Visitors to Garth View and / or Sunejo (our homes in Cumbria and France) might recognise this picture:

It’s a painting of Brixham fishmarket and it belonged to Carol’s father. When the family had to empty the house in Potter’s Bar, no-one else wanted it, so Carol brought it to our house and we hung it. It says on the back that it’s by Wilfred Fryer and was exhibited at the Royal Society of Marine Artists. I really don’t have anywhere to hang it here, so I thought of taking it down to Devon and seeing if any shop or gallery was interested in it, especially in Brixham. However, I didn’t feel I had the necessary materials or the skill to pack it safely, and wasn’t confident about putting it in the car along with everything else. So I took its photo, and one of the back as well.

Tuesday July 23rd. The last full day of this trip, not counting the journey home. I set off for Brixham, setting Satnav to take me to the Strand Art Gallery, which she did, but I didn’t realise we were there. I hadn’t looked carefully enough at the pictures of the outside to understand that what I was really looking for was a discreet entrance at the side of an amusement arcade! The gallery was upstairs above that arcade.

So I went twice round the harbour and the town, till I spotted a car park which I thought might be close enough (and it had the ‘necessary places’). I found the way in, paid for a few hours, and made my way back to the harbour on foot. I passed the ‘discreet entrance’ at least twice before I realised I was there and went in and up the stairs.

Well! What a place, and what a reception! Two large rooms, and the stairway as well, covered with every kind of local artwork! Seascapes, buildings, people, boats, ships, all weathers – I’m not sure that the highland cattle were really local, but they get everywhere! And the charming lady! On seeing the photograph, she exclaimed “Oh, that is beautiful! Why on earth would you want to get rid of that?” I said that wasn’t really my feeling about it, but I wanted to make better use of it that having it leaning against the wall in the little spare room, unhung. She didn’t know Mr. Fryer, but she looked him up for me, and the Royal Society of Marine Artists, of which she printed out details and suggested that might be the best place to start my further enquiries. In spite of her enthusiasm for the piece, she said she didn’t want it, even if I were able to get it to her, as she had all the paintings she could manage.

I went back out into the sunshine. Just over the road from the gallery was this piece of history:

That is Francis Drake’s ship, the Golden Hind. It was possible to visit it and look round, but I was more interested in choosing the most suitable place, out of all the options available, for a fish or seafood lunch. I walked the length of the harbour wall, looked at lots of places and lots of menus, and settled for a little hut with outdoor seating on the edge of the harbour. Most of the restaurants were across the road, and this little place was actually a subsidiary of one of them, it was called ‘Claws’ and the spot over the road was ‘Claws Indoors’.

I chose a small seafood selection, served with two slices of brown bread:

THEN – an incident reminiscent of one beside Grasmere many years ago, when a little Rachel had her sandwich stolen from her hand by a swooping seagull! Yes! This flying fiend came suddenly from behind, over my shoulder and snatched BOTH slices of bread, which it took away to a nearby moored ship and fed them to its fledglings!

So how come there’s one slice of bread in the photo? This was taken after the young ladies staffing the place had done what they could to help, with the comment “you’re not the first, and you won’t be the last!”. They replaced the bread free of charge, and offered to raise the parasol which until then had been folded. They thought it might thwart any further attacks, and it seemed to work. It was a nice little meal, and afterwards I crossed the road to Claws Indoors where there was no problem about using the ‘necessary place’.

Now, I think this post has been long enough, so I’ll proof read now and publish. Can’t say whether ‘Chuffer and Hamlet’ will merge into one post, or whether another division will be needed, so:

WATCH THIS SPACE!