Days 43 44 heading east….

 43 my last full day in Plymouth. I’ve warmed to MY city. Its grown on me. At first I didn’t like the emptiness of the city centre, with big wide open spaces and a lack of people and the buzziness that brings. But on my last few walks around I’ve appreciated that space and the clean lines of the rebuilt city. It’s centre was destroyed in the 2nd world war, and completely rebuilt. 

So firstly I had some business in the local library. I had to tackle a job I don’t like doing, printing my bus and airline boarding passes. But fortunately it worked for me. I had added a bag by phoning EasyJet earlier, no probs, so just went ahead and printed my bus ticket for London and my boarding pass for Copenhagen. I guess it’s an irrational fear….with some people it’s a fear of flying, with me it’s a fear of printing stuff off the net. Could be some earlier negative experiences with printers, I reckon! 

Feeling pleased with myself for that, I strolled up to Plymouth Hoe. It was a drop dead gorgeous summers day. The outlook over Plymouth Sound was superb. I watched a channel ferry come in. I sat on the grass and soaked up the atmosphere, families were picknicking and small children were running around. There was a travelling fair, dodgems, waltzers, sideshows and ghost rides. Then I had a look at the memorials and statues. Sir Francis Drake played bowls there, finished his game before hopping into his galleon and chasing the Spanish right around Britain, so he has a statue. The war memorial remembers 23,000 men from Plymouth based ships who were lost in the 2 wars. Smeaton Tower stands nearby, which used to be the Eddystone Lighthouse, the second of 3 which have warned shipping off the rocks at the entrance to the Sound. A magical morning.

The main thoroughfare in the city is Royal Parade. It’s dominated a bit by a 1950s high rise block which houses the city council. News today emerged that its going to be refurbished as a Hilton Hotel, which seems a popular decision because Plymouth has not got any 5 star hotel accommodation. 

In the evening, I walked to Devonport and called in to visit old friends Chris and Jeff. They live on the 15th floor of a Tower block, and have a cat who never leaves the 15th floor! On the way there I passed 2 historic buildings which were basically derelict, but can’t be demolished, and apparently no developer will buy them because there would be too much work to restore them. They are both in Union Street, almost opposite one another. One is the Palace Theatre, where my cousin Margaret performed, and the other is the former Gaumont cinema, later the Majestic ballroom, where I used to dance on a Saturday night and try my luck with the local Plymouth girls…….. Sad to see them in this dilapidated condition. (The ballroom, not the girls!)

44 left Plymouth on National Express bus right through to Victoria Coach Station. Stopped at Exeter and Heathrow. Got across London to St Pancras station a lot quicker than planned, so that I caught an earlier train to Bedford and was checking in to my hotel right on 4 pm. It’s the Tennyson House hotel and its the first time I haven’t had an ensuite. From now on though I’m going more budget priced, in Malmo and Berlin, to try to bring my budget back to balance. Anyway, it’s ok here, comfortable in my own room on a very comfortable bed as I type this. Tomorrow I have a rendezvous with a FB friend, Leonie. I sussed out the town centre a bit earlier, and had a lovely middle-eastern meal, peri-peri steak. Nice and spicy. 

Ok, better get some shut eye , the traffics a bit noisy her, but I’m sooo tired I could go to sleep right now..zzzzzzzzzzzz