Family holiday – day 6

Away with the family (twenty-two of us in a Devon farmhouse) we all go in different directions and in different combinations of cousins. Today some of us are riding, some fishing, some golfing and some shopping. Now if it was shopping for food or books I would just love it… but it is shopping for clothes… I get so stressed and anxious shopping for clothes because nothing seems to fit, nothing looks nice, I seem to get shorter and shorter and fatter and fatter… but… but there is a wonderful wedding coming up and I have to look elegant! So my dear cousins who are also attending the wedding take me shopping in Exeter.

Exeter is a beautiful old city on the south coast of Devon. As you could guess from the name it is on the river Exe and there has been settlement here for thousands of years, and trading links from as far away as the east Mediterranean since pre-Roman times, from at least 250BC! It became a Roman settlement because it was in such a good position for access from the sea, and transport up the river, as well as being surrounded by fertile land and good trade routes. It developed into a major Roman city, Isca Dumnoniorum, and was start of the major Roman highway, the Fosse Way;  there are remains of the buildings which can be seen today.

Exeter is full of interesting things to see, the cathedral, the third oldest synagogue in the country, museum, old churches, the Quay with old customs houses, warehouses, fisherman’s cottages… but I was taken round the shop.

My poor cousins suffered with my long face and despondency, but battled on and found me a dress, shoes and a clutch bag (what for? I asked hopelessly) and we returned to our holiday home, mission accomplished!Another lovely day in lovely company and dinner tonight cooked by cousin Robin was lasagne!