Any Devonians??

So I'd say that boils down to things being a bit different in urban and rural areas - and not a "Devon thing" per se.
Exactly, and as we've said before, we can't generalise, but we can dicuss our own experiences.

It also depends if you live in one of the most enlightened or one of the least sophisticated towns in the county. All towns and villages have their place, so it's sensible, if you're an incomer, to choose carefully which suits you.

Sometimes it also depends on our own personality, how we see see things, how we react to others around us. We lived for several years in rural Brittany and initially, as foreigners, were viewed with some distrust or maybe guarded curiosity, I don't know. But several months later we were part of the community, and often milk, vegetables and logs were brought round to ours in abundance, as well as offers of pet sitting. Mainly because, as a teacher, I offered to give English lessons to the local school children and DH, somewhat out of his comfort zone, helped the neighbour farmer to fix his computerised milking machines.

By the way, a where are you thread with over 100 posts is pretty good going!
Nice to hear from all the fellow GNs out there in Devon.

Yep things can vary indeed and depending on if t'other person has personal prejudices.

Thinking of a "local" (very very local) friend here who described herself to me as "ruthless" in one conversation. Cue for me bursting out laughing probably - as that is simply not how I see her at all. What I see is someone who is basically a very kind person and a smallholder that I agree with about things being organic/local/experimental/community-minded and we agree about these things together and have a very similar outlook there - though she's the one that is doing "the work" there...but she knows I'm supportive and fills me in on local gossip/gives me appropriate warnings about anyone I need to watch out for. Yep...I know much better than to even think of using a local solicitor - when they all meet up on the golf course and tell each other everything confidential about their clients!!!! I've been warned they would not be on my side......

Sorry for the confusion, I don't live in a village, the village reference was just the stupid comment to a child. I live in a town, similar size to town I lived in for a few years in the midlands with no problems.

Exeter has an Arabic department at the university or at least they did. I have had some interesting chats with Arab students from a country I have visited when I was on a course for six months in Exeter. So yes cities are different but to be honest if I'm going to the bother/expense of moving I'd want a bigger city than Exeter.

Admits there was only 2 places I felt Exeter was short of whilst I was living there - Waitrose and Ikea - but they both came along a bit later.

I'd chosen it very deliberately - as I spent the latter part of my childhood in a town in the area and decided that was too small for me (though it was a fair-ish size for a town). So I thought "What someone like me needs is a university city, sea nearby, river in it, countryside nearby" and it didnt take long to think "Well there's one like that pretty near me - so I'll have that one" and duly moved there. The timing was very deliberate - ie I'd done the first job bit and felt I should "move up the ladder" a bit and needed enough opportunities. Also I was 21 - and that meant I'd not long started dating (20 to be precise) and I was quite deliberately putting myself near a university in order to have a choice of university men as boyfriend/potential husbands. I'd already realised that a lot of men in the circles I knew in that town had all vanished off to university and I wondered if/when they'd reappear and so a university city meant I'd be near that group of "potential husbands". It didn't produce a suitable one for me in the event LOL. What I didn't know at the time was a lot of the same age girls that were "in the market" and did go to university went for a second reason beside the degree and then emerged at the end of that with a degree in one hand and a wedding ring on the other one - and that was my "potentials" booked-up before they even really emerged.

Yep....I'm one of those pragmatic Capricorns......we look at things very practically sometimes....and any man I went out with that was University material but hadnt actually gone to one would - by coincidence - find he'd decided to study/move up career ladder/etc. Far too often to be coincidence in fact.....ahem....and I just sorta thought "That's what men do - they go from a very low-level job and then move on up to management" .......yep Capricorns of the 1970s dating era unite....whoops.....

The Arabic boyfriends of the time - well they were good-looking and exotic and all sorts went straight over my head as to just who they were ...ahem...rather more than it had occurred to me to think they were in the event. I had the sense not to marry one though thankfully. I doubt very much they had any idea just how poor I was and I definitely didn't have any idea just how wealthy etc they were....and most unsuitable as a husband for a woman who'd worked out Danish men would probably be the best bet for someone like me (most modern!) - but that didn't work out in the event.

Blimey! I only started this thread FOUR days ago and now up to FIVE pages. 😲

A fascinating discussion, but I actually started it to see if there were any (fairly) local folk interested in meeting up sometime for coffee and a chat!! 🤣

C'est la vie!!

ShihTzuDad

Blimey! I only started this thread FOUR days ago and now up to FIVE pages. 😲

A fascinating discussion, but I actually started it to see if there were any (fairly) local folk interested in meeting up sometime for coffee and a chat!! 🤣

C'est la vie!!

