I really didn’t want to write about the White Lion in Braunton. Think of it as contractual obligations, like a 1978 Steve Hackett album.
It’s certainly an hour between buses back to Barnstaple I’ll not get back.
But at least it gave me a tick, and the vital information that the Tarka Trail is a cycling route designed to allow middle class women with ankle tattoos called Jemima and their straggled haired children to mow you down.
Oooh, feel the loathing. Braunton managed to cram a museum of surfing amongst its coffee shops and boutiques.
“A number of major surf brands are associated with the village including Tiki Board Barn Tokyo Demons Of Doom Killers Modern Foam Designs and Salt Rock ” says Wiki. I ran down to the river, like Bruce.
With another hour I’d have made the sand dunes, which might have made me warm to it all. But I didn’t.
An old biker with ponytail who looked a bit like The Outlaw gave me a potted history of the village for free, somehow missing out the Beer Guide pub. Though to be fair that’s up for sale.
Handwash, name and number, £1.80 a half of Fox, seat by the bar.
It filled up pretty quickly. Note how the nearest customer eschews Hi-Vis, for brogues and sunglasses on head.
Adequate Exmoor (NBSS 2.5), but at least we got Sultans of Swing. I can imagine that 35 years ago every visitor here would have just bought Brothers in Arms. On CD.
NB This is the statement on the website of All to Love, one of the town’s main shops. What on earth do they sell ?
retiredmartin 
Assuming you or your blog title team have already done the Tarka Dhal pun in a previous blog…..but I was shocked at the Steve Hackett comment……he’s still a thing 🙂
A Tick of The Tarka Trail…… 🙂
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He certainly is, but I seem to recall an album delivered under contractual obligations in the late ’70s to the old record label ? Mudgie will know.
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I just realised what you did there 😊
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“A Tick of The Tarka Trail…… 🙂”
That could be the ‘Genesis’ of a meme! 🙂
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Braunton . Braunston is somewhere on the Grand Union Canal.
One of several places claiming to be the largest village in England.
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Ta. I’d never heard of it before and actually read it as Braunston twice. Braunston must be well known to Pete.
The biker guy was very keen to emphasise it was a village, though I’m amazed it had 7,353 residents. Must be more than I saw.
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Some of the candidates for “largest village” status are very sleepy and lacking in GBG appeal !
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_villages_in_England
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Martin,
Suggesting “Heath Hayes and Wimblebury” ( near where I grew up ) is a village is as daft as saying Crewe and Nantwich is a town.
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It was that Bath and Wells cathedral, that started the rot.
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Etu,
At least not the Conservative and Unionist Party !
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“Can we blame Beeching, Paul ?”
I got a return from Exeter St Davids to Barnstaple and back twenty-five years ago so I don’t think so.
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Oh, go on.
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Yes, but Barnstaple is as far as it goes. The Atlantic Coast Express out of Waterloo used to divide at Barnstaple, with half going forward to Ilfracombe and the rest to Bideford and Torrington.
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John,
That was before my time.
From Waterloo I’ve only gone as far as Exeter St Davids, then I think back to Paddington.
I went from Paddington to Penzance and back two years ago.
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Aren’t Kangaroo Airforce Ventilator named after a major surf brand?
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LOL!
Thanks for reminding me of that! 🙂
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“THE TARKA TRAIL”
Did you follow Duncan to Estonia?
“New map”
Finally!
“designed to allow middle class women with ankle tattoos called Jemima”
Phew! Good thing my wife’s name isn’t Jemima. 😉
“I ran down to the river, like Bruce.”
I prefer Neil Young’s ‘Down by the River’… where he shot his baby.
(probably taken from Verity?) 😉
“No, I couldn’t run that pub”
I’m sure you could run BY it though.
“Note how the nearest customer eschews Hi-Vis, for brogues and sunglasses on head.”
Not to mention brown shoes with purple pants. Avant-Garde!
“What on earth do they sell ?”
My guess? — bollocks. 🙂
Cheers
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If you’re going to sign a deal that gives you a guaranteed pint of Doom Bar in every boozer then you have to fulfil contractual obligations…you may need a new agent!
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