SPINNAKER:
A BIG STEP
FORWARD
BY THE EDITOR
There has been a breakthrough in
the Quay’s campaign for changes
to the design of the controversial
Spinnaker Court apartment block.
Developers unveiled new proposals to
the Residents’ Association committee
last week which members agreed had
addressed many of their concerns.

How Spinnaker would now
look from estuary: Page 2

Fourteen flats are still being planned,
but the revised drawings are thought
to be a major improvement on those
previously submitted and to blend
better with the existing development.
It was felt the rejection of the earlier
design by town and district planners
was largely due to the efforts of the
Quay’s campaign team of three who
had worked tirelessly on the case.


















Eagle One director Chris Fayers said they had tried to address residents’ concerns over the bulk of Spinnaker Court on the earlier application. At the presentation of the revised proposals, which are expected to be submitted to East Devon Council early this month, Mr Fayers said they had worked through the summer with architects and planners to achieve something that looked more comfortable in its setting. The new design incorporated the turret features on the adjoining Windward Court and Leeward Court and the floor space was less because the top floor flats were smaller. The Spinnaker building and its principal windows looked out onto the estuary and not at Windward Court. He said secondary windows in the end elevation would look towards Windward, but these were angled and, in a planning sense, would not be regarded as overlooking. The Committee’s response, copied to district planners, praised Mr Fayers for the effort put into the new design, but asked for a formal assurance/planning condition that Spinnaker’s maximum ridge height(s) would be specified and existing Windward Court ridge height(s) would be included as a point of reference. The developers were asked to confirm verbal assurances that there was no intention to change the bulk, height and design envisaged in any fundamental way; also that there was to be no building on garages in the vicinity and no radical change in the angle of the building and windows adjacent to Windward. *The Quay campaign team of Roy Pickering, Andy Buchan and Jeremy Campling organised traffic and residents’ surveys and commissioned reports from the respected coastal defence consultants Royal Haskoning and planning experts in The Nash Partnership. Treasurer Pat Braden said an appeal to Association members for assistance with this campaign expenditure was successful and had helped to preserve general funds. Donations ranged from £10 to £250.


The new Spinnaker Court …

THIS COMPUTER generated view of Spinnaker Court from the estuary was produced by
developers Eagle One to illustrate their latest proposal. *The computer image below of the
previous design was provided by consultants commissioned by the Residents’ Association.



… and how previous design would have looked
Sun giants were blooming marvellous!
Sandra and Chris Dowding suggested the great
sunflower display at the Quay and are pictured
with Greenfingers’ leader Terry Darville (right)
and Shaun Spring, aged 12, who tended a huge
plant on his family’s Clipper Wharf patio. *Terry
assesses the summer spectacular on Page 4

Oops! Harbourmaster
Keith gets a late-night
ducking in the docks

POPULAR harbourmaster Keith Graham had a lucky escape when he slipped off a pontoon into the marina after a late evening trip back from Starcross. Keith (above) has taken Ropewalk House’s Don Lopez and another friend to Masonic meetings in Starcross for several years in his 21ft fishing boat, and on this occasion the group encountered a rough trip back in a force 6 gale. “We had been dressed for dinner and were pretty wet when we got back to the Marina,” says Don. “Keith got off first, as usual, and tied up, but there was driving rain and it was quite dark and he must have stumbled on a rope or slipped on the soaking wood. He plunged straight in, but fortunately our other passenger managed to get hold of one of his legs and haul him to safety.” Keith said he had managed to get his elbows up to the pontoon, but would have struggled without his friend’s assistance. The sea water wrecked Keith’s mobile phone and when he went to replace it next day he removed the SIM card and found there had been a message from his wife, Pat. “It was timed at 11pm, just when I was bobbing about in the water,” he said. “She must have had a premonition that all was not well!” In 1980 Keith had a similar experience when he was clearing mud from the docks with a tracked dredger on a floating pontoon. “As my mate moved the machine around it knocked a pipe against me and I was thrown in the water, but I was only 36 at the time and I soon jumped out.”

