Leaving a place is never easy, and after another enjoyable evening with family, it was a difficult moment. You never really know what to do or say and so you just go... don't look back, just ride. I guess that had I started looking over my shoulder, I would have probably never started this trip. Still I left behind a lovely family as I made my way out of Plymouth. I have, wherever possible kept as close to the coast and from Plymouth to Tipton St. John, I could have done the whole thing in less than 2 hours, but that would have completed defeated the object. So the coast it was...
I received an email from an old friend (Jason) just before I left on the 
ride and being as crap as I am with these things, I didn't get the chance to talk to him before I left. But he had said, if I was passing through then I should give him a bell and we'd meet up. Brilliant. I rode to Paignton Zoo where Jason now works. I didn't go there to look at the animals (although I was tempted), I wanted to spend a couple of hours with an old friend.
ride and being as crap as I am with these things, I didn't get the chance to talk to him before I left. But he had said, if I was passing through then I should give him a bell and we'd meet up. Brilliant. I rode to Paignton Zoo where Jason now works. I didn't go there to look at the animals (although I was tempted), I wanted to spend a couple of hours with an old friend. It is a very strange feeling but if Jason was 14yrs old the last time I saw him, that makes it 4yrs since we last spoke! He walked round the corner and bloody hell... a little taller, a little bigger build (not the skinny little kid I remembered), but the face was the same. We smiled at each other, we shock hands, and then we embraced. It was great to see him (and it brings a lump to the throat when you think of these things and the memories that come floading back). We talked about life, our families and kids. It was a lovely time, but I needed to get on and was aware of the fact that Jason had things to do as well. So I was off, with another great memory of another great friend. (Jason, I will be back... family and all.)
As I've completed little bits of the journey, I have met some really nice, interesting and friendly people, Tipton St. John, I am pleased to say prove no less. I arrived at the B&B a little after 4pm, which they had said was fine, and just in front of me was another guy in a little Peugeot 106. We smiled and suffered that awkward moment when you don't know what to say. We'd never met, I don't look the most presentable, personable person in the world and I think he would admit to being a little tired. The ice-breaker was easy. I r
ang the doorbell... no answer, I knocked on the door... no answer. 'Oh well' I said, 'sleep on the floor then.' He laughed. 'I'll be alright I've got a car.' He rang the bell on the other door, but still no answer. Feeling a little less tense, and definatley jaded we began to break down the barriers as we stood outside the farmhouse waiting for someone to appear. His name was John, he and his family were moving into a place just along the road tomorrow, so he was the advanced party... you know signing money away, picking up keys and everything else that goes along with it. They had spent years in the area on holiday and so had decided to bite the bullet and were moving from Leicester. 'Wow' I said, small world, I was in Leicester about 2½ wks ago. So another point of discussion. We talked about his job and how he'd come to decide on the smallest town in the world. It was an interesting moment. It was a pleasure to meet John. There are people in the world that you just click with and I'm really pleased to say we did. We just hit it off. We sorted ourselves out, showered, cahanged and started to think about the evening. John was going down into the village to find out about the Tennis club, and offered me a lift and the chance of a pint of Best in the local pub if I was interested. Of course I was... beer and conversation! So the pub it was. But Tipton St. John is the village in Hot Fuzz. Not seen it... then do so and you will realise what I'm talking about. We got to the pub to find that it was shut until 6pm, so nothing else for it... we walked around the village and spoke to the peopel in the garage/petrol station and the village shop. That's it. That's Tipton St. John. One pub, one shop & one garage. I smiled. John asked about the Tennis club, for which he had to speak to 3 different people. 1 in the garage, 1 in the shop and then 1 on the phone. He was dead excited and really wanted a game of Tennis. He'd been up since the early hours of the morning and was just about ready to smash a ball around for a while and release some of that pent up stress.The club met at 6pm. I smiled I could see where this was going. John got the answers that he needed and I think was very pleased with the outcome and as he put the phone down I expected him to say goodbye, I'd go to the pub and try to get the blog written and he'd go off and play Tennis. 'Shut' he said. The club meet on a Wednesday. So that was it, pub then. So off we went.
