Sir Walter returns to Budleigh Salterton
Saturday 4 April was a special day in the history of Budleigh Salterton. Sir Walter Ralegh returned to the town made famous by a certain Victorian painter. He thought Fairlynch Museum was a pretty little dwelling but rather quaint and certainly not as grand as any of his palaces. However he was impressed by the Museum’s new marquee. “A splendid pavilion,” he opined. “Most useful for courtly gatherings in this oftimes inclement climate that is particular to our fair land.” Our Museum volunteers had dressed specially for the occasion in Easter bonnets. Sir Walter was of course known for his sparkling wit at the Elizabethan court, making him one of the Queen’s favourites. “Not by any means a fowl choice of hat,” he quipped, on meeting one of the ladies. The soup ladies were a little bit nervous, not just of his rapier but of his rapier-like wit. They ne...