NO CAROLS ON THE QUAY AT CHRISTMAS
An attempt to save this December’s Carols on the Quay concert has been abandoned. Last year’s event was organised by John Nettleton – who also sang on the night with the Exmouth
Shantymen and the Budleigh Salterton Male Voice Choir – but the Clipper Wharf tenor tragically passed away on Easter Monday. His widow Cath would have liked the concert to continue this year in John’s memory and held a meeting at her home to assess the interest,
but it was clear the only people with the expertise to run it would be away from the area in
the weeks before Christmas. “There are a lot of complex issues involving the lighting, staging and audio and we didn’t want to put on a lack-lustre show,” said Cath. A decision needed to be made as the Budleigh choir had received pre-Christmas requests to perform from other groups in the area. Former organiser David Dow said sponsors had backed Carols on the Quay in the past and a record £752 was raised for Exmouth Lifeboat in 2008, but the current financial climate had made it more difficult to attract businesses. David is hoping to get a committee together to try to revive the event in 2010 and anyone offering help should make contact with him (276 117). Exmouth lifeboat coxswain Tim Mock was disappointed to hear
of the cancellation, but said he was grateful to the Quay for financial support over the years.

PAVILION MEMORIAL CONCERT FOR JOHN NETTLETON
A JOINT memorial concert for the Quay’s much-loved John Nettleton and Town Crier Garth Gibson
is being held at Exmouth Pavilion tomorrow evening (October 2 nd). Both men were members of the Exmouth Shanty Men, whose artistic director Martin Nicholls has arranged an outstanding line-up of entertainers. Many Quay families and members of John’s Happy feet walking group will be in the audience. The show starts at 7.30 and some tickets are still available at the Pavilion ( 222 477 Tel).

BRITAIN IN BLOOM JUDGES PRAISE QUAY
Judges in the prestigious Britain in Bloom contest (South West region) visited the Quay gardens as part of a tour of the town’s spectacular floral displays -- and they were delighted with what they saw.
As a result, Exmouth carried off the trophy for the best large town gardens for the third year running and Terry Darville, leader of the volunteer Greenfingers’ Group who tend the Quay shrub beds, was handed a Certificate of Merit at a presentation ceremony in Yeovil. It was the latest in a string of
awards for the Quay in local and regional contests since 2004. “Actually, I don’t think our beds
were quite as colourful as other years,” said Terry. “Our main selection, celosia, a red and orange plant commonly known as the Prince of Wales feathers, was good in parts, but the weather wasn’t really to its liking. We also chose gerbas, penstemon and outdoor amaryllis, but we missed the usual splashes of colour from extra clusters of geraniums and bizzie lizzies, although the latter were badly hit by disease and had a poor summer in many areas.” It was also decided to purchase 100 giant and dwarf sunflower plants, half of which were used in the communal beds and the others offered to property owners for displaying on their ground floor patios. “It added a nice theme all around the Quay,” said Terry. “There were a number of successes and David and Audrey Dow’s stood out like
a beacon right into the autumn on their patio in Cutters Wharf.”

PLEASE TALK TO OUR PLANTS, SAYS TERRY
The Quay’s Greenfingers Group spent the latter part of September filling the new flower and shrub beds around the Regatta Court complex. “The developer asked if we would like to take on the new area and we felt it would be an opportunity to choose the shrubs we wanted,” said leader Terry Darville. “Julia and Barry Russell, of Lympstone Nurseries, helped greatly with the plant selection and 32 different varieties went into the giant courtyard bed on the estuary side of Regatta Court.” He said he was well supported by George Raciborski, Chris Dowding, Robert Braden and Ian Dowell during the busy planting operation and he had already had an offer of help with the maintenance of the beds from one of the new apartment owners. “There are 39 properties in Regatta Court and I’m hoping more people will come forward to give a helping hand in the months ahead now that the hard work has been done,” said Terry. “We just need a few people to weed and water and spare a little time to talk to the plants!”
Regatta Court riddle
of Coldplay’s Chris
and actress Gwyneth
A number of people claim to have seen Chris Martin, lead vocalist of the band Coldplay, touring the new Regatta Court complex with his wife, the American actress Gwyneth Paltrow. “I’ve heard the reports, too,” said Hugh McKenzie, who is in charge of the sales office, “ some people are adamant they have seen them on site, but they certainly haven’t been in to talk to me and I’m not aware of any official interest from them.” Chris Fayers, a director of Eagle One, said they were sometimes approached by third parties on behalf of people in the spotlight, but he had not had any discussions with Mr Martin or his representatives. The highly-regarded singer-songwriter and instrumentalist hails from the Westcountry. He was born in Exeter and met Gwyneth backstage at a Coldplay gig in 2002. After a whirlwind romance, the couple, who are pictured above, married in December, 2003. They have a son, Moses and a daughter, Apple.

