A Day on a Fact Finding Mission (with more pics)

Down back alleys

Across the park

Terraces at the end of Belmont Road

Tiverton is dotted with pretty terraced cottages like this.

More terraces further down Belmont Road

Found this a few yards down the road.

Day 5 in Tiverton

Junction of Newport Street and St Peter Street, Tiverton this morning.

A much needed bucket of red
last Wednesday night.

For those of you not following on Facebook, our move to Tiverton last week has been something of a whirlwind. After years in the barren desert called New Milton, we've been inundated with things to do over the last few days including seeing the infamous pants (Christmas lights), meeting Mango (the Tiverton Tesco Cat), having a fun Friday night out at the karaoke, adopted some moggies, spent Saturday evening at Electric Nights Streetfood, went to the Tiverton Annual Christmas Market and out for Sunday Lunch.

As I've already said, we've done more in four days in Tiverton than in four years in New Milton - because, obviously, there actually is stuff to do. And it's all in walking distance.

This morning, I walked into town again to go to the weekly Antiques and flea market. (With luck, I won't have bought too many fleas!) I did buy a scarf for £1 and a blue enamel teapot for £4. In one charity shop I bought two large books (Nigella's Christmas and a Tuscan cook book) for £1 (the pair) and in another, a small table / plant stand (to put the Christmas tree on) for £4.

Massive haul and just a £10 note spent! :)

The other reason for going into town was to register at the doctors, the dentist and the vet.

Dentist was no trouble, took both registrations and made me an appointment. Their appointment card says "Thank you for choosing our practice for your dental needs", which is a whole lot better than the unsaid, but very apparent from the attitude of "we know we're your only choice, so we can be as crap as we like" that I certainly always got from the dentist in New Milton.

At the doctors the queue moved quickly, the receptionist was efficient and friendly (!?!) and I came away with registration forms for both of us. When I asked if I could bring in Richard's ID in for him, she said that I could. Was never allowed to do that in New Milton!

And the vets were even friendlier. Took Noah and Myles' details and even volunteered to call the Blue Cross themselves to get the rest of the cats' medical notes!

Everyone I came across was friendly, helpful and gave a shit. I should not be shell-shocked at this discovery, but it's a sad reflection on attitudes elsewhere that this difference too is so noticeable. 

Clyst is the name of a river, which accounts for the many of them.

Then this afternoon, I drove down to Clyst Saint Mary to collect a leather footstool I'd won on Ebay. It just fit in the car, by which I mean, once it was shoehorned in!

An inch bigger and it wouldn't have fit!

Yeah, I successfully got the car out of the garage and back in again, all without an adult present!

The drive down - I deliberately went via the scenic route - included some single-track roads with passing places, crossing lots of bits of river over impossibly cute, narrow stone bridges and some of the most awe-inspiring and breathtaking landscapes with colourful autumnal foliage.

What I didn't manage today: to phone any tradespeople, to find the printer.

But we have a phone and broadband - on schedule and that works!