A week at Cromlech House, Mortehoe, North Devon

For the fourth year in a row we joined up with the ‘Chad-a-wick’ (a la Angus) and Bell families for February half term together at http://www.cromlech-house.co.uk/. We arrived late on the Saturday and were greeted with a smashing salmon supper cooked by Tina and Dave. Inevitably, crashing into the holiday on the first night, I was overwhelmed with the desire to sleep and, knowing that the children would be up early went to bed about 9.30.

Good job – they were up early and on Sunday it was our turn to cook and Anne and I set-to on a pile of potatoes and vegetables ready for the (3) roast chickens that we cooked in the industrial-sized gas oven. We spent the Sunday down at Woolacombe sands, where we were joined by Dave’s Mum and Dad Harry and Bobbie, who live nearby. The experience at the beach was pleasant and mild and presented a great opportunity for some obsessive photography, inspired (in part) by a fun photo-competition that we agreed at the start of the week.

On the Monday the children slept in a little longer and we watched ‘Monsters Inc’ whilst we waited for the other (normal sleeping!) families to rise. I nipped out and did a 12 hilly miles for an hour on my bike and enjoyed the ‘pipe-opening’ session. The ride prompted me about the only other time I came to Mortehoe was about 8 years ago (or so) when I toured the North Devon coast on bikes with brother Dave and mate Dippy. The climb from Woolacombe to Mortehoe is a deep dig and I remember my brother dancing on ahead much to the disgust of the less-fit Dips and I, which prompted some uncouth and unblogable language that Dips and I will remember well! Nothing much has changed, the climb still hurt, and I cursed again. Later in the day the weather was a little harsher but we set off on a ‘perfectly-sized’ jaunt to Morte Point, past the grave yard and across the heathland down to the coast. It was a beautiful, rocky and windswept coast and when we got to the pinnacle, Tom said it was looking up was like a Stegosaurus’s back. We split at the point with the older ‘boys’ plus Sarah retracing along the ridge whilst the younger and older extremes of the cohort returned on the north side, protected from the wind. Angus and Matthew did pretty well, the former got tired towards the top and David helped out with a shoulder ride for the last stages, whilst Helen slept in the back pack for most of the way back. The rest of the day was restful and Anne and I had a couple of dozes and a trip into Ilfracombe to Tesco. Tom Dave and I had a sharpener of ‘London Pride’ before Sarah’s tasty Guinness stew. I hit the sack earlyish again, after a bout at the pool table, but the females stayed up until after 1.

Tuesday the weather was bright, warm and sunny and the plan for the day was surfing. Tom Dave and I cooked a mega fry up and after Anne and I set off a little early down to Woolacome beach via a drive around Croyde. Matthew and Angus took their bikes on the expansive flat sand and again the beach presented a great opportunity to capture some snaps, this time focussed on Dave, Sarah, Molly, Poppy and Jake as they emerged from the sea looking like Danial Craig/Ursula Andress (delete as appropriate) with surfkit. Late afternoon I slept again and we mooched around the house, followed by a trip to the play park with our 3 plus Robbie and had a game of tig / stuck in the mud. Great fun. That afternoon Tom and I did a bit of reflecting about some of the stanger aspects of the English language – have you ever wondered what the opposite of ‘uncouth’ is, for example? Have you ever had anyone be congratulated for couth behaviour? Dave and Tina cooked a chicken and cheese special after which we all had a game of skittles and a Speckled Hen in the Chichester Arms. Helen and Angus included, great fun. Well done Jake on his ‘9 in one’ and also Tom for his pure determination and passion. Staying up latish with the youngies has its price to pay as Angus and Helen ‘lost it’ at bed time. Later in the evening we watched ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ DVD and hooted into the midnight hour.

On Wednesday all my apparent tiredness of Tuesday was explained when my throat and head exploded with a variant of the bug that Anne had, sealing any further chances of cycling on the holiday. After a breakfast of paracetamol and tea I drove with Helen to Ilfracombe Tesco to stock up on the 3 essentials, bread, milk and wine. Mid morning we took our 3 swimming to Ilfracome pool, they loved it, they adore swimming pools at the moment, it is a raw thrill. After we drove along the coast to Lynton and I took Matthew and Angus on the cliff railway and they (and I) were thrilled to see how it was water-driven. Helen and Anne slept in the car whilst all this was going on and later met Richard and Wendy Wyburn (who used to live in Sticklepath). Driving out of Lynton reminded me (again) of the pain but pleasure of the north Devon cycle tour with Dave and Dippy in my single days. I must return when there is more time to show the children Woody bay and Hunters Inn, beautiful places of the world. We drove onward to Combe Martin and re-grouped with the rest of our house mates to have lunch with Dave’s parents Bobbie and Harry, at their home, and were almost overwhelmed with a mountain of buffet lunch, but rose to the occasion admirably. Lovely welcome, terrific spot, we must retire there ourselves one day. Later in the afternoon we drove ‘home’ to Cromlech House and my throat and head were at maximum rage. After a sharpener at the ‘Ship-a-ground’ on Exmoor Ale with Tom and Dave, we cooked spag. bol. for 12 whilst Anne put our 3 to bed early – for the first time this week (they were shattered). In the evening we tried to watch ‘Nuts in May’, which I had brought especially to show, but frustratingly the DV disk did not work, so we watched ‘Touching the Void’ instead and went to bed feeling lucky to have only a mere sore throat and a head cold.

Thursday morning we awoke earlyish, at about 3 o’clock. This was as a result of Helen’s determination rather than and free choice of Anne or I to catch the worm. We contained her admirably between us in bed in half-sleep until I caved in about 6.30 and brought her and Angus downstairs to try to watch Chicken Run, but the video did not work. As I write this part I am still in my night clothes, fog eyed, and about to start packing up as the Haygarths will leave for home this morning. Thanks everyone for looking after us and our children. Terrific time, terrific company, beautiful scenery and lots of couth and uncouth fun. Off home for a sleep.

Click here to see the photos taken by Anne and I

And here is the video....