Budleigh Past and Present

In a crazy age where a minority of psychos seem to have taken humanity several steps back into the Dark Ages it’s good to remember the Beatles’ advice that All you need is Love. So, just to coincide with Valentine’s Day perhaps, the good people of Budleigh Salterton's Brook Gallery, whom we're proud to include among our Friends of Fairlynch Museum, have decided that their next exhibition will be simply called ‘Love.’  Artists featured include Frans Wesselman RE, Anita Klein, Trevor Price RE, Patrick Hughes Brad Faine and Donald Hamilton Fraser RA. Shown above is 'The Five Senses Satisfied' by Trevor Price RE. ‘Love’ runs from 1 to 22 February 2015. For more information about the Brook Gallery click here

  Friend of Fairlynch Iris Ansell, who helps in the Museum’s Costume Department, recalls some memorable moments from her time as proprietor of Southlands Hotel in Budleigh Salterton Staff were a big problem. In our early days, and before having good staff who returned year after year, we relied upon the Job Centre. They sent us two girls who with four other friends took a holiday flat, intending to earn enough to sunbathe all day and nightclub all night. They arrived the first day on time, second day one hour late, third day didn’t arrive at all.  I went to find them and were told “We get more money on the dole, than you pay us, so we won’t be back.” After that we put an advert in the local paper shop and found lovely local, mainly young housewives, who were perfect. We did have some characters though. One, a slightly older lady, whom I felt had fallen on hard times, having looked after elderly parents, and was...

Image credit: Exmouth Choral Society Exmouth Choral Society is performing a concert of celebrated Baroque music on Saturday 7 February at 7.30 pm  in the town’s Holy Trinity Church. The concert features Handel’s Dixit Dominus, Haydn’s Little Organ Mass, Pergolesi’s Magnificat and Purcell’s O Lord, Rebuke Me Not. The choir will be conducted by its Musical Director Laurence Blyth, and accompanied by Devon Baroque. Friend of Fairlynch Sheila Birch has been singing with the Exmouth Choral Society for about 20 years, or as she put it “absolutely ages.”  She enthusiastically recommends the February concert for its “magnificent and interesting music” and is expecting it to be a popular event.    The Choral Society is a mixed voice choir of approximately 60 members who rehearse during the autumn and spring terms, for two concerts a year. The repertoire is based around masses and oratorios. The main concerts are held in Holy Trin...

Continuing with my task of versifying a range of artefacts linked to Fairlynch Museum, I remembered the story of Hugo the medieval saltworker.  Two years ago I wrote about him  here    when he was featured in our exhibition 'Sea, Salt and Sponges.'   His tragic end was cleverly depicted by local sculptress Angie Harlock Wilkinson, seen above. Here's my version:  My story is of Otterton And is a tragedy. Its time the Middle Ages In an ancient priory. For you must know that long ago The harvesting of salt Paid even better wages Than production of malt.    The Prior was an angry man And noted for his rage, And Hugo was his servant, Not noted as a sage. For he did like his cider In quantities profuse And oftentimes did yield To the wondrous apple juice. It happened on a summer’s day A day of burning sun, That Hugo in the priory vault Came seriously undone. For he did quench the frightful th...

  There’s a limit to what you can do with the rest of the turkey after Christmas Day.  Catering for those seasonal massive family gatherings can also get a bit much for any cook. So it’s quite a relief to get away from loading and unloading the dishwasher for the umpteenth time and go for the occasional meal out.   And living by the sea as we do, it seemed only natural to impress our guests with a visit to The Premier Café, Budleigh’s only fish restaurant. We had a warm welcome from owners Simon and Liz Blissett: the complimentary dish of whitebait fillets and sweet potato balls was a nice touch and kept us occupied while we made our choice from an extensive menu.   I first came across Simon in March 2009 when he was cheerfully standing in a bucket of mushy peas on Budleigh High Street to raise money for Comic Relief on Red Nose Day.  I was so struck by the unusual sigh...