From the ages of two to fourteen, I lived in a small village called Ainsworth, halfway between Bolton and Bury, in old Lancashire.

The streets in the new estate were named after places in Devon. The main trunk avenue, where our home was, was Devon Drive; others included Kingsbridge Avenue and Salcombe Avenue. I’d never been to Devon, and these sounded exotic. It was exciting being on a new estate of bungalows and I hold fond memories of those times.

I’ve retained a fondness for things ‘Devon’. We thought we’d have a winter break there in the run-up to Christmas. It’s too busy in the summer for our tastes. We’ve gradually been filling in our knowledge of this beautiful county, and know a few of the areas quite well.

If you follow my writing (and thank you), you’ll know that photography is one of my passions. The late Autumn landscape of Devon offers a series of delights and some photographic challenges. Many of the colours are still present – the season lasts longer than in Cumbria. The light fades fast, though – but the ‘gathering gloom’ of the mid-afternoon has its own attractions – wonderful things happen to assist the creativity…

We spent a week in a village (Marldon) not far from Torquay. One of the busiest parts of Devon in the summer, and quite popular in the winter months, too. This proved an excellent base for exploration of the nearby towns of Torquay, Brixham, Babbacombe and Dartmouth.

Our visit was prompted by Bernie being on a ‘Magimix’- based cooking weekend to develop her skills; something I am the beneficiary of, so wanted to encourage. Being in Devon as part of the process helped… Her course lasted the weekend, during which Tess (collie) and I explored the surrounding landscape. The rest of the week we spent together – a delightful pre-Christmas sojourn.

I’ve taken a good many photographs and thought it would be fun to spend the run-up to Christmas sharing the best of them, here on the Sunday blog- along with short comments about the locations.

Wishing everyone a gentle and peaceful December.

©Stephen Tanham 2022

Stephen Tanham is a Director of the Silent Eye, a journey through the forest of personality to the dawn of Being.

http://www.thesilenteye.co.uk and http://www.suningemini.blog