The Spring Cleaning is almost complete. (2)

This is part of the Lido at Mount Wise, on the bank of River Tamar at Devonport.

Getting ready for opening in time for this year's extra long Diamond Jubilee Holiday. 

Everything checked? 

Then turn on the taps, and begin to fill the main swimming pool.

The Spring Cleaning is almost complete. (1)

The Tinside Lido will be ready to open for the long public holiday this coming Spring Bank Holiday and Diamond Jubilee Weekend.

The Matthew of Bristol (2)

The Matthew is a faithful, full-size replica of John Cabot's original ship. It is  78 feet / 24 metres long, with a beam of 20ft 6inches / 6.25 metres, with a draft of 7 feet / 2.1 metres, and 2,360 square feet / 219 square metres of sail.





















On her historic voyage, in 1997, to mark the 500th anniversary of Cabot's original journey to Newfoundland, The Matthew followed the original course exactly, carrying exactly the same number of crew, and taking exactly the same amount of time to complete the crossing.
On 24th June 1997 she was welcomed into port at Bonavista by Queen Elizabeth.

She has just sailed from Plymouth bound for London, where she will join 46 other tall ships and historic craft taking part in the 1,000 boat Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday 3rd June.

The Matthew of Bristol (1)

For the last week or so, this marvellous replica of The Matthew of Bristol has been in Plymouth.

This ship is a faithful replica of the vessel in which  John Cabot and his crew set sail in 1497 for Asia. However, he finally arrived on the coast of Newfoundland and therefore he was the original discoverer of North America, not Christopher Columbus as most people believe.

Come back tomorrow for some close ups and details of her voyages and construction.

Bright and Early.

'An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.'

                                                                                  Henry David Thoreau

Although, there are those who prefer an early morning run.

Either way, Sutton Harbour is a great place to take the morning air.

A sunny May morning has something for everyone (3)

A chance for man and dog to sit in the sun rather than shelter from the rain, on their regular morning walk.

To play a relaxed game of bowls with old friends.

A sunny May morning has something for everyone. (2)

Being with friends.

Coffee in the sun, overlooking the sea.

A sunny May morning has something for everyone. (1)

Cold clear water to swim in.

A gentle breeze and calm sea to sail on.

At last! Summer.

Well, at least the weather forecast says we shouldn't have rain this week, so we can enjoy the flowers.

Look out behind you!

Just when you thought it was safe to go down to the woods again.

Captain F J 'Johnny' Walker CB, DSO, RN

Clearly in the mould of Plymouth's most famous sailor Sir Francis Drake, Captain Walker was born here in 1896.  This much decorated naval hero of the Second World War, was the most successful anti-submarine commander of the Battle of the Atlantic.

His family home was here in this quiet little backwater, Hoe Gardens, a few hundred yards from the site where Drake played his famous game of bowls, before sailing out to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588.

For the full story of his wartime exploits Click Here

Click Here to see the wonderful statue of him in Liverpool, the home port from which his 36th Escort Group operated.

London Olympic Torch Relay

Yesterday, the 70 day journey to London of the Olympic Flame started its journey at Lands End, at the southern tip of the UK. Click here for an interactive map of its progress 

Day One saw the Torch make its way through Cornwall to Plymouth.

Here it is coming through Saltash, about to cross the Tamar Road Bridge on its way into Plymouth, where a crowd of over 40,000 had gathered on Plymouth Hoe to greet its arrival.  Click here for more pictures 

Three rusty old bikes ...

 ..... or three eye-catching and effective marketing tools?

Outside a Creperie in Roscoff

Outside the Trattoria Pescatore in Stonehouse, Plymouth

Outside a homeware shop on the Barbican, Plymouth

At least it has stopped raining.

After such a long spell of very wet weather it is great to have the odd burst of sunshine. But the temperature remains unseasonally low and the squally showers are not far away.

Yesterday the wind came ....

and blew the last of the blossom from the trees.

So pass the seasons.

Plymouth to Roscoff

It is 114 miles (183 Kilometres) from Plymouth to Roscoff and the current ferry, MV Amorique, makes the crossing in 6 hours by day, but the night crossing takes 8 hours.

Here she is at the Ferryport in Plymouth

She can carry 1500 passengers and 470 cars and has 247 cabins.

Here she is at the Ferryport in Roscoff, 

and like all ships everywhere, routine maintenance and cleaning never stops.

Brittany ferries began the service in 1973 and there have been daily sailings from Plymouth and Roscoff for most of the year ever since. I calculate that I have been across and back perhaps fifty times.

The Celtic Nations

As I posted yesterday, we took the night ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff, in Brittany for a very short visit.  
Brittany, like all the other Celtic nations, is very proud of its culture, language and heritage, and I spotted this flag in a quayside gift shop.

The flag links the flags of the Celtic nations

Ireland - Green, White, Orange

Brittany - Black and White Stripes with the black ermines        
                on white ground

Isle of Man - Three gold legs on a red ground

Scotland - Blue and White cross of St Andrew, the Saltire

Wales - The Red Dragon on a green and white ground

Kernow (Cornwall) - The White cross of St Piran on black

The centre piece of the flag is the Triskel one of the most traditional of Celtic symbols.

Is it just me .....

 ..... or do these guys' eyes follow you around the room?

A couple of days ago I took the overnight ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff, in Brittany, 

and I came across these two in my cabin.

Great day for kite flying.

But how come, whenever it plunged to earth, the young lady in the red top did all

the retrieving, untangling and relaunching, but never got the chance to fly it?

The Tudor Rose Tearooms

Tucked away in New Street, adjoining the beautifully restored Elizabethan Garden, is the secluded garden of the Tudor Rose Tearooms.

They really do live up to these claims, and anyone familiar with service standards in the UK knows how rare that is.



















The food is very good as well.

Leave no stone unturned

495, 496, .....

Low tide at Pebbleside

Time and Tide ...

... Wait for no man.

Someone is in a hurry.