempted to give it a try since then! Apparently they find it difficult to get insurance - I can't say I am surprised.

Plymouths Fireworks Festival!

Plymouth hosts one of the most spectacular pyrotechnic displays anywhere in the country as the British Fireworks Championships Finals are staged over two evenings in mid-August. It consists of four displays per evening, each one lasting 10 minutes - thus a total of eight leading fireworks companies battle it out for the honour of being crowned British Champions, after which they represent Britain in the International Competition. This year we were lucky with the weather, although on both days it was rather windy with showers, by the evening it had calmed down, and was warm enough for crowds of people to stand and watch the event - the finals are eagerly anticipated by many thousands of people each year. We were fortunate, of course, being in our flat on the Hoe, we had a birds-eye view! We had Bob's sister/brother-in-law staying with us at the time - the show was excellent, at one point they even had various shapes lighting up the sky, as shown in the video below - see how many you can spot (click on the forward arrow on/below the picture to play ... please excuse background "wow's" and squeals/comments etc - normal firework behaviour I guess!) :-

Apparently the show has never yet been cancelled, even if the weather is exceptionally bad which it has been occasionally.

Mount Edgecombe

We can see Mount Edgecombe, which is actually in Cornwall, from our flat window. It is a beautiful spot, and we have been there a couple of times already. The house was built in the 1500's and is set in Grade 1 Cornish gardens, within 865 acres on the Rame Penninsula. I took it from a boat on a slightly windy day, so apologies for it being crooked (my excuse - but not a glass of wine in sight, honest!).

The landscaped gardens themselves are fantastic ...

and there are many walks around the Edgecombe Country Park. With its lakes and woodlands ....

as well as cliffs and panoramic views around the Sound (you can see Elliot Terrace and the Hoe in the distance), it is easy to see why this is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Apparently, in the year 1588, the admiral of the Spanish Fleet saw Mount Edgecombe from the sea, and was so affected by the sight, that he resolved to have it for himself when they had "conquered" England- but of course, that did not happen ...

Ferry crossing at Dartmouth

We have visited Dartmouth several times, and from there have taken the ferry to/from Kingswear. The "lower ferry" at Dartmouth has been running since the 1700's, and is fascinating both to watch from the shore, and to cross over by. Basically, it consists of a floating platform which is pushed and pulled along by tugs. When leaving the slipway, the tug goes astern (good nautical phrase eh?!!) whilst pulling the ferry along ......

casts off, swings round .....

then ties up and starts pushing it (so for part of the crossing, the ferry is effectively drifting on it's own!).

In the middle of this, the tug driver leaves the tug moving on its own (i.e. nobody driving it!) and hops onto the ferry to collect money from the passengers, before returning to continue the journey ...

Meanwhile, the other ferry on the other side is doing the same, and they cross in the middle!!

Dartmouth is one of our favourite places, we have been there by bus - (double-decker, sitting on the top at the front of course, like children!!) The bus route goes via Slapton sands, and the views are absolutely wonderful ...

Strange happenings on the Hoe ...

One thing I have always enjoyed is people-watching, and where better than the Hoe? People taking their dogs for walks & throwing them sticks/balls, picnics & BBQ's going on, or simply out there enjoying the view. As they say, anything goes on the Hoe .... from hot-air balloons:

... or failing that, somebody pulling a bus along (well why not, with petrol prices being so high these days?!)














Sometimes the Army use the Hoe for training purposes, usually very early in the morning (so they can't be seen perhaps?!). Well, it was either training, or they were trying to build a giant bonfire ...

However, I was not prepared for the sight that met my eyes the other morning. Seeing hunky Army lads running up and down is one thing ... but giving each other firemens lifts??? They could have asked for willing female volunteers .... !!!

Another evening, I could hear a lot of grunting going on, so was naturally intrigued .... and guess what I saw?? Kickboxing! Needless to say, I doubt if there would have been very many female volunteers for that ....

Visit to the Citadel ...

While Mandy and Clive were here, we went on a guided tour of the Citadel .... the gateway is very imposing. Originally it was entered via a drawbridge, but this was removed in 1888. In the middle above the doorway is a niche which was intended to hold the statue of Charles II but holds three cannon balls instead.

We were met by a slim, gentle-looking elderly lady who was to be our guide. However, she was more like a combination of a P.E. teacher and an Army sergeant - "This way everyone - KEEP UP NOW - stand over here - NOT there sir - and NO photographs unless I say so"! Needless to say, she knew her stuff, and was particuarly interested in the guns ... !!
The Citadel was built in the late 1660's during the time of Charles II, designed by Sir Bernard de Gomme. It stands on the site of the original Plymouth Fort which had been in existence at the behest of Francis Drake after the Spanish Armada. During the English Civil War, the local Plymothians had pledged their allegiance to Parliament but when guns were placed in the Citadel, as well as the ones facing the Sound, some were also placed to face the town as a reminder to the turncoat population of their misplaced sympathies! There is even one which is aimed at Elliot Terrace (see below) ....

Within the Citadel is the Garrison Church of St Katherine-upon-the-Hoe - unfortunately we were only allowed 5 minutes in there before we were herded up again. On one of the walls is a beautiful mural of angels either side of the window - this was apparently done by a soldier/artist whilst he was stationed at the Citadel during the First World War, but nobody got his name before he was sent straight to the Somme and sadly killed there, so will be forever anonymous.

I was trying to imagine my father there in the late 1940's, and how it would have been at that time (it was closed in the 1980's for re-decoration/renovation). It is certainly an imposing building, and dominates the east part of the Hoe. There were a lot of areas where we were not allowed (I think our guide would have had us shot!), but the tour certainly gave us an idea of how it looks from "behind the walls"!