West Country Diary - part 1

The general point of this 'blog' is to write about what I think about what I'm reading or whats going on in the world - This is quite an easy line to take because writing about my life is either Dull or I'd have to make comments about people I know and I might get into TROUBLE or lose friends (always assuming anyone ever reads my drivel)

But I've escaped, I've been away... I've been touring the West Country, so I thought a few words about the places I've been to might be in order.

Glastonbury, more than any place I've visited, surpasses a pre-conception I have of it - In this case for new-ageyness. That first visit was seventeen years ago on a late summer afternoon and the streets were full of hippy types, some of them occasionally overcoming their late summer afternoon stupour to visit one of the many shops called names like Mystic Magic or The Speaking tree. Now, in the early evening the shops were still there, but the streetscene populace was better characterised by skate-boarding youths.

One of my principle objectives of the expedition was Exmoor - and so complete a set of all the England & Wales national parks (though some visited before NP status was conferred). I thought I'd aim for the top at the very start by 'climbing' the highest point of Dunkery Beacon. The quote must be included there as my car did most of the work. I'm a bit stuck for wildly interesting things to say about the walk; It was an increadibly pleasant walk to an increadible windy summit. A look at a map now makes it clear could I made the whole thing more of an exercise, I guess then I wouldn't have vistited Exford, which was very pretty in a non-consequential kind of a way. I probably wouldn't have had twenty minutes to spare to contemplate the world from a point called Webbers Post, surrounded by Exmoor ponies. That sounds very poetic but actually I didn't realise I had company until I turned round to leave. just as well really, what with my equinophobia (or indeed fear of any animals that might be bigger than me)