Post by Dave on Nov 15, 2010 21:15:05 GMT
For the last seven years I have been to Bideford every Tuesday and Friday, but as I only go there to call on four customers we have in the town. I only use the roads and streets I need to. I have one call close to the Atlantic Shopping Village, one near the old market, one across the old bridge and the last one close to the football ground.
I always think if you go to visit any town or village for that matter on a day out, you should explore every single part you come across. Yes walk down that back lane or small alleyway as you never know just what you might find. It could be some great little shop, old building or even a magic hidden street that just makes you feel you have arrived there in a time capsule.
On the Monday of our last recently holiday, Carol and I had gone to Bideford to catch a bus to Torrington so we could walk the old railway line all the way back to Bideford. The trouble was the bus to Torrington only runs every two hours and as we had just missed one, we had time to kill in Bideford while we waited for the next bus.
So we had time to have a good walk around and that’s just what we did, before I go on I want to quickly talk about the park next to the long stay car park. I was surprised to find such a large park area there and it has a full size football pitch on it. Right next to it is the rugby ground and I wonder if this is the area the council want to move the town’s football club too. They want the club to move so a large DIY store can be built on the ground. If it is I can’t see what all the fuss is (apart maybe from the odd times it might get flooded) as a really nice ground with stands could be built there with a very large car park right beside it.
If you stand somewhere near the middle of the quay and turn your back on the water, you will see the main street going up a very steep hill. I have only driven up this street a few times when I was unable to use the road I normally use to get to the area where the market is. It feels a bit like driving up the main street in Kingsbridge and I always wonder why they built the main streets going up such steep hills.
Fifty yards up and on the left is the magic street we found; only we did not find it going in at the end. One hundred and fifty yards further along the quayside is another small street going up a hill; this one is very narrow and is now pedestrianised. It’s not that long and comes out right in the middle of the magic street that is also now fully
pedestrianised.
We found a bakers shop and Carol went in to get some food to take back to the quay to eat near the bus stop we had to catch our bus to Torrington from. While she was in there I went on a walk around the street and came across a camera shop. I got my first sighting of the Finepix SH10 and was not to sure I liked the look of the camera compared to my S9500. Still a few weeks later I became the proud owner of the SH10 and love the camera to bits.
Back down on the quay and food all eaten and onto the bus we went and did the walk that took a few good hours to do.
Bideford quay is a working one and ships have to come in on high tide and when the tide is out the ships just end up sitting on the mud. As we were coming back over the old bridge from the railway station side, we noticed a digger crane type thing, picking up mud from just under the quay and then dropping it back down again.
I could not really see what was trying to be achieved and I’m still not really sure. The only idea I came up with is a flat surface was trying to be created so when the next ship came in and the tide went out, it would be sitting on a flattish surface.
Anyway a few shots taken in and around Bideford.
The park
Up the narrow street to the magic street
The main steet
I always think if you go to visit any town or village for that matter on a day out, you should explore every single part you come across. Yes walk down that back lane or small alleyway as you never know just what you might find. It could be some great little shop, old building or even a magic hidden street that just makes you feel you have arrived there in a time capsule.
On the Monday of our last recently holiday, Carol and I had gone to Bideford to catch a bus to Torrington so we could walk the old railway line all the way back to Bideford. The trouble was the bus to Torrington only runs every two hours and as we had just missed one, we had time to kill in Bideford while we waited for the next bus.
So we had time to have a good walk around and that’s just what we did, before I go on I want to quickly talk about the park next to the long stay car park. I was surprised to find such a large park area there and it has a full size football pitch on it. Right next to it is the rugby ground and I wonder if this is the area the council want to move the town’s football club too. They want the club to move so a large DIY store can be built on the ground. If it is I can’t see what all the fuss is (apart maybe from the odd times it might get flooded) as a really nice ground with stands could be built there with a very large car park right beside it.
If you stand somewhere near the middle of the quay and turn your back on the water, you will see the main street going up a very steep hill. I have only driven up this street a few times when I was unable to use the road I normally use to get to the area where the market is. It feels a bit like driving up the main street in Kingsbridge and I always wonder why they built the main streets going up such steep hills.
Fifty yards up and on the left is the magic street we found; only we did not find it going in at the end. One hundred and fifty yards further along the quayside is another small street going up a hill; this one is very narrow and is now pedestrianised. It’s not that long and comes out right in the middle of the magic street that is also now fully
pedestrianised.
We found a bakers shop and Carol went in to get some food to take back to the quay to eat near the bus stop we had to catch our bus to Torrington from. While she was in there I went on a walk around the street and came across a camera shop. I got my first sighting of the Finepix SH10 and was not to sure I liked the look of the camera compared to my S9500. Still a few weeks later I became the proud owner of the SH10 and love the camera to bits.
Back down on the quay and food all eaten and onto the bus we went and did the walk that took a few good hours to do.
Bideford quay is a working one and ships have to come in on high tide and when the tide is out the ships just end up sitting on the mud. As we were coming back over the old bridge from the railway station side, we noticed a digger crane type thing, picking up mud from just under the quay and then dropping it back down again.
I could not really see what was trying to be achieved and I’m still not really sure. The only idea I came up with is a flat surface was trying to be created so when the next ship came in and the tide went out, it would be sitting on a flattish surface.
Anyway a few shots taken in and around Bideford.
The park
Up the narrow street to the magic street
The main steet