Be careful what you wish for 😂

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

ShihTzuDad

Blimey! I only started this thread FOUR days ago and now up to FIVE pages. 😲

A fascinating discussion, but I actually started it to see if there were any (fairly) local folk interested in meeting up sometime for coffee and a chat!! 🤣

C'est la vie!!

I think it would need to be something a bit stronger than coffee with this interesting funny local bunch, myself included! I'll bring the Devon Cider. Hic!

Oh and I speak fluent French if you want your last sentence to play a part. 😆

If anyone likes watching a very active sea todays the day. I was on the train from Exeter and even the cool college kids on the train were amazed watching the huge angry waves. I think we were all a bit gob smacked at the man strolling along who suddenly got covered by a wave. I think everyone held their breath thinking he might have got washed away. People never cease to amaze.

I'd love to have seen the waves - from a safe distance!

Allira

I'd love to have seen the waves - from a safe distance!

They were impressive but can't understand why someone felt the need to take his poor little dog down there.

Bit scary looking at the cliffs between Teignmouth and Dawlish, if there was a landslide the trainline would be gone again. Ive heard it's not if they come down but when. Hope there isn't a train passing if/when it happens

theworriedwell: You were lucky to travel through that stretch as the line has been closed now....

www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/devon-trainline-closed-tonight-severe-10773202?utm_medium

I should say, the line will be closed from 8.30p.m. tonight until 2.00p.m. tomorrow.

Ashcombe

I should say, the line will be closed from 8.30p.m. tonight until 2.00p.m. tomorrow.

Yes the college kids on the train were laughing about getting off early as they'd be stranded if the line closed. They thought it was funny when they found out how late it was closing.

It wasn't just the sea, the flooding was bad, field after field under water.

www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/devon-areas-flooding-expected-within-10771916
Stay safe, everyone.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202601/medium-5pzpj3-20260123-120902.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202601/medium-efe7ts-20260123-120914.jpg

I was out this morning to collect some bags of stoneground flour from the mill near our house. The river was really high then, we've not had too much rain this afternoon, but the winds are up to 50mph.

Born there over 80 years ago, yet still
prefer my scones with jam on first...

MartavTaurus

ShihTzuDad

Blimey! I only started this thread FOUR days ago and now up to FIVE pages. 😲

A fascinating discussion, but I actually started it to see if there were any (fairly) local folk interested in meeting up sometime for coffee and a chat!! 🤣

C'est la vie!!

I think it would need to be something a bit stronger than coffee with this interesting funny local bunch, myself included! I'll bring the Devon Cider. Hic!

Oh and I speak fluent French if you want your last sentence to play a part. 😆

I’d love to join you - have lived happily in Exeter for over 30 years. Devon has lovely beaches and moorland, always somewhere to go for a walk, even just along one of the many seafronts. Would be great to get together with others who love this area!

I don't know if it would be on national news but covered in south west.

Hopefully the line at Dawlish will survive, I think they said the repairs and improvements cost £18m. Fingers crossed.

Sad news about what's going on with the hospital in Torquay and integrated care with social services, freed up beds but costing too much. Could be a template for the country because we need the beds not just in Torquay but across the country. I wonder if the money will be found.

MartavTaurus

I was out this morning to collect some bags of stoneground flour from the mill near our house. The river was really high then, we've not had too much rain this afternoon, but the winds are up to 50mph.

Hope you don't send it here, we had enough last time!

This morning a wave broke a window on board a train in Dawlish!

I've been following this thread with interest - goodness knows why because I have never lived anywhere near there but have had many happy holidays in Devon and Cornwall. We also have friends who live down there and are very happy. I particularly like Exeter and Dawlish and I am sorry to read about the problems with the railway. I have always loved travelling on that line with the sea views. Buckfast Abbey is one of my favourite places in the country. Although the building was only built just over one hundred years ago, there has been Christian life and worship there for over a thousand years and the atmosphere is one of serenity and peace. Would l want to live in Devon? No. While I have enjoyed this lovely county as a visitor, it is about 300 miles away from home so it would be a very long way for family and friends to visit us. I think it is best to enjoy it on holiday. I agree, too, that there are differing social mores in various parts of the country and, in general, the further south you go, the more reserved people tend to be - not that they are any less kind or welcoming but simply that it takes longer to get to know them and fit in. Final thoughts: one of my favourite detective series is Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson series, set in South Devon.

Ashcombe

This morning a wave broke a window on board a train in Dawlish!

Might be why the staff at the station were joking about "if the train gets through" not very reassuring.

Thinking I had a lucky miss there then re the train. I remember a friend of mine at the time tried to tempt me into buying one of the flats in a converted house near that railway line!!! I wasnt buying it - in any sense of the word...thankfully. The sea view would have been nice - but.....nope....one sorta thinks "Because people have built here, then other people have bought here = it must be okay then". Thankfully I've learnt to be more cynical than that these days....