But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east and Juliet is the sun!

                                                                              Romeo and Juliet   

                                                                                     William Shakespeare

             

Boys will be boys.

Time honoured beach behaviour for "boys",

which always seems to end like this.

Utopia

In 1516 Sir Thomas More described the political arrangements of the imaginary island country of Utopia.

It was characterised by the communal ownership of land, no private property, 

the equal education of men and women, etc.

 But I'm not sure he envisaged a place for Starbucks as its next door neighbour.

Wrap up warm ........

...... because the weather forecasters tell us that the current freezing temperatures 

are likely to be with us for some days to come.

......

The shortest Spring on record.

Spring lasted for only two days.

Then came two days of torrential rain. 

The average rainfall for the month of March fell in less than 48 hours,

many homes that were just drying out after the Christmas floods were flooded again, just in time for Easter.

But here in Devon and Cornwall, despite the sub zero temperatures, 

we are not facing the blizzard conditions that have brought many areas of Northern Britain to an icy standstill.

Triptych

Set in stone.

Often, it only takes very small key ....

..... to open a very heavy door.

                                                                         Turkish Proverb

Provided you haven't painted over the keyhole.

Even The Invisible Man ......

.......... and his wife, need a little protection against the elements, 

            as they leave home on this cold and frosty morning,

Unputdownable.

This is one book that clearly lives up to the publisher's blurb.

The wind was picking up. The temperature was dropping and the first drops of rain had arrived.

All the other customer had made for shelter.

But this reader simply pulled up the collar of her coat and kept on turning the pages.

  

Look at me when I'm talking to you.

The first day of SPRING

Spring officially arrived yesterday and the sky couldn't have been clearer 

but the temperature couldn't have been less spring like. It was bitterly cold.

We are looking out from Stonehouse Creek into the River Tamar and across to Cornwall. 

To the left is Royal William Yard, built 1826-35, as the main victualling yard for the Royal Navy. 

It was closed in 1992 when it was  no longer required, and its redevelopment, into an impressive complex of expensive apartments, bars, restaurants, and galleries etc.,  is nearing completion.

The morning meeting place.

Another hard fought Local Derby.

There is intense rivalry, at everything, between the two neighbouring counties of Devon and Cornwall.

On Sunday the two Under 20, County Rugby Teams faced one another in Devon, at Plymouth, 

in an early round of the National under 20 Championship.

As you would expect of such long standing rivals,it was a very hard fought affair, 

with Devon gaining the victory, this time.

 Devon in Green and White - Cornwall in Black and Gold.

Dartmoor Winter (2)

The Dartmoor National Park covers an area of 954 sq. km. of open moorland.

Criss crossing the Moor are 734 km. of public rights of way, 

made up of  357 km of footpaths, 356 km, of bridleways and 19 km. of byways.

When I took this picture my solitary companion, on this sub zero day, was the lone Dartmoor Pony, 

just left of centre in the foreground.

Dartmoor Winter (1)

The last three weeks have been very cold indeed here in Plymouth.

Down here at sea level we are used to quite winter mild temperatures but with lots of rain, 

recently however, the mercury has remained stubbornly close to 0ºC,

and on many days the wind chill effect has made it feel many degrees lower than that.

Just a few miles beyond the northern suburbs the land rises towards the high ground on the southern edge of the Dartmoor National Park, and there, very cold weather is expected.

The water in this little pond was almost five inches thick.

When walking in the woods .....

....... do you sometimes feel your are being watched?

The Confluence

The River on the right is the Plym, and it is joined by the Meavy from the left,

and from here the River Plym flows the five miles to Plymouth Sound. 

Unusually we haven't any rain,beyond a passing shower, for over two weeks so the river levels are very low.

A few metres beyond the confluence, the River Plym flows under Shaugh Bridge and on to the sea.

Although we have had no rain, it has been very much colder than normal for March.

If you go down in the woods today .......

                                  ............ you're sure of a big surprise.

If you go down in the woods today you'd better go in disguise,

For every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain

Because today's the day that Teddy Bears have their picnic.

Music by  John W Bratton

First recorded 1908

First vocal version recorded 1932 

by Henry Hall and His  Orchestra

Clearly someone has got the dates mixed up, 

because this was the solitary bear in the woods at Shaugh Bridge, 

on the bank of the River Plym, as it tumbles down the Plym Valley on its way to Plymouth and the sea.

Twickenham - The home of English Rugby.

Never having been to the stadium before we arrived early, so we could take a good look around.

Worm's eye view.

Bird's eye view

And watch the teams warming up. This is the England squad going through their routine.

The 6 Nations Rugby Championship 2013

England versus Italy at Twickenham, London

Sunday 10th March 2013

England 18pts Italy 11pts.

But to be honest the Azzurri played the better rugby.

Italian supporters arriving for the match.

Have a look inside the stadium tomorrow.

The Bandstand in Devonport Park

This wonderful recreation of the Original Bandstand, is one more major milestone 

in the very impressive regeneration of this increasingly popular community space.

Driftwood sculpture

I came across this beautiful little ship hanging on a wall on the Waterfront.

It seems quite appropriate as city has just re- branded itself "Plymouth Ocean City".

One of the early signs of Spring ......

..... is when a large lorryload of plants arrives from Holland at Continental Street Market, last weekend.

Jacob's Ladder.

One of the many scaffolding structures which are needed for the renovation work on Brunel's famous railway bridge, built in 1859, which carries the main line into Cornwall.

God v Mammon.

A matter of scale.

The G Spot

Some say it doesn't exist.

While others think it does, but is almost impossible to find.

But here it is! 

Jostling for a sea view.

However restricted, all the new apartments try to claim, at the very least, a glimpse of the sea.

Old Plymouth

The historic Barbican area of Plymouth's waterfront has developed organically over many centuries,
and is still characterised by its network of narrow streets, lanes and alleyways.

HMS Bulwark

HMS Bulwark crossing Plymouth Sound on Friday afternoon. 1st March 2013, 

on her way up the River Tamar to her berth at the Devonport Naval Base..