Hi everyone, and welcome to to Diagram Club #089. I’m back from a bit of a break, hence the longer-than-usual gap.
In this edition of the newsletter:
A comprehensive* guide to Devon. *OK, so maybe not entirely comprehensive. And maybe only relating to one small corner of Devon. But it’s something.
Misc drawings (selection of)
Introductory cycling cartoon
For Diagram Club Paid subscribers in Part Two: Additional photos and behind-the-scenes updates.
There are some new people here (hello), so it maybe isn’t the worst time to post an introductory cartoon. It is, as many of my cartoons are, a cycling one. Not that we only talk about cycling here - far from it.
Anyway, welcome everyone. I hope you enjoy this newsletter, whether you ride a bicycle or not, and, if you do, whatever sort of cycling you do.
Can’t really explain this. Just had quite a lot of dealings with pigeons recently, I suppose.
Caveats to this grandiose title:
There’s comprehensive, and there’s comprehensive. And this is at the lesser end of the scale.
May not cover absolutely all of Devon.
Heavily slanted )if you look closely) towards things I happened to take photos of whilst on holiday.
So yes, since the last newsletter I’ve been away quite a bit, including a week in Devon. These top attractions are numbered, in reverse order, as if this was some sort of a chart.
I love a ferry you can take your bike on. It means you can cycle on both sides of some water, which is the dream. The Instow-Appledore ferry is run at specific high-tide times of day when there is enough water in the tidal River Torridge. The safety announcements are done as a quiz, the answers to which I’m now really quite familiar with. Life jackets under the seat, fire extinguishers in the cabin.
Clovelly is a seaside village for which you need a wristband. Yes, you have to pay, which covers the upkeep of the place and (I quote) a ‘contribution towards care of the donkeys’. Yes, there are donkeys.
It’s downhill all the way. And uphill all of the way back, though you can pay £3.50 £3.75 [correction in light of new information] for a Land Rover lift back up. There are cobbles and a picturesque harbour (not pictured), and places to buy refreshments and trinkets. One house has a life-sized replica of Charles Kingsley.
This is Appledore, a village in north Devon, where we stayed (in the tallest house). The photo shows the Pride flags, and as usual I waited for a gap in the pedestrians to take a photo making it look like the place was deserted. But actually Appledore is a lot quieter than a lot of places in the south west and has a strong community feel to it, like there’s a lot going on. There are pubs and cafes and [outs self as middle-class] a wonderful deli called John’s.
Appledore quay and the river. There are, continually and at all times (except when I took this photo) a lot of people rowing.
I love a traffic-free cycle route, and the Tarka trail is a great example. It’s on old railway lines, so the gradients are minimal, the surface is good, and views spectacular.
I took my folding bike (ferry picture) and we hired another bike from Instow Bike Hire (really helpful - recommended). The bike hire is right by the beach and a cricket club, so there’s something for everyone*.
*Some people.
Oh - hello. A picture making some sort of a point. The actual truth is that on the day I took this photo we joined that same traffic jam to drive back to our accommodation, but still.
I have more to say about places you’ll find along the Tarka Trail, and that’s coming in a forthcoming newsletter. Subscribe now!
A long-awaited trip to Lundy Island on a boat, which was wonderful. We saw birds and seals, and it’s just a lovely place. And ten degrees cooler than at home. There’s one pub, one shop, and one steep hill you have to climb to reach either of them.
That boat that the pier is the Oldenburg, the vessel that transports people staying on Lundy, and day-trippers like us. It takes two hours and you can sit outside (too cold) or inside (too hot). There are slightly more passengers than seats, so woe betide the people who rock up at the last minute.
Below: Map showing where Lundy Island is, for anyone not aware or who thinks it’s probably fictional. If you’re sailing to America from Ilfracombe but are easily distracted then it’s probably where you’ll end up.
There are some more Lundy photos for Diagram Club Paid subscribers, below the Orange Line of Mystery.
Paid subscribers can also share their favourite places in Devon or indeed just any favourite places, in the comments.
Can’t really explain this. Just been to quite a few cafes here and there recently, and there have been quite a lot of cups involved, I suppose.
Talking of cafes, its always good to come back home between trips away.
Image to illustrate the dry weather. We really need some rain here in Essex, as I suspect many of you do.
If you’re local we have a great outdoor theatre production coming up this week, called The Mushroom Show. It will almost certainly be warm and sunny, so catch it while you can. You can book that, and all other events at Langdon Essex Wildlife Trust, here.
Word about supporting this newsletter
This Diagram Club newsletter is funded by Paid subscribers. If you’re able to consider joining them I would really appreciate it, but I absolutely understand not everyone can. You do get the extra Part Two every week too, in which I share a bit more about what I’m doing than in the main newsletter, so there’s that as well.
Can’t really explain this. Just lost my spectacles on many many recent occasions, around the house and other houses and the general countryside, I suppose.
Devon sea blue.
Thanks everyone. There’s more for Paid subscribers below. See you soon.
Dave
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