Postcards from Devon

Snaps from a week in the sun :)

Sep 04, 2024

Hi friends! This post is filled with lots of lovely photos, which means it might be too long for your email. For the best experience I’d recommend reading on desktop or via the Substack app. Enjoy!

Last week was spent with Aidan, my mum and stepdad and their three dogs in Salcombe. This area of Devon holds a very special place in my heart because my entire family would holiday there when I was younger - the first week of the school holidays, without fail, for 14 years.

Enjoy some snaps from my trip… mainly of the dogs.

Stay

We stayed in a house in Salcombe, which was perfectly cosy and had a gorgeous view of the harbour.

Pics, left to right: Biggell absolutely baffled by the glass banister, the view of the harbour, and Maple enjoying the balcony.

Food

Oh, we ate so good last week.

Left to right for each row:

Scallops, mussels and the exterior at The Oyster Shack
The Oyster Shack’s interior, a meat feast pizza at The Fortescue and the pasties on offer at The Bakehouse
BBQ dinner and the exterior at The Winking Prawn
A chocolate cruffin from the service station, strawberries and chocolate from Salcombe Dairy Chocolate Factory and the options at the Salcombe Dairy Ice Cream Parlour

Beach

When it comes to feathers, I’m pretty spiritual. I’ve talked about my late grandma on here a lot, and feathers often remind me of her. She was a huge part of our trips here when I was growing up, and on my first dip in the sea I noticed this feather right next to me and just had to take a picture. What were the chances?

Anyway, other beachy pics coming right up… rows left to right as usual.

Not a beach but a tidal road we had to drive along, how cool?! Me in the sea, probably right as I saw that feather, and two people on a paddleboard.
The cutest little beach house tucked into the cliffs and horses on the beach in the evening!
Paddleboards on the rocks and Biggell photobombing my swim in the sea. He is a dog of many quirks and is terrified of paddleboards.

*Except the tidal road, all of the above were taken at North Sands beach. All of the below were taken at East Portlemouth.

The view over to Salcombe from the beach, and two lil’ crabbies who’d washed up overnight :(
Waiting to get the ferry to get back to Salcombe, and part of the beach.

Dogs

I know this is what you’ve all been waiting for. Buckle in, there are a lot of dog pictures coming up!

My mum’s dogs are Biggell (5), Doughnut (2) and Maple (9 months).

Pics at the house. Biggell photobombing (it’s what he does best), Maple (left) and Doughnut (right), then all three of them (Biggell in the middle).
Two gorgeous pics of the trio (the middle pic is my fave!) then Doughnut (left) and Maple (right) at the beach. Yes, Maple is wearing a life jacket… she was learning to swim!
Three pictures of Maple pestering Doughnut as he plays fetch in the sea - as you can tell, she learned to swim. Biggell in the background of the middle pic is so ???
Doughnut with his bally, Maple and Biggell waiting to get on the ferry, and Doughnut and Maple at the beach.
Sleepy dogs! All three of them snoozing at the beach and cuddling at a pub.

Biggell

Oh, you thought I was done?! Think again. I’ve got individual pics of each pooch coming up.

I know I shouldn’t have favourites, but let’s not kid ourselves. I got Biggell at 19, when I was still living with my mum, and he is my absolute souldog. I’m not sure I’ll ever love another being more than I love him (and I think the feeling’s mutual).

We drove him down to Devon so he could have a little more space, though you’ll notice he loves a cuddle and invading personal bubbles…

Doughnut

Doughnut is a beach dog through and through. He absolutely adores the sea and would spend all day playing fetch in the water if we let him. That also means he’s a nightmare to photograph, because he’s constantly moving!

Maple

Maple is still a baby and this was her first ever holiday! She’d never seen a beach or the sea before and she loved it all. Enjoy the silly smile she almost always has on her face!