Beige is the new black!

We've just got home after a wonderful week's holiday on the North Devon Coast and what a result it was! With weather expectations fixed firmly low by the miserable rain of July and August we were delighted to find wonderful blue skies and warm sunshine. And on top of that the schools had gone back...sorry kids, no offence intended.

North Devon is a great part of the world. You've got the peaceful isolation of villages like Berrynarbour, the one we stayed in. The stunning beauty of the cliff top walks that link up rocky bays and coves. The "time stood still" experience of towns like Lynmouth...and the incredible Clovelly, a must see with it's narrow cobbled high Street that steps down from cliff top to harbour. And the hugely popular surfing locations like Woolacombe and Croyde. Of course we gravitated to the latter. I'd always fancied a go at surfing. It may be difficult now though. The legs are bereft of reflexes ever since the disc op. The permanent catarrh and ear problems make balance a bit difficult. And despite my best efforts, a bit of white fluff on the neck was as near as I got to the bouncy long haired look of the young board dudes. Mind you I maybe could have fitted in with the "senior surfers." These were the guys who'd long since lost the bouncy long hair and seemed to wear a larger sizer of black wet suit. I didn't actually see any of them surfing but they walked about the beach a lot with boards under arms and expressions of serious intent on faces. Yes I could have managed that but I'm not so sure I could have kept up with the beige army. Bless 'em, they were all out there with their walking boots, hiking poles and beige windcheaters of course. Scampering up and down cliff walks. Snapping pictures from precarious vantage points. On the 175 step ascent from Clovelly Harbour we were actually overtaken by couples who easily gave me 15 years and should have given me a 50 step start. Of course I had to show that I was still fit and energetic and unwisely chose to try and catch and pass them. It was the next day when I paid for that rashness. Oh the pain!! I'm still not sure whether I've kicked off the old disc problem. Or maybe it's a hip joint....oh dear...that's another of life's milestones!!! Anyway, the cool dude surfer look definitely went by the board as the holiday was played out with a walking stick. To be fair it wasn't a walking stick...more of a hiking staff, which I thought gave me a rather impressive biblical look. Not sure the cheap stetson from a gift shop complimented this though! But at least I was my own man....no wet suit or beige for me...just yet