The Yellows and Blues of the English Riviera

The loveliest weather of the year so far drew us to the coast on Saturday for a dose of sea, sun, sand and soccer. Stopping en route to pick up some cheese and onion rolls and cream cakes, we took our picnic to a cliff edge near Ilsham Marine Drive, one of Torquay's most exclusive postcodes, to a high point that overlooks Thatcher Rock. We were more-or-less alone, save for a holidaying couple from the Midlands who asked us to take a photo, and there is no better place to be on a sunny day than overlooking the blue sea with a lovely lady (pictured, shortly before tucking into said cream cake!) The coastline here is dotted with little coves and beaches, a perfect haunt for pirates and smugglers or, on a day like this, kayakers. I also picked my favourite house in the area, complete with amazing sea views and impossible-to-mow lawn.

A little further around the coast, the downs of Babbacombe are an ideal place to while away an hour before heading to the football. On a very clear day you can see as far as Portland, Dorset, but the weather being hazy, we couldn't even see Exmouth. I always think the view down to Oddicombe Beach is rather pleasant, and the whirring of the cliff railway was a reminder that the Westcountry's holiday season is beginning once again. I don't quite know why, but there's something about this beach that is always reminiscent of the Jaws movies to me; maybe it's that so many people use it to launch pleasure crafts, or perhaps it's the azure sea, but I fancy I could see a sharp dorsal fin making its way to the beach.

Torquay's League 2 football team, Torquay United, play just a stone's throw from Babbacombe at Plainmoor ground. Plainmoor has its own unique history, and has certainly seen its share of ups and downs through the years, but at the moment it is buzzing; Torquay are second in the league and the ground is getting a new grandstand. Perhaps this accounted for the lively atmosphere come kick off, and with a generous amount of support from the visitors, Port Vale, the ground was mostly full. Torquay - the Gulls - went in 1-0 down at half time, but recovered brilliantly to win the match 2-1.

Feeling we didn't quite want to finish our day, we jumped in the car and drove down the hill to Meadfoot Beach. Meadfoot is a special place for Lizzie and I; we often enjoy a stroll along the sea there, and last year we stayed in the fabulous Osbourne Hotel, on the sea front. I much prefer it to many of the other beaches in the bay because it is quieter, and feels altogether more natural. Unfortunately the tide was in, so our stroll was restricted to the pavement behind the sea wall, but hand-in-hand, fresh sea breeze blowing in our faces, it was the perfect way to end a very lovely day.

My Exeter Day

If there's one place I love to spend a Saturday in this beautiful county, it's Exeter. Devon's thriving capital is undoubtedly my favourite place in the region and if you know the city well, you can eschew the crowds of the high street and still never be short of things to do.

Tris and I like to start our visit to the city with a trip to our favourite bar, The Oddfellows. It's a sophisticated place with an air of class and style that is becoming more and more reputed for its delicious, locally-sourced food. Top of the list for most people comes the Sunday roast, but the imaginative menu has many tasty and interesting delights on any day of the week. I also think the bar is one of the cosiest in the city - the perfect place to while away a winter's evening. Here, one reprobate waits for his drinks at the bar:

One of the best things about visiting Exeter on a Saturday is seeing how lively and bustling the city is. For me, this is best experienced by watching one of the many local talents performing in the streets. My favourite in a guy called Jerri Hart, who fills the streets with fabulous renditions of the old crooner songs. I didn't see him yesterday, but one of my other faves, a band called Spin 2, were in position outside Marks and Spencers. Spin 2 play Irish folk style music, and are great entertainment, always drawing a crowd.

If it's Saturday and we're heading down the high street, it's very likely that we're on our way to the quay, via the individual shops of Fore Street. There are two or three absolute gems down here - a great toyshop, two lovely vintage clothes shops, and a unique place at the very end of the road called Otto Retro. Otto is quite an experience - a mixture of the old, the classic, the kitch and the chic, you can find almost anything within its four walls, and no two days are ever the same. Tris is usually seen making some sort of purchase in here, whilst I'm likely to be found fawning over a piece of furniture, in this case, a beautiful cocktail cabinet. If only I had the space for it, this would be a definite for me.

