Spring

[smokingboot]

We've been wandering the wilds of Devon, through tangles of trees and flowers enough to bring out the Shakespeare in any soul; pink campion, stitchwort, fernsnbracken (still can't remember which is which) celandines and yellowrattle, lily-of-the-valley, forget-me-not, strawberry flowers, banks of violets and bluebells, wild cherry trees... There was no chance of sitting down and practising me sonnets, due to canine intervention splashing along the brooks in search of the perfect stick; proof that Dog is not only Man's Best Friend, but his kindest critic as well.

The woods were beautiful but my heart almost left my body and flew off into the blue at Westward Ho with the late afternoon light catching the water. I found a razorfish shell, like some sort of marine cigar case on the sands. I didn't bring it home.

Comments

[jfs.livejournal.com]

Without wanting to be overly pedantic, and hoping that you share my love of linguistic anomalies ...

It's Westward Ho! - the exclamation mark is part of the placename and it's the only place in Britain like that.

I like the idea of a place which it's only possible to pronounce enthusiastically.

Westward Ho!

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Not pedantic at all - you have hit upon a point of puzzlement for me. I knew of the exclamation mark, but couldn't work out whether or not tbe following word should start with a capital letter. I appreciate that I've made that mistake deliberately in the sentence above it, but it still sounded peculiar in my head...

Was Westward Ho! named after a book or something? It has that feel to it.

Re: Westward Ho!

[jfs.livejournal.com]

Yes - Charles Kingsley (he of the Water Babies fame).

It's also where Kipling went to school, and therefore the place that the village in Stalky and Co. is based on.

[blackcurrants.livejournal.com]

oh I love that part of Devon! I had a not-quite-grandmother in Bideford, and used to spend summers swimming at Westward Ho!

Did you eat Hocking's ice cream? I consider it one of the finest foods in existence. Ambrosia....

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a fantastic way to spend summer!

Funny you should mention Hockings. Before going to the beach, We were at a very posh fish lunch when someone recommended the pursuit of Hocking's ice-cream to me. When we were there, I saw a small ice-cream van selling the stuff and assumed my fellow diner was pulling my leg - it was, after all, not very impressive looking.

More fool me - next time I'll go for it!

[blackcurrants.livejournal.com]

ooh do! Do! I would be half-afraid to, now, in case it wasn't as good as I remembered it. But I'd get over that pretty quickly at the chance of another taste, I reckon. :)

[lucyas.livejournal.com]

How lovely!

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Here's to spring prettiness for us all!