ang the doorbell... no answer, I knocked on the door... no answer. 'Oh well' I said, 'sleep on the floor then.' He laughed. 'I'll be alright I've got a car.' He rang the bell on the other door, but still no answer. Feeling a little less tense, and definatley jaded we began to break down the barriers as we stood outside the farmhouse waiting for someone to appear. His name was John, he and his family were moving into a place just along the road tomorrow, so he was the advanced party... you know signing money away, picking up keys and everything else that goes along with it. They had spent years in the area on holiday and so had decided to bite the bullet and were moving from Leicester. 'Wow' I said, small world, I was in Leicester about 2½ wks ago. So another point of discussion. We talked about his job and how he'd come to decide on the smallest town in the world. It was an interesting moment. It was a pleasure to meet John. There are people in the world that you just click with and I'm really pleased to say we did. We just hit it off. We sorted ourselves out, showered, cahanged and started to think about the evening. John was going down into the village to find out about the Tennis club, and offered me a lift and the chance of a pint of Best in the local pub if I was interested. Of course I was... beer and conversation! So the pub it was. But Tipton St. John is the village in Hot Fuzz. Not seen it... then do so and you will realise what I'm talking about. We got to the pub to find that it was shut until 6pm, so nothing else for it... we walked around the village and spoke to the peopel in the garage/petrol station and the village shop. That's it. That's Tipton St. John. One pub, one shop & one garage. I smiled. John asked about the Tennis club, for which he had to speak to 3 different people. 1 in the garage, 1 in the shop and then 1 on the phone. He was dead excited and really wanted a game of Tennis. He'd been up since the early hours of the morning and was just about ready to smash a ball around for a while and release some of that pent up stress.The club met at 6pm. I smiled I could see where this was going. John got the answers that he needed and I think was very pleased with the outcome and as he put the phone down I expected him to say goodbye, I'd go to the pub and try to get the blog written and he'd go off and play Tennis. 'Shut' he said. The club meet on a Wednesday. So that was it, pub then. So off we went.As I have already said, we just clicked and that was fantastic, but perhaps better than that was the evening spent at the pub and the peopel we met. One old guy came over to get a pint as we stopped at the bar. Politely, John and I said hello to the guy and then carried on our conversation. But he wasn't happy wither that so he decided to join it and povided us with many stories about the village and village life since he'd arrived in the 1970s. We let him carry on and just smiled to each
other as he continued to talk. He had been responsible for this and done that and then there was the time he got a commendation from the local Chief Inspector... my ears pricked up. 'Sorry,' I said 'you received a commendation, and what was that for...' so he told us. He talked about the traffic calming that he'd put in place after an accident. The one way system he'd set up for the local bicycle road race... He was the local copper! Then it happened. Every worst nightmare, over steps the barman... 'And another one Davey?' 'Eh, go on then Dave... one more'. Remember I said Hot Fuzz... He was Davey, the barman, Dave... and the bloody garage owner is David! It brings up all those memories of not only Hot Fuzz, but Sleepy Hollow and Royston Vasey. It really is a local place for local people :0)
other as he continued to talk. He had been responsible for this and done that and then there was the time he got a commendation from the local Chief Inspector... my ears pricked up. 'Sorry,' I said 'you received a commendation, and what was that for...' so he told us. He talked about the traffic calming that he'd put in place after an accident. The one way system he'd set up for the local bicycle road race... He was the local copper! Then it happened. Every worst nightmare, over steps the barman... 'And another one Davey?' 'Eh, go on then Dave... one more'. Remember I said Hot Fuzz... He was Davey, the barman, Dave... and the bloody garage owner is David! It brings up all those memories of not only Hot Fuzz, but Sleepy Hollow and Royston Vasey. It really is a local place for local people :0) We had dinner in the pub and drunk a few more pints before slowly stumbling our way back up the hill to the B&B. These are the nights which have proved such fun, and provide such great memories. Times I will cherish.
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