From Otto, it's just a short walk past the Medieval Bridge to the beautiful quayside. On summer days this is the place to be in the city, and the bars and ice cream stalls are packed out with people enjoying the sunshine. Yesterday was a slightly calmer affair, but it is still a lot of fun to browse the shops. There is an antiques mall here, local craft workshops, and souvenir shops, but I'm mostly interested in a shop called Eclectique, selling a variety odds and ends, the perfect place for gift ideas.

The most enjoyable way back to the city, I think, is to head up to Colleton Crescent, a masterclass in late Georgian architecture that, fortunately, survived the Blitz when so many other period buildings were destroyed. This probably comes top of my list in places I would like to live in the city, and the main reason I come this way is to play a little fantasy, and choose which house is mine. I nearly always opt for the one with the biggest balcony, this lovely property below. Not ever so long ago, one of the apartments here sold for a million pounds; I suppose for now the fantasy will have to remain just that!

Back in the city centre, and getting towards the end of the day, there is one more place that would complete our visit; Exeter Cathedral. The Cathedral Church of St Peter was completed around 1400, and has the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in the country. It is also said that the nursery rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock was written about a mouse seen in this cathedral. On our visit yesterday, there was a choir practice in session and, let me tell you, the acoustics of the building are phenomenal.

Every day in Devon's capital is different, every weekend bringing with it new shops, new stock and new bands. And the wonderful thing is, you don't need to step into any of the main shops to find them. I'm already looking forward to the next time I can get up to this wonderful city!

A Day at the Zoo

For our Saturday activity this weekend, Lizzie and I decided to head down to the village of Sparkwell, to Dartmoor Zoological Park. The park has a troubled history, with the welfare of its animals being the subject of greatest concern in 2001. Since then, however, the zoo has seen a remarkable turnaround; bought for over £1 million by the Mee family, it reopened in 2007 and was the subject of a BBC documentary entitled Ben's Zoo. The result of Benjamin Mee's five years in charge is a lovely, friendly, and very animal-focussed park, whose mission statement is to protect endangered species, promote biodiversity, and educate about the need for conservation.

Our visit started at the bottom of a hill with ostrich-like birds called rheas. These playful and fleet-footed creatures looked a little boisterous, and probably cover a fair few miles in their daily wanderings.

On the top of the hill, the zoo opens up with footpaths heading out in all directions. We stopped at the meerkats (always a popular animal), goats, and saw a strutting peacock. One of the lovely aspects of the park is the wildness of the location - the gardens are not pristine and immaculate, but it is all the more beautiful because of this. We felt as though we were enjoying both a day at the zoo, and a walk on the moors. As the zoo becomes more popular, I hope the owners retain this wild feeling; it is a lovely natural asset.

Towards the back of the park were the big animals that everyone likes to see - there were lions, bears, wolves, cheetahs, jaguars, and the undoubted stars of the zoo, the tigers. What I loved most about these animals was the space they had to live in - these were not the tiny caged enclosures of years ago, but big areas of land, filled with vegetation, rocks, and running water. The tigers had their own moat which, as well as allowing them to swim and drink, acted as a barrier to stop them escaping. This meant that they could be viewed without the need for a massive protective fence - I thought this was a brilliant idea, lending a more natural feel to the enclosure; I'm sure the animals feel the same way.

So what were my overall impressions of this zoo? I really liked it - the animals all seemed very content, and looked extremely well-cared-for, you can tell they are loved by their keepers. It was also very positive to see the ongoing work that the new owners are doing - some of the enclosures were empty, but this was because they are being refreshed, updated and rebuilt; in short, making them much better for the creatures who live in them. Some online reviewers have complained that the zoo was 'run down' but I don't accept that at all - these people want the manicured lawns and planned planting that you will find at the nation's largest zoos, but in my opinion they completely overlook the wonderful environment that this zoo is already set in. Dartmoor Zoological Park is a place that is so obviously cared-for, and when you consider the massive task that the Mee family took on in 2007, we thought they had done a wonderful job. We had a brilliant day out, and this resident certainly seems to feel at home there:

Benjamin Mee's book, We Bought A Zoo, details the zoo's transformation, and we bought a copy at the shop. The book is currently being made into a Hollywood film starring Matt Damon.