Then, this afternoon, I strolled into Totnes and encountered … this owl:

Whatever next?

So we pulled (hard) on the rope provided and awaited his arrival from the far side of the river. There was a biting wind, but at least it wasn’t raining (or snowing, as it has been doing today in some parts of Devon).  We were soon aboard the small ferry boat and then had a steep hill to climb before reaching Greenway. As well as exploring the house, with its far-reaching views and the artifacts collected over a lifetime (many brought back from Baghdad, where she and her archaeologist husband also had a home) we visited the boathouse – scene of the murder in Agatha’s novel DEAD MAN’S FOLLY.

The surrounding gardens – with their primroses, daffodils, magnolias, camellias and other delights – were where we spent the rest of our time.

Created by a man totally opposed to the UK being absorbed within Europe, it aims to give endless choices of merchandise – whether it be clothes, furniture, household items, paint, kitchens, carpets or bathrooms – at the cheapest possible prices. And it pretty much succeeds in its aim!

I went there today looking for a bed and ending up with some cut price stationery. It’s all great fun – though I don’t recommend a visit when the whole world seems to be there at weekends!

Here’s another view of it. Oh, and peacocks stroll freely between tables by the cafes in the extensive grounds …

Today dawned with a clear sky and sunshine, which was such a change after all our recent rain that I decided to make the most of it and walk with a friend along the riverbank from Totnes station to the Dartington shops.

The Dart was in full flow, as you can see, and whether or not its beauty was appreciated by the sheep on the far bank, it was certainly appreciated by me!

There was a lot of mud en route so I was glad I’d worn my old walking boots. I had the impression there were probably more cyclists than pedestrians – especially young parents with two or three children in tow. One little boy fell off his bike quite near to me, but stood up bravely without shedding a tear or making any kind of fuss, much to his father’s obvious pride. Sons are simply not supposed to cry, are they?

The shops at Dartington used to be called The Cider Press, which I think made them a more intriguing destination than their name today.

There’s a great selection of them – all in a picturesque, traffic-free corner of the Dartington Estate. We decided on a coffee in the Venus Café, rather than Crank’s, today. The picture below shows a lovely shop – My Time – on the right-hand side, with Crank’s on the left.

We called in at the Kitchen Shop and then the Delicatessen before walking the 3 or so miles home equipped with some delicacies for tea!

Look who I met on the riverbank during my walk this morning! He’s a Tibetan terrier – the same breed as my daughter’s 9-month old puppy, Leo. All those (not many, actually) that I’ve met seem to be very gentle dogs – capable of vertical lift-off! I find it quite extraordinary how Leo can jump up to my nose-level straight from being stationary by my feet.

It seems that this might be in his ancestry from when his forebears in Tibet jumped up on to donkeys to ride behind monks across hostile territory. Well, whatever the reason, Leo likes to be above ground whenever possible and his favorite position at home is lying in a lion-like pose on the back of a sofa.

After leaving the riverside I had to contend with the new road system in Totnes, where the traffic flow in Station Road and Fore Street has recently been reversed. This is causing all kinds of problems – not least in remembering to look the opposite way from usual when crossing the road.

But there were problems before, with people using Fore Street and High Street as a rat run – and short-cut – ignoring signs indicating these roads were for deliveries and access only.

We now have a 3-month trial period of this new system while some underground gas-pipes are being renewed in the town. After that, who knows whether we’ll stay as we are or revert to being how we were? I think it’s time to adjourn to the Curator’s Café on The Plains for a lovely cup of Italian coffee, watching from a safe distance while the world flows by!

I wrote recently about my intention to travel to London for the day and said I’d keep you posted on that front. Well, my first attempt (at the end of November) failed completely as – resulting from bad flooding – there had been a landslip between Teignmouth and Dawlish during the night before my intended journey and no trains could leave the South West!

For quite a while it looked like my second attempt (yesterday) would meet the same fate. Maybe I should have taken the train pictured (I photographed it in its Paignton siding last week). Trains seem to have been more reliable in former days.

My train from Totnes made it to Reading yesterday, but then everything started to go wrong because of ‘severe signal failure’ between Reading and Paddington. So instead of travelling as intended to Paddington I had to change to a Waterloo train – and reach London one and a half hours late. Still, it could have been worse – much worse. Some passengers had planes and other connections to catch, whereas I was simply meeting my sister in Covent Garden for lunch.

We met up eventually (she’d had problems traveling from Dorset because of serious flooding in the New Forest) and had a wonderful time revisiting old haunts and loving the magical Christmas lights.

