A self-indulgent Saturday
As Royal news is a bit sparse this weekend, I thought I’d be a bit self-indulgent and show you a few photos of Royal Anecdotes’ new environment at Exeter’s Quay. The weather is gloriously spring-like at present, so I spent the morning wandering along the river and canal snapping the views.
Our old Customs House with two cannons guarding it
The Customs House was built in 1661 and is the oldest brick building in Exeter. It was used by Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise as recently as 1989. Its magnificent interior reflects the wealth of the West Country’s wool trade at the time it was built.
View across the canal to the bridge and the 11th-century Cathedral
There’s an almost holiday resort atmosphere here at the Quay right now with people sitting out for lunch at the many pubs and restaurants. It can’t surely be mid-February? — but it is.
Regency view across the river
Now here’s a perfect cluster of Regency buildings, straight out of Jane Austen. Apart from the car and the couple in fluorescent yellow togs, it could be 200 years ago.
A pair of medieval houses, now used for commercial purposes
As much of old Exeter was destroyed by bombing in World War 2, it remains a miracle that so much from the medieval and Elizabethan periods remains standing.
More genuine Royal anecdotes on Monday.
Click on the Flickr logo in the sidebar for more Exeter photos. Click on the thumbnails for more detailed shots.
What a beautiful place to live and work, John! Many thanks for sharing the photographs and descriptions with us! The Customs House is simply exquisite and I love the Tudor houses.
By Gigi on February 9th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Thanks, Gigi. I have to take my cameras everywhere here. There’s a shot around every corner.
By John on February 9th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Oh good! Please post as many photographs as possible!! I adore photos of beautiful English settings! Just the thought of being surrounded daily by all that history and architectural perfection sounds like Heaven!
By Gigi on February 9th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
How absolutely gorgeous! I congratulate you. I wish you health, happiness and prosperity in your new digs.
By Madelaine on February 9th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Thank you, Madelaine.
By John on February 9th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
It’s been a cold, snowy, dreary week here in Massachusetts and these beautiful pictures are just what I needed to lift my spirits. John, your employees are very fortunate to have such a beautiful environment in which to work. I’m jealous!
By Arthur on February 9th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
It’s quite remarkable for us too, Arthur. In my youth February was always a bitter month, followed by windy March and showery April. Now we sit out like boulevardiers throughout the winter.
By John on February 10th, 2008 at 11:21 am
LINK
is saying that PW and KM are on the rocks again.
By Me on February 10th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
So what are we to make of this gloomy news? What is the intelligence on the ground John?
By Claudia on February 10th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Big pinch of salt, Claudia. Only the red-tops are carrying this at present. None of the serious papers are touching it. The quotes are from unattributed sources and could be disgruntled “friends” or the usual suspects, i.e. reporters charged with getting a Wills and Kate story and indulging in speculatation.
Having said that, there’s always an outside chance that someone has tapped into a genuine anxiety here. My guess, though, is that it’s something and nothing.
By John on February 10th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
So, you’re hedging your bets it seems.
By Claudia on February 10th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I know none of it is true and William & Kate must be laughing away at this but I do think it’s very hurtful for them. I’m just glad that they are a strong couple.
By Claudius on February 10th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Whew…..I knew if I logged on here I would hear something uplifting. I got a little nervous when I saw another site reporting a break-up.
Claudius, this may have been asked/ addressed in the past - but how do know sooooo much???
Well, now that I have asked I feel silly - I am sure you wouldn’t tell me……but can you give me (us) something??? 
:)
By Madelaine on February 10th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
A question to clarify John. Are the ‘Red Tops’ like the papers in the
US at the grocery check out aisle that say that George W gets advise from space aliens or that George W and Laura are getting a divorce? Or are these the papers that had it right about Charles and Diana all along? I’m thinking that this story may drag out for awhile with little confirmation one way or the other. I’ll be really bummed if this is true, I love PW and KM as a couple. I don’t like to borrow trouble but on the other hand one likes to keep one’s feet on the ground.
By Claudia on February 10th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
You can just feel it Madelaine. The press did this to Charles & Diana and now they are doing it to their children. William & Kate is just too mature for things like this.
By Claudius on February 10th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
I wish I lived in your new village John. Is all of England excruciatingly charming and cozy or are there hidden rough bits as well? My professor husband lived in England for a few months before we were married and loved it. Our son is spending his junior year abroad in Prague but I’m still waiting my turn!
I just saw an article on People.co.uk that contradicts the Mirror article but alas the People.co.uk has that ‘red top’ even on the web page!
No more stressing over this, I’ll just calmly wait and wait and wait to see what happens!
By Claudia on February 10th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Claudia, does your professor husband get sabbaticals? A good friend of mine was able to spend a semester in England when her husband arranged a sabbatical when he taught at a university there. She loved it.
By Evelyn on February 10th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
No sabbaticals for us! (except a weekly one). We have a consulting business on the side to Universities so busy-ness is what we’re about! But I haven’t given up hope! In the meantime I buy every video in existence about England, its history, royalty, Jane Austen etc etc etc whatever Amazon.com has no matter how old or obscure.
