A Quiet Month?
Sorry that I've not been up to my target of blog writing. I'll explain what we've been up to and share some insights into B&B life in a seasonal town.
So, go on then. Why the lack of blogging?
The thing is, this is a busy old game running a B&B. It's not breakfasts over, time to put the feet up, there's quite a lot going on 'behind-the-scenes' which I may go into more detail about in a later blog post. The thing is, once the 'season' kicks off, that's it until late October for a lot of us.
To explain the 'season' ... for Torbay, this is prety much from Easter to late October. This year Able and myself have decided to stay open right up until Christmas as it's our first year at The Tyndale so we want to make the most of it so when we close in January 2020 we can look at our jobs list and prioritise where we want to spend our time and money investing into the business.
So, we figured, let's make the most of it before Easter kicks off in 2019 and that is exactly what we did. We enjoyed Torbay.
In no particular order. here are the things that we like to do when we want to relax in the bay ...
1. Take Coco (and a picnic) to Thatcher's Point.
Just past Meadfoot Beach there is a lovely little spot (TQ1 2HT on your SATNAV) for a picnic on a hot sunny day. There's a smaller place with three benches or the larger green with a big grassy area overlooking Thatcher's Rock. There's usually a free parking spot.
2. Go for a wander along Babbacombe Downs
We love the views. There are some really good cafes along the top (and take the Cliff Railway to the beach and there's a nice cafe down there too) or just get a fish and chips from Drakes or Hanbury's and sit on one of the many benches and relax.
3. Preston Sands and Green for a cheeky burger with Coco.
From May 1st to September 30th you get 4 hours free parking along this strip at the top of Paignton (well you do at the time I type this - we were there yesterday - I can't guarantee that Torbay Council will keep it this way). It's great to park up and walk Coco along the green and down towards the pier and then head back. There is a burger shack that we sometimes stop at and grab a nibble or a drink.
4. Meadfoot Bay
It's a shame that the Ice Cream van wasn't here last year, we do hope that he returns for 2019. Fingers crossed! If not, then there is always the cafe at the other side of the bay, they serve ice cream, (last year Wednesday was Pizza Night and Friday was Fish and Chip night).
5. Ilsham Road, Wellswood
Wellswood is a lovely little community in Torquay and with Ilsham Road's great range of independent businesses it's always good for a wander.
- Mr and Mrs Jones' Deli
- Kents Pub
- Waddling Duck Bistro
- Naughty but nice Patisserie
- V-spa Retreat
- Wellies Bar
- Boutique 15 Clothing ... To name just a few.
6. Walk down to Torre Abbey Crescent
We are blessed with a lovely flat walk to the seafront through Torre Abbey. Able and I try to walk down this way at least once a week if we are going into town. The crescent though is a lovely spot to sit and enjoy a coffee (or a G&T) and watch the world go by. If you're hungry then there are several good places to catch a bite.
7. The Terrace Cafe @ The Living Coasts
While The Living Coasts is a really interesting place to visit, it's not somewhere that we stop regularly. The Terrace Cafe however, is a place that we do stop off regularly as the views are to die for and it's a lovely sun trap. Don't worry, you don't need to pay to go to the Living Coasts to go, you can just walk in off the Harbour.
There are several more but I need to crack on with some other jobs to do. I just wanted to give you an idea of the kinds of things that Able and I like to get up to, when we can, in the local area.
All the best,
Rick