We went to Claridge’s (just the outside) both because our grandmother once worked there and because we’ve also been enjoying a TV series about this unique and rather fabulous establishment. A visit to Fortnum & Mason’s was another joy. I bought (for one of my daughters) a special Diamond Jubilee commemoration tin of orange digestive biscuits coated with dark chocolate. It has a unique feature – playing Land Of Hope & Glory when it is opened!

On that note I send you my warmest wishes for the festivities and for 2013. May the coming year be kind to us all …

This morning dawned frostily, with a slight haze over Totnes. As I approached the old bridge along the riverbank I thought again how blessed I am to live here in glorious Devon.

Then, tonight, was the second of the Totnes Xmas markets when the town comes back to life after the day’s trading is done. If you’ve wondered about the video in my left-hand column, then wonder no more for it was made during just such a market a year (or several!) ago.

I went with a friend and we explored all the colourful stalls before heading into Rumours Wine Bar for a glass of their hot mulled wine. Yes, we could have bought this from the stand you see pictured but by that time our tired legs dictated a seat somewhere – and preferably the warmth of an interior.

So we sat and chatted – and received an unexpected ‘visit’ from Liza, who used to manage the Tangerine Tree Café before spreading her wings and heading for new pastures in Exeter. She and some other former (and current) staff from ‘Tangerine’ were enjoying a meal at a neighbouring table and she had spotted me before I spotted her. It was touching that she had bothered to come over and say “Hello!” – but that tends to be how things are in Totnes. I’ve never lived anywhere friendlier!

I feel that this unusual Totnes funeral needs recording.  It took place yesterday and Fore Street was closed to traffic as the coffin of a homeless man – Michael Gething – who died of hypothermia outside the Methodist church last month was carried through the town to Follaton Cemetery.

The funeral procession halted three times en route, both to change pallbearers and so that poems and a eulogy could be spoken over the coffin. Graham, the man in the top hat – a homeless friend of Michael’s who sells T-shirts (saying TOTNES TWINNED WITH NARNIA) on the street – held a 48-hour vigil in memory of the deceased. This also raised funds from residents to pay for the funeral and to help the homeless.  One contribution was said to be £1,000.

The BBC and ITV news teams were there to record the event.

Yesterday I had the inspired idea of inviting four friends to join me for breakfast at Turtley Corn Mill. They were two couples who had never met before and of course I was a bit concerned as to how well they would hit it off. But it turned out that they had lots in common and long before we’d finished our delicious meal it seemed as if they’d known one another simply forever.

Part of my thinking in inviting them was that we’ve all been somewhat restricted recently by the torrential rain and floods, so it would be good to be ‘out and about’ enjoying good food in a beautiful venue. I must admit that the Mill didn’t look quite like it did when I took these pictures, back before our rainy season! There was in fact a torrent of water running down towards the entrance, but fortunately it flowed on past the actual door …

So we were able to kind of sidestep it and enter without getting wet feet.

Now I’m back ‘on the case’ of whether or not it will be possible to reach London by train tomorrow. The latest news is that the Penzance to Paddington service might be resumed sooner than expected, in which case there’s a strong possibility that my train will run at 8.16 am (or thereabouts) tomorrow – with a 30 minute (or so) delay at Exeter because the signaling system (inactivated by flood water) won’t be reinstated for about two weeks.

It seems nothing definite will be known until sometime tonight – so till I ring at 7 am tomorrow I still won’t be sure whether or not my sister and I will be enabled to meet.

Well, whatever will be will be …

Have you ever visited Paignton in the rain? That’s what I did today after working out in the Totnes Pavilion gym and, as you can see from the picture, its beach was a bit damp and dismal! So I didn’t linger there, setting off instead for one of the best cups of coffee in the South West.

That, at least, is my opinion of the coffee they make in Café Tutto! Nestling unexpectedly amidst all the amusement arcades, this Italian café really does serve wonderful coffee. After my Latte I felt much better equipped to face the day.

I then went to Totnes station to enquire about trains to Paddington as I’m meant to be meeting my sister in London this Thursday for some Christmas shopping. But, thanks to all the flooding in our region, the Penzance to Paddington train has been unable to run for some days and the stationmaster couldn’t yet tell me when it will be running again. He said he might know by Wednesday afternoon whether it will be back in service by Thursday …

Ah well, my problems are few (virtually non-existent) compared with all the poor people whose homes and/or businesses are flooded! So I’ll simply be philosophical and hope for the best, while preparing my sister (who lives in less flooded Dorset) for the fact that our plans will need to stay in a state of suspended animation till Wednesday.

Finally, for today, I’ll just mention my thankfulness for having photographed the glorious carpet of leaves on the river-bank in Totnes before the deluge came to turn them all to pulp!