By Claudia on February 10th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Maybe John passed off the camera and posed astride one of the cannons in that top picture.
Looks like Royal Anecdotes is battle ready for when the rival royal bloggers storm the offices.
By Melissa on February 10th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Claudia, we can’t use the derogatory term “tabloid” any more since many of the quality papers have adopted the size — The Times and Daily Mail, for example.
What used to be known as the yellow, or gutter, press all have red tops. They tend to be shallow and raunchy, or, to put it more politely, gossipy and less accurate.
However, The Sun is “read” by followers of politics because it’s had a serious political editor for years with high connections in Downing Street. All the parties fight like rats in a sack to get The Sun’s endorsement in general elections. It’s still an incredibly rude red-top nonetheless.
By John on February 11th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Claudia, my photos reflect my interests in history, landscape and architecture, so I usually shoot fine old buildings and fabulous views.
As I say in the piece, though, a lot of Exeter was bombed in the war and it was replaced by ghastly 1960s/70s type buildings. In American terms, think Santa Monica. My camera goes limp if I point it at those places.
There are a lot of hideous bits around much of England too. Ask Chelsy Davy what she thinks of her cold, dark, northern, industrial, university city of Leeds. Not much, would be the reply. No Jane Austen tweeness there.
If you catch the latest BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, which is set in Devon, you’ll see where we are — lots of great seascapes and rolling green hills. Sumptuous.
By John on February 11th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Sorry for the faux pas. I guess my memory fails me in thinking that you once referred to yourself as a blogger. So you are battle ready for when you are stormed by rival digital networks. How’s that?
By Melissa on February 11th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Yes, the rascals are always nipping at our heels.
By John on February 11th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
John, to show you what a ‘fan-atic I can be, I actually watched the new Sense and Sensibility in segments on youtube. It hasn’t aired here yet. I also watched Cranford that way and started to watch Lark Rise to Candleford but then it was removed, probably because it was still running in the UK. I’ll be purchasing all these as soon as they are available too. I also have the ancient Treasure Houses video series which I love to drink in.
By Claudia on February 11th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I didn’t know they were on YouTube, Claudia, probably illegally, I would think. That’s an awful lot of watching on a very small screen.
By John on February 11th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Is Royal Anecdotes a blog or a digital network? Just wondering…
By Melissa on February 11th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
John, as far as I can tell the clips are OK as long as the program has already run on TV. The theatrical film Atonement was up for a bit but the site it was on was taken down. The person who had it up knew they were taking a risk judging by the comments they made. Lark Rise was also on this persons site. However there are still small clips of Atonement here and there. Youtube Jane Austen and you’ll find all the latest films, some of which have not been seen here in the US yet. But as I say, the films have to be watched in 9 minute segments. Not too much of an impediment for the true fan-atic though!
By Claudia on February 11th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Actually, I neither know nor care what journalistic designation precisely defines Royal Anecdotes, as long as John keeps posting excellent stories and lovely photos and we all continue our daily commenting!
I find that a day without Royal Anecdotes is very bleak indeed. The main reason that I was so excited that I got a laptop for Christmas (blush) is that I can access Royal Anecdotes more easily and also without incommoding my husband while he is using our desktop PC! This is expecially critical in a year where we have at least one Royal wedding scheduled (Peter and Autumn) and are confidently expecting the announcement of a Royal Engagement (Prince William and Kate) at any moment. When I was considering what to give up for Lent, I chose bacon, because the thought of giving up Royal Anecdotes made me faint dead away and ammonia ampules are never where they are needed.
By Gigi on February 11th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Thank you, Gigi. It is a little tiresome when people get snipey about irrelevances.
It will be interesting to see if Kate is present at Peter Phillips’s wedding. It’s known that she has met him socially, probably a number of times.
My guess is that she will be there.
By John on February 11th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I am hoping that Kate will be at Peter and Autumn’s wedding, also, John. I also hope that Prince Harry will be present, since it seems a long time since we have read anything about him or seen photos of him. The fact that Peter and Autumn have chosen to be married at Windsor, far more commodious a venue than Craithie Kirk at Balmoral, suggests that the guest list shall be lengthy and the guests distinguished! I am hoping that every member of the extended Royal Family who are ambulatory will be present at Peter and Autumn’s wedding!
By Gigi on February 11th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Courtiers are saying that whole whole of The Firm is going, so it will be quite an event. That’s probably why they cancelled the Balmoral venue.
By John on February 11th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Maybe Peter & Autumn were checking out Balmoral because they’re thinking of spending part of their honeymoon there.
By Evelyn on February 11th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
What a lovely idea, Evelyn! Balmoral for a honeymoon would be ideally apropos! John, is there any news about where Peter and Autumn will reside after their wedding? Will their principal residence be the cottage at Gatcombe Park?
By Gigi on February 11th, 2008 at 10:01 pm