dartmoor

A Week in and around Totnes (Devon)
09.06.2008

Totnes is a busy town, and it certainly isn't a uniform place. People have their own ideas how to lead a life, how to dress, what to do and what to say.
From new born shamans to down to earth builders, from lads to goth punks, hippies and clerks, everybody seems to be that little bit different. If you want to see the latest in self-made fashion, go to Totnes: you see the girls wearing pretty short skirts in a contrast to oversized boots.
Noisy and drunk at night, especially the weekend delivers a multitude of shouts, swearing and expressions of overtestosteroned chav culture.
Daylight though brings the sounds of baskers, delivery vans and traffic.
A warm welcome to Totnes, really, and I still love the green hills surrounding it, its charming houses, small lanes and bridleways, in particular along the river Dart.
If you ever get bored here, simply go to a cafe and find someone to talk to, and you will end up well informed about the next gigs, parties, whereabouts of friends, where to get a job, available rooms, etcetc...
Possibly the most intriguing aspect of town life are the foreigners in great numbers, especially Germans and Poles, people come from everywhere - and this is not only due to the language school and the college only. Totnes is one of the few places where this mix appears to be working fine, and in my opinion it adds to the charm of the place.
It is an incredibly expesive town, though, with rents going through the roof, a serious lack of work facilities, which isn't reflected by wages. Many people are forced to spend their money wisely; many old cars in the streets. More and more people decide to live in caravans or trucks which appear in the more secluded spaces in the countryside or a bit more flexible, in the main car park.
I counted five trucks there one day...Possibly a development to be obseved in Germany soon, as well.
So I will be leaving my old home town with a smile, but also a tad bit sad, it has become my hometown over the years, and t feels easy to get back into the swing of things.
So here's to Totnes, home of weird trousers, astronomical rents and te last bunch of true hippies, cristal shops, organic food, lads and double yellows.
Now get me a pint of yellow hammer, spitfire, jail ale, any odd name will do :)

status bike: ratty but sound
status max: found his old self on the moors
status weather: blue skies.