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We
assembled in the entrance hall at Central Station for the 2:15
pm Exmouth train. Diane had brought Susan (the old English sheepdog)
with her. We boarded the train and after a 15 minute run alighted
at Woodbury Road station. The train made only a very brief stop
and, unfortunately, Diane and Susan were left on the train. We
enlisted the aid of the station master to try to contact them
at the next station but, by the time he phoned through, they
had actually left the station and so for the moment we had lost
them. We left the station
and went in the direction of the main road, which we crossed
and proceeded straight ahead down a narrow lane. At some cottages
we turned sharp right over a brook and then into the pleasant
leafy lane which goes in the direction of Woodbury. Passing a
water splash and a pleasant farm, we finally joined up with the
road and went into the centre of this rather large picturesque
village. In the square we met a poppy seller who did very good
business selling to the party. We then continued along the main
road through the village. At Four Firs we turned south and after
a while took the track up Black Hill. Here there is a vast quarry
and we skirted round the edge of its vivid red walls. The tracks
are well marked here. At the top I took some photographs.We then returned to the road and after proceeding south for half a mile we took a small road on the right. Here the party began to spread out and we had to stop to wait occasionally for them to catch up. It was a pleasant wooded road with a rather switchback surface.  Turning left we
finally joined up with a major road where we stopped for the
whole party to catch up. We then took the road opposite down
into Lympstone. In evening twilight it looked a very fine picturesque
old village. But we had to hurry on and just reached the station
in time to catch the 5:20 pm train home.Diane and Susan had meanwhile walked down into Exmouth and they caught the next train back. Altogether 18 went on the trip. It was sunny though rather cold throughout. |
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Losing Diane and Susan, even for just a short time, was a source of great consternation for all of us. It is easy to imagine how it happened. Susan, like the rest of her breed, had a very strong character and, if she had settled down nicely for a sleep on the train, then nothing was going to move her. Dr. Shutt often told us of the hilarious adventures he had with that large white dog. When crossing High Street, she would often take a dislike to the traffic and would sit down in the middle of the road in protest and refuse to move. The only possible course of action was then to lift her by her front paws and drag her onto the pavement. Diane understood her better than any of us and had the most control over her but Susan was a big dog - very big. She regarded herself as the leader of the pack - a role which by the very nature of things was reserved for her and, though she was very affectionate, it was unwise to challenge her perceived role in any way. On this occasion, as on many others, we were helped by friendly station staff. They were as concerned as we were. It is sad to reflect that these wonderful people disappeared from the British countryside with the closure of the branch lines in the 60s and 70s. They were a focal point and communication centre for so many remote villages and their loss is still felt in rural communities even after 40 years. |
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