Use a Dartmoor Bed and Breakfast venue to attend – The Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of Sleeping Beauty, with a classical score by Tchaikovsky and original choreography by Marius Petipa, this will appeal to grown-ups as much as kids, with a romantic finale packed with every fairytale character imaginable. Theatre Royal Plymouth.

Dartmoor Bed and Breakfast at Orchard Barn, Dunsford will offer you a wonderfully comfortable character residence to base your visit to Dartmoor, the Ballet and many other local attractions.

Dartmoor Bed and Breakfast, Orchard Barn Dunsford

Take a look at what’s on offer and book in…………….you’ll find a warm welcome and a B&B of real character and soul overlooking the River Teign and the wonderful Spring daffodils which decorate the banks for miles.

Jane Simants – with ‘Henrietta’ (hung temporarily on loo door!!)

Jane Simants an extraordinarily gifted local artist and her husband Geoff delivered the second highly acclaimed and very popular nude life drawing titled ‘Henrietta’ to Orchard Barn B&B recently……..Ian Corner the new owner is absolutely delighted with his recent purchase…………. designed to add beauty, art and culture in The Snug and as company for ‘Anna’ bought at Jane’s 2007 exhibition.

Jand and Geoff Simmants- with ‘Henrietta’

Jane exhibited her latest works of art at the Devon Open Studios using Eastern Hill Farm as her venue………she held a private preview for selected friends and family the day before opening to the general public and I was fortunate enough to be invited to take wine and nibbles with a select number. Like everyone else present at this event, I was immediately taken by Jane’s talent and artistic eye for detail and beauty………..she exhibited a large number of drawings, pictures and illustrations depicting her broad array of skills and talents.

I spotted ‘Henrietta’ straight away once I entered the workshop half of her exhibition and mindful of the short period of time I had in hand, I even declined to listen to John the owner delivering a fascinating account of how he built the barn with his own oak from the farm…..in favour of appreciating with joy what is now my second Life Study adorning my Snug wall.

Jane is a gifted artist and I commend her work to you all…………and look forward to her next exhibition in 2009!!

Jane with ‘Anna’ in front of The Snug fire

Blaster (left) with Broken Man and Flossie – coffee stop at Megavissie Harbour

Jack Smith as Tour Manager and Ian Glendinning as Route Master (ably assisted by Flossie as Shep’) pulled off yet another brilliant Cornish Cycle Tour last week………….known as the Cornish Millionaires Cycle Tour (only because we all stayed in hotels and dined in luxury rather than penny pinch and cut corners) this tour started with a grand late Breakfast at Jack&Mary’s at Bovey Tracy and a gathering of the 21 cyclists.

Day 1 took the troop to Tavistock via Chagford, Whiddon Down and lunch near Brentor Church, ending at The Bedford Hotel where we dined in the Trafalgar Suite in style with one enormous table fit for a Ladies Night in the Officers Mess…………Jack as Master of Ceremonies led the entertainments, sing-songs, jokes and anecdotes with aplomb and set the scene for an hilarious evening.

Wifi (left) and Trucker after luncheon Day 1 (Tuna on Brown!!)

Day 2 and we crossed from Devon to Cornwall and after an untold number of never ending hills we all fell into the Old Ferry Inn at Fowey for several Riojas and Tribute Ales…………….dits a-plenty and many a sing-song later and we then took the ‘furry’ across to The Ship Inn with a split party and dined at The Harbour Lights. Top Table took wine as usual with the riff-raff and MofC excelled himself as usual with Charles’s (Wifi) solo going down a treat!!

Crossie (you normally see him with Union Jack at Twickenham) and Twiggie take a break

 Day 3 took us to Falmouth via lunch at Dobwalls where Cornish Earlies were the favourite dish of the Hat-Rack Day…….following tea we took another ‘furry’ across to The Rope House where Jack spun his now infamous ‘Take me back to the first roundabout’ joke…..Dinner was at a local restaurant known as ‘Two Short’ which looked after us well. Wifi took The White van for a gay old spin with all the luggage and a magic carpet following an Achilles heal problem!!

