Devon & Cornwall
The sun was shining as we made our way to the town
of Lynmouth. Our first stop was at the museum where we learnt about the flood of 1952
where the whole village was swept away from the raging water. After purchasing our tickets for the cliff railway we took our seats in the carriages and headed up the hillside in the world’s
only water powered funicular which joins the twin towns of Lynmouth &
Lynton built in 1890. Everyone was amazed yet shocked at how old it was and
that it is still working. At the top we were greeted by spectacular views,
looking all the way out to sea.
Next
stop was at the toy museum which was full to burst with memorabilia from years
gone by. It was a nostalgic trip back to our childhood with toys, games and
action figures. There were some interactive games, and we were keen to try them
out. It was great to see everyone with smiles on their faces, exchanging
stories about all the toys they used to play with. As we left a few of us
bought some gifts including a Rubix cube and a Noddy toy. What a brilliant
museum!
An
afternoon tea delight was enjoyed overlooking the beach and the freshly baked
scones with clotted cream was everything we had dreamed of and more! We could
certainly get used to this!
A fascinating morning was spent at the Darlington Crystal Factory which opened in 1967 and is where some of the
world’s best glass is made. Once our tour started, we were wowed by the things
we learnt! Did you know that it takes 10 years to become a glassblower?! It was
amazing to be able to watch the skilled craftsmen at work in the factory blowing
glass into a variety of shapes! It was then onto the finishing stage where the
glass is rounded and polished. Some were polishing the glass with gold and blue,
and we also saw the machine to personalise the glass. .
Everyone loved looking at the glass champagne flutes that had been made for the
King’s Coronation and some replica vases for the late queen Elizabeth II.
We drove
to the bustling seaside town of Ilfracombe. The harbour was busy with other
holiday makers, and it was great to see so many different boats bobbing around.
The huge statue of a pregnant lady called Verity which was created by the artist
Damien Hurst was standing prominently. It represents truth and justice in
the modern world in his eyes. We couldn’t believe how big the statue was,
and it was interesting to read how it was all put together.
Our competitive side came out as we challenged each other to pool and table football competitions. Down at the bowling alley we scored strikes and high scores were a plenty.
The
sun was shining, and we were all excited to see what animals we could meet at Exmoor Zoo. With our maps in hand we planned our first stop, at the monkey enclosure! There
were monkeys swinging from rope to rope right over our heads which was so much
fun to see! They made it look effortless! We had also arrived in time to see
them eating their lunch which they gobbled up! They weren’t phased by us
looking at them through the glass. Next, we headed to the Tapir enclosure where
some were napping in the sun but one was walking up and down which meant we got
a good view of him! The black swan and wolverine were particularly interesting
as none of us had seen them before!
We spent the day
in Plymouth visiting the National Marine Aquarium which is the largest in the
UK. We were all full of high spirits at the thought of seeing different kinds
of sea life. Our underwater adventure started in the rock pool area where
there were star fish and jelly fish which were in an illuminated tank. The highlight
was looking inside the gigantic fish tank where we saw sharks, stingrays and
other large species of fish. Some even walked over a glass walkway where the
fish swam below us. We also found some mermaids statues which
made for a great photo opportunity! As did standing inside a shark’s jaw! 
Everyone was keen to but some souvenirs so we spent time browsing around the historic Pannier Market
where there was an array of crafts and homemade produce for sale. We did a
little bit of haggling and managed to grab a few bargains.
The sun was shining as we made our way to the town
of Lynmouth. Our first stop was at the museum where we learnt about the flood of 1952
where the whole village was swept away from the raging water. After purchasing our tickets for the cliff railway we took our seats in the carriages and headed up the hillside in the world’s
only water powered funicular which joins the twin towns of Lynmouth &
Lynton built in 1890. Everyone was amazed yet shocked at how old it was and
that it is still working. At the top we were greeted by spectacular views,
looking all the way out to sea. 
