devon help us all

Here are some photos from our trip to North Devon last weekend. And here are some assorted connected observations:

• We stayed in the Crescent House Hotel in Ilfracombe. I gathered that they sustained some damage when the hotel across the road caught fire a couple of years ago, but it all seems to have been sorted out now.
• We ate on Saturday night in the Take Thyme restaurant down near the harbour, a couple of minutes away from the hotel. Not surprisingly given their location seafood is a speciality and I had some very nice mussels followed by some equally nice sea bass. Interestingly both this place and the Crescent House seem to be run by Irish people - Take Thyme by a couple called O'Callaghan, the hotel by a couple called McGonigle.
• On Saturday we got the number 31 bus down the road to Woolacombe, scene of much excitement over the years including Doug's stag do last year. And a scene of some consternation this year as it seems the Golden Hind pub has had a makeover and is now called The Tides Inn (pictured - see what they did there?) - fortunately they still sell beer, a quite nice pint of St. Austell Tribute in fact.