Day 4 took us to St Ives via lunch at another Ship Inn at Portloe and a memorable pici stop at Godrieve Lighthouse overlooking the Hayle Sands………..and straight down to the Sloop Inn for a few end of day wets, a short dip in the harbour followed by settling into the Chy-An-Albany Hotel for another fun evenings entertainment.

Wallie (Miss UK’s better looking other half!!) with Godrevie Lighthouse in the background

Day 5 took most of us to Mousehole for lunch and The Tinners Arms at Zennor for a beer before the final CTP on Blasters balcony and the well choreographed dance after dinner where Jack excelled himself once again with his footwork and jiving skills aplenty.

The Trusham Bus with bikes!!

Having checked out on the Sunday morning we loaded 13 bikes onto The Trusham Bus and 8 of us returned after a fantastic break………..198 miles all up and so many jokes and laughs and fun moments. Brilliant – I’ve signed up to next years Tour already. Our thanks to Jack and Ian G in particular.

Maria from Romania (left) and her 2 Chech friends both called Martina admire the local Alpaca’s en route to Mortonhampstead Carnival on Dartmoor

Whilst the short ride was mostly uphill we were overtaken by 4 different John-o-Groats to Lands-end parties of clearly much fitter cyclists…………….anyway, whilst dwelling a pause to catch our breath and to admire the local Alpaca’s I took this pic for fun.

We then got to The White Horse for a couple of well deserved pints of Otter Ale and I left the girls to tour around thereafter as I pedaled back to greet new guests. The pub was welcoming and in walked 4 Statue Players in their silver spray finery all gagging for a pint………….but were willing to pose for the camera nonetheless!!

Maria celebrated her 32 Birthday with a BBQ and some 9 friends from the Dunsford Mill complex and a lovely elderly lady she met whilst lost walking in the local woods shortly after arriving………and a jolly time was had by all as we sampled her Romanian dips and delicacies which accompanied the grilled bean-feast. She’s off back to Barcelona tomorrow after a wonderful stay having toured many of Dartmoor’s beauty spots both on foot and by bike and sampled many an ale in the local pubs. She’s been a fun guest and a pleasure to have at Orchard Barn.

Mortonhampstead Carnival Silver Statues pose at The White Horse Inn

Bart Simpson’s lookalike takes centre-stage within the Lympstone Fury Dance Procession

- Left: Dressed as a French tennis star B&B guest Bruce and his wife Natasha take a trip to the highly attractive and popular Exe Estuary Village to join in the fun and festivities of the annual Lympstone Fury Dance whose pagan history roots back several centuries.

Originally a whole village precession where the dance route snakes through the front door and out through the back door of every participating house, now starts at The Globe where Liam the delightful, generous spirited and ebullient publican offers fantastic Otter Ale to the thirsty revelers many of whom are dressed to the nines – top of the bill is the local band in their fine red livery, followed by a hand-full of senior chaps in DJs (including former WO2 Ken Stokes RM who took me through initial training many years earlier in 1972!!!) and their wives and dance partners…………then come all those who’ve dressed up in whatever costume takes their fancy…………followed by the rest of us in mufty who join in at the back.

The Street Dance then sets off at 7.30 with a triumphant musical burst and soon passes the White Swan where hundreds of others are at the start and (half of which don’t seem to move before the finish either!!!) and then routes about half a mile up to the Saddlers Arms where everybody has a well earnt pint. After 30 mins or so refreshment the “Stand too” is called and the whole Village Pressession returns a little the worse for wear back the same way passed the Swan and finishes at The Globe where once more the cheerful Liam offers suitable ales for all.

There are hot dogs and burger stalls aplenty and the whole event is rounded off at 1000 when a splendid firework display is set off from the end of the Village Harbour wall. Simply a fantastic event and one not to miss if you’re in the area next year…………..fancy dress optional but certainly encouraged.

Winner of the most original Fancy Dress prize – George and his low carbon foot printed eco-friendly power station brings up the rear of the precession passing Geralds famous G&T stop!!