We've been shopping

We rather assumed that it was going to take us 6 or so hours to get to the B&B, so told the landlady that we would be there around 6pm and left at 11, having dashed about to get us, the livestock and the house ready.  Got in the car, turned Jenny-the-Sat-Nav on - and she said it would take just over 4.

Hmmm.

But still, there was the M5 to take into account.  The motorways are always busy, especially on Fridays.

No traffic on the M5.

Hmmm.

I know.  Let's turn off at Glastonbury and head to Street, where there is a shopping outlet centre which specialises in shoes.  I needed a pair of surf shoes (the ones Lindsey gave me are still perfectly serviceable, except that the velcro on the straps has worn off and they won't stay done up.  This is a great sorrow to me.  They are extremely comfortable and I've been wearing them for years and years.  I must work out how to replace the velcro!).  I've been keeping my eye open but haven't seen anything likely.  Street seemed a reasonable place to go hunting.  I had had a look when we were there with Gwen a few weeks ago, but didn't want to hold everyone up by doing a proper search then.

I found a pair in the Timberland shop for £19.  Not bad given that the RRP is £50!!

We found a summer nightshirt for The Builder for £7 and various other bits and pieces. We went for an amble around Street itself - it has quite a nice little High Street.  And then we made our way across country down into Devon (just) to the little hamlet of Hawkchurch and then to the B&B which is on a farm out in the middle of nowhere.

We were early!

The landlady recommended The Bottle Inn for dinner. It's been closed for about a year and has recently re-opened with new people at the helm. It serves home cooked food and the servings are enormous!  My prawns in filo pastry were delicious - and about the right quantity for an entree.  But The Builder's bowl of whitebait was huge!!!  We both had to tackle it.  Then I had a really lovely lamb shank in red currant gravy with mustardy mash (and a spray of lovely red currants draped over it). and The Builder had a pork chop with cheese and apple and a mustardy mash.  I couldn't eat all of mine.  Fortunately The Builder was there to help!

The pub doesn't open in the evening until 6:30 and we were too early.  So we went for a drive in the countryside.  I think the other couple who had also ambled into the car park at 6:00 (the traditional evening opening time) walked back to where they were staying. Certainly they walked back into the pub as we got there at about 20 to 7.  The pub is, I think, in Dorset.  The B&B is in Devon.  And Somerset is just over there!!

We had a hearty dinner and went back to the B&B where The Builder drank wine and watched the football, and I went to sleep.  I was very, very tired for some reason