Jubilee weekend in North Devon

Went back to Parracombe for the Jubliee weekend. It was somewhat ruined by one of my neighbours being taken away in an ambulance, reinforcing my impression that remote villages in the middle of nowhere are no place for single loners, in fact they are more like incubation centres for paranoid schizophrenia..

Pics are from Woolacombe beach, where the surfaces are fluid enough not to fade into backgrounds from Cabinet of Dr Caligari

Our Neo Victorian Future

The vast Victorian warehouse space behind Kings Cross station is being hollowed out for use by students of the Creative Arts from all over the world!

Looks fun but somewhat incongruous in a country in the middle of its worst recession (depression?) for nearly a century, with record youth unemployment, half of young black men in the UK unable to get a job and student fees at record levels only available to the rich .

Middle class salaries have not risen with the cost of living for 25 years but at least the children of the international 1%, whose income has gone up 340% in same period and are paying 30% less tax, will think of their time studying in tax haven London with fond memories.

Nearby graffiti on Regents Canal

"The Walk Up To The Top"

This walk is over familiar to me in the early stages as I use it as a daily walk, but to take it right up onto Exmoor and walk down back into the village you need half a day and some good weather. We have drought right now, as is obvious from pics.

Parracombe as seen from Peter's field (compare with Beatle's version  )

Top of Parracombe lane

Beyond Parracombe Lane

View down into valley

Walk back down

In one of the valleys

Finding correct access point

 Flat plain before final valley

Lead down to final valley and road (A39)

A great work out, partly because I was also listening to the latest Dan Carlin Hardcore History, which at 2 and a half hours, exactly filled the time taken, always a good sign you've picked the right content for a walk.

Back in Devon

New Years Day on Exmoor

Because I'm anticipating the trip back.. A pic from a favourite New Years Day activity on Exmoor, walking up to Watersmeet from Lynton (sometimes listening to Pink Floyd's UMMA GUMMA)