On Our Way to The Palace !

Today was the third anniversary of when my beloved wife Susan had died in 2009, and what could have been a sad day… although what I did with her mum today, actually cheered me up, along with the sunshine and blue skies of South Devon.

Firstly we went up to Dartmoor http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/, and by a circuitous route (she couldn’t remember the way!) we did a full tour of the high ground , with great views in the sunshine, until we eventually arrived at the foot of Haytor http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/Hay_tor.htm for a walk up onto the moor, and to the foot of the big granite Tor.

This was an especially significant spot, as it was where Susan’s Father Dennis’ ashes were scattered after he died in February 1998, and me and Susan had last visited together a few months before she died.

So both Dot (the beloved MIL) and me had various memories as we walked around Haytor, she revealing the exact spot where the ashes had been scattered, and me imagining Susan climbing the rock of Haytor,  as we had joked in the September sunshine (on my birthday!).

The streams were frozen, and the ground rock hard, however, unlike the rest of the country there was no snow, and the sun was shining, especially in the area of the old Haytor quarry, where the pond had frozen, and remained so in the sunshine, with quite a number of people walking around.

Having walked a while through the Dartmoor ponies all munching whatever they could find to eat , we wandered back to ‘Wally’ and eventually made our way back to Brixham

The evening was to be spent in a celebration dinner at The Palace Hotel ,Paignton http://www.palacepaignton.com/index.php with Dot and David ( Susan’s brother in law), a sumptuous feast followed - amongst the oldest clientele I’ve ever seen at a Hotel restaurant, however a lovely evening remembering the moments.

Happy memories and times !