Punch and Judy, my all time favourites at Lustleigh Show

How wonderful to see Mr. Punch at
Lustleigh Show on Bank Holiday Monday.

Not only the kids, but dozens of attention
rapt adults absolutely adored the whole
performance of mayhem and cruelty. 

 Listening, I found myself back in my memory
to Scarborough in the early 50's when we stayed
on holiday with relatives and we kids were
allowed to just go off to the beach every day
to enjoy ourselves without any parents.

 I was the youngest and only girl in a tribe of boy 

cousins, my brother being 5 years older
than me and the others Alan and Colin of 

similar ages to him. It was only natural that they
would want to offload me wasn't it?

 

So they would plonk me on the sand in front of the Punch and Judy man and I would sit transfixed as Mr. Punch  beat the hell out of everyone including his loyal wife Judy, the poor damaged baby, the dog and the crocodile
whilst all the while crying  "That's the way to do it !"
in his strange swazzlestick voice.

 

I must have watched the antics over and over again. 

In those days you weren't charged an entrance fee, you just enjoyed the show and towards the end of each performance a young girl came around with a red velvet bag attached to a handle, like the one in church, and the grown ups were encouraged to pay up.  I used to nurse the idea that I should like my Dad to run a Punch and Judy outfit, so that I could walk around with that bag.

There's a great deal of actual cruelty in the show, as Mr. Punch lets fly with a great stick, and the Policeman is fairly inept as he entreats the children to shout out loudly if they see the old reprobate up to his nasty tricks again. The kids get well and truly wound up just a few seconds later as Punch gets hold of the baby yet once more and administers a few hefty whacks, all the while chortling with laughter and triumph.

I find it rather comforting that some of the very young children watching get up from the floor in their urgency to call the policeman back in order to stop such unfair treatment. They simply can't wait for this unfair behaviour to be sorted out and peace and calm to be restored.

  

Maybe the youths in the recent riots missed out on seeing Punch (aptly named) and Judy, and they weren't taught the rules of fair play? It's good that even very young children can watch the whole story unfold. Mr. P is portrayed as a baddie. Of course he gets his comeuppance in the end and the audience leaves feeling that they played a part in restoring order.

If I had my way I would show it on the telly in place of these softly spoken, pastel shaded cartoon figures with their unbelievably friendly butterflies, talking flowers, spinoff comics, cd's, toys and Nanny knows best notions. 

Rock on Mr. Punch !  That's the way to do it !

Kirstie Allsopp, my man's made of better stuff than yours!

Kirstie Allsopp came to Chagford Show yesterday, filming for her new series ‘Crafty Britain’.
Sadly her home made scarecrow came in second out of 8 entries, but her visit to the show caused much excitement as the camera crew followed her with hairy microphone aloft and a string of young film crew watching her every move. I asked if I could take her photo with her scarecrow and she duly obliged with a cheery smile from her and the 8 young children who accompanied her.

After the picture, she suggested that they all take a look at the winning entry to compare it, and I owned up to being the owner. We all made our way to the far end of the marquee and she kindly warned the children that they should bear in mind that I was the person who had built the scarecrow, then she encouraged the kids to make comparisons. It was all in good spirit, but I think she was a mite put out that my entry beat hers, even to the point of suggesting that it had all been an 'inside job' !!
Now, I ask you. Click on this photo of me with my scarecrow.
Anyone can see that this is the worthy winner. Her specimen had no outstretched hands and it looks as if the first blast of Devonshire downpour would knock that sweet little home made carrot right off his overstuffed face.
It was lovely meeting you Kirstie, but you must know that Liz the Horticultural Section Secretary would die rather than allow a judge to know who had submitted any entry. The mere suggestion that there was any bias in play does you no credit whatsoever....

When it comes to building a scarecrow ... yup .....I think I have the edge....

One or two courgettes

It's that time of year. I'm having trouble keeping pace with the crop of courgettes in the patch. Each year I grow far too many. Same old story. I sow the seeds and then too many germinate. I offer them to anyone and everyone and while I'm trying to offload them they grow into fine young plants and I end up planting them all out.
Mind you there is some motive to my plan. This year I have sent in my entry form for Chagford Show and entered 3 classes. Build a Scarecrow, 3 courgettes and best pot plant.
.. and with plenty of courgettes to choose from, surely I stand a chance of beating this chap

who each year shows the most amazing array of fine vegetables we see at the show. Massive onions, fine cabbages without lacey holes in the leaves, leeks as long as his legs, ruler straight runner beans and piles of other beautiful produce.
The year before last I swapped him my first prize Victoria Sponge sandwich for some onions and a red cabbage at the close of the show. We were both delighted.
I'm paying attention to a fine busy Lizzie in the greenhouse as my best pot plant. I repotted it this morning so that it can settle into the pot and make the most of the new compost. From now on in it will be getting a dose of Miracle Grow every other day, and I don't care who knows it.
The show will be on the 18th of this month. It's always the third Thursday in August.
I'll let you know how I get on.

Short of time for blogging

No idea where time is going at the moment. Every day is full to the brim. With Chagford Show just under 3 weeks away, information needs updating as well as the usual day to day admin on Dartmoor Accommodation. The stats for both are rewarding, showing that compared to the same June to July dates for last year, 56per cent more visitors have looked at the DA site and that the average time they spend on the site is over two and a half minutes. This is the latest website that Tom and I have built. It's a new bed and breakfast not far from Widecombe or Manaton and the day I visited was overcast and dull as ditchwater, but the pics have not let me down.
I promised the owners Colette and Martin that I would come over to take some sunny shots as soon as I am able; an attractive inducement being that they run a tearoom in the garden in the Summer months. So yet another entry for my tearooms page no doubt.
Will keep you posted as and when I manage it.

My latest write up - Sparrowhawks Backpackers at Moretonhampstead.

Who would think that this sunny courtyard sits behind the Sparrowhawk Backpackers house in Moretonhampstead? I was very pleasantly surprised by my visit...
See the bedroom that sleeps 14 and read more.

Our website figures just keep climbing.

Looking at the Google analytics page this morning, I'm delighted to report that my website Dartmoor Accommodation just keeps getting better and better.
For the period from January to now, just over 5 months, the figures show that the number of visits is up 73.31% and pageviews is up 25.83%. Over 21 thousand UNIQUE visitors have visited the site since January the 1st this year, they have stayed on the website for an average of just under 3 minutes and they look at an average of 2.38 pages per visit.
I receive lots of heartening compliments about the site, and each week another accommodation provider or two wants to come on board.
I try to keep it all fresh and up to date, and that task has become much easier since Tom my young techy chap came on board with me. He is currently adding all kinds of map information on the listings and he has installed a brilliant database that we shall be expanding over the next year or so.

From time to time I will add a review of one of the accommodation addresses. Yesterday I added a review for Ash Tree Cottage, a 3 bedroom self catering on the South of the Moor. The owners are very eco-minded and the one thing I do like about Audrey is that she is very happy to welcome families with special children to her home. She herself has 2 autistic grandchildren, so she is fully aware of the needs of such children, so should you be looking for a sympathetic landlady who will go out of her way to make your holiday a good one, then look no further than Ash Tree Cottage. To read my review click here.

Honeycomb Barn, my latest self catering on board www.dartmooraccommodation.co.uk

Thought you might like to see the latest website that Tom and I have created.

(find it in self catering sleeps 3 to 4)

Nice people, nice place, everything a holiday let should be.

Add to that a 5 acre field that they invite you to share that's a wildlife haven with foxes, badgers, butterflies and a stream.... well, maybe I will book Rob and self in for a week.