Classic Motor Show - Dawlish

A stroll in the park with some rare motors from the past:  Dawlish could not be bettered this Sunday.
Many a proud owner was on hand to speak of adventures on the open road but by far the most impressive was the couple who had crossed the continents of both North America and South America in their lovely open top Austin Seven. And yes the book has already been written. 

Sliding Pillar on this 1920s Lancia (internal damping with oil filled reservoirs)

Lancia V4 - Rear of block has two exhaust exit ports serving two cylinders each. On either side of the one inlet port.

Lancia V4 from the nearside - Single overhead camshaft drive is vertical shaft at the front left.

Jaguar XK120

Straight six E type Jaguar

Morris Minor

Lovely Plus 4 Morgan

Wankel engined Mazda

Bristol

Volvo 1800

Another Super Morgan

M3W

Ford GT40

A beast of an engine

Pick-nick time on the Dawlish Lawn

4/4 Mogging to the Royal Oak, Meavy.

Up onto Dartmoor via Ashburton, Helen and me enjoy a super afternoon going to the quiet Moorland Village of  Meavy for lunch. The Royal Oak offers good food and more besides.
Heading across along the way we skirt by Princetown and over one of the Two Bridges. We then pass down the far hillside  following a lone racing cyclist peddling furiously, pushing well beyond the 40 mph speed limit. Only on the short uphill stretch past Merrivale Quarry did we manage to overtake him as he slowed.

At the bottom of the next hill we leave the B3357 and head left towards Sampford Spiney.
I stop at the Ward Bridge for a camera shot of the Walkham River which flows steeply through beautiful moss clad trees and steep carpets of Blubell and Primrose beds, undisturbed or molested by human hand.
Reaching Meavy via Dousland took very little time and after a half pint of Otter Ale, and coffee for Helen, we headed off towards Plymouth and the dual carriageway home in time to collect some artwork I had exhibited at Kenton Church.
Sophie calls us soon after, for tea with Leon, and so ends another happy day in the lives of simple country folk.

Ward Bridge

Clear water gurgles between these granite boulders

River Walkham looking downstream towards Horrabridge

The currency of Dartmoor.

Driving through to Devon's magical backwoods across the open Moor today I was eager to explore new vistas on the opposite side of the Dartmoor from where I reside.
These two bridges are about two miles apart and cross the river Walkham  which heads in the general direction of Plymouth before joining the River Tavy.

Built into the Ward Bridge on either side of the main arch are these oval tunnels

This area was once one of the worlds most valuable sources of tin and copper. Like Cornwall, Devon exploited and exported these riches to the farthest corners of Europe. Laws of governance of the trade was determined by a local Stannary Parliament.  Certainly nothing to do with Europe. More to do with raising taxes and regulating the currency or coinage of those times.

Today ever more elaborate arguments are spun to cloud or clarify the mind of the undecided voter over the question of who shall raise taxes and much more besides. Unlike copper or tin, todays' currency has no intrinsic value. The paper fold-up money will only be worth what an honourable man promises and there are vanishingly few such men around. 

And the view upstream on the river Walkham

An earlier bridge here was washed away

Moss Lichen and Bluebells

The River Walkham is highly regarded by canoeists and graded 1, 2 and 3+ 

Huckworthy Bridge across the river Walkham

Boris is my hero. One patriotic statesman who will answer questions with intelligence and retain a sense of humour.  He will not be over ridden by rude interviewers. He speaks as he finds and does not mince his measured words.
Barack by way of contrast, is a hypocrite expecting us to become ever more subservient to a United States of Europe when he himself would not place the US into any subservient position to any other nation. As for David, what chance has he ever had of standing up to the Goliath of the EU ?
The crux of the matter must surely be sovereignty; e.g. self determination. The governance of Great Britain and who we choose to fill that roll.

Some seem hell-bent on entrusting that privilege to Brussels.

To think that earlier generations have given their lives to defend these shores from invasion and now these same shores are at risk of being laid open to hoards of refugees, refuseniks, criminals, terrorists and the like, from Europe and its immediate neighbours.  According to official figures 1million EU migrants came to Britain over the past five years, but over that same period 2.25million registered for national insurance numbers.

Why is our government so insistent that we would be better off in Europe?
I say their motive is none other than that of self interest. The gravy train of corruption, tax scamming and dodgy dossiers of so many establishment politicians is disturbing.
Ruling over us there seems to be an elite of privileged, career orientated, power brokers who would happily fritter away what Churchill once described as a land fit for heroes.

In defence of Great Britain please vote OUT of Europe this 23rd of June.  

Your vote will determine the future of our nation.

Venice, Chioggia, Modena, Castellane & Sanaray

The anticipation is building for another - shake out, bottom out, heads down, Mog off : to the sun.
M.O.T. passed without any advisories, my servicing routine carried out and now the gathering together of some little bits that might just come in useful.
Plymouth is to be our port of departure with Brittany Ferries getting us to Roscoff at 8 am after an overnight crossing.
Looking forward to a Leos' Pitsa once we get to Chioggia and the chance to put a newish camera to good use along the way.
Overall we expect to cover in the region of 3,000 miles so the Wanner grease gun will be amongst the tool roll, together with the obligatory tub of Molybdenum grease to keep this 4/4 rolling along sweetly.

Landscape we leave behind 

Chill winds and ice patches not expected

Map Itinery