Regatta show apartment is sold on opening day
THE furnished show apartment overlooking the estuary on the first floor of Regatta Court was sold
on the weekend it was launched. Priced at over £800,000, it has three bedrooms and was furnished
by the London design house Tessuto, with some of the soft furnishings included in the sale. It will
continue to be used as a showhome for the foreseeable future, said Hugh McKenzie, who runs the sales office. “One of the three-bedroom town houses, with views over the estuary and the Marina,
has also been sold and there is great interest in several other properties.” He said business was good over the promotional weekend, which marked the formal handover of the site by builders Midas.
The opening of the showhome was advertised in the national and regional media with a new Mini
car included with all launch day reservations, but it is not known how many people took up the offer. “There has been a huge leap forward with the completion of the building and the construction of the final section of the walkways and gardens, which captures the style of the superb location,” said Mr McKenzie. “It is certainly the most exciting period since I came on site in June, 2008.”

WHY IS A SHIP CALLED SHE?
A sign on the wall of Mark Quilter’s Exmouth Fisheries shop on the Pierhead suggests this answer:
There is always a great deal of bustle around her; and there is usually a gang of men about;
she has a waist and stays; it takes a lot of paint to keep her looking good; it is not the initial expense that breaks you, it is the upkeep; she can be all decked out; it takes an experienced man to handle her correctly; without a man at the helm she is uncontrollable; and finally, she
shows her top sides, hides her bottom and when coming into port always heads for the buoys!

ADVENT SERVICE AT BETTY’S QUAY CRIB
THE priest at the Catholic Church of the Holy Ghost, Father Philip Austen, will hold a short service to inaugurate a crib on the patio of Betty Tansley’s home at 3 Pennant House on 29 November – the first Sunday of Advent. Betty is hoping local children will help to decorate the crib, which will be illuminated through Advent and over Christmas. She is also exploring the possibility of staging a walk from the new lifeboat station at Maer Rocks to the crib to raise funds for the RNLI.

Brave Jacky’s
dinghy trip on
Alaskan river

ROPEWALK HOUSE resident Jacky Davis, who is often seen moving around Exmouth Quay in her motorised wheelchair, surprised fellow travellers when she volunteered for a trip down Alaska’s Talkeetna River in an inflatable dinghy. “I was proud of her,” said husband Barry. “There were only eight others on board and a couple of beefy young men had quite a job getting her on and off the dinghy.” Jacky (above) suffers from a severe form of arthritis in the spine, hips and knees, but she had chosen the Alaska trip to mark Barry’s 70 th birthday. “The scenery was spectacular and I loved every minute as we floated down the river,” she said. “Then it was great fun when the two strong young men decided the time had come to lift me back on to dry land.” The couple had cruised from Vancouver to Whittier, near Anchorage, and travelled by coach to three national parks. They spotted a grizzly bear on a roadside in the Denali National Park, which is a massive six million acres. Other sightings included bald eagles, orca and humpback whales, sea otters, puffins and sea lions. * Jacky stayed behind last year when Barry went off on a fascinating holiday to the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific. He flew in from Ecuador and was taken by motor cruiser on a tour of the remote islands.

MOORINGS UNITS CONVERTED TO FLATS
The two ground-floor commercial units in The Moorings have been bought by Clipper Wharf’s Tony and Wendy Dix and are being converted into two residential apartments.
Mr and Mrs Dix took over the units earlier in the year and have worked with local architects on the conversion project. “It is a business venture and, on the advice of letting agents, the two apartments are being made wheelchair-friendly,” said Tony. “Each has a large kitchen/diner/lounge and two bedrooms with two bathrooms, one ensuite and one suitable for wheelchair use.” He said that both apartments would have front entrances on the Victoria Road side of the Moorings building and were
in a beautiful position overlooking the Marina. A number of people were showing a great interest in the venture. The commercial units were empty since The Moorings block was constructed and the developers Eagle One had obtained approval from the planning authority to switch to residential use.

MADISON RESIDENTS’ STREET LIGHT VICTORY
MADISON Wharf residents have succeeded in moving a proposed street light on the estuary side
of their homes. Residents’ Association representative Chris Dowding, who led a campaign to get it
re-positioned, said: “Many residents were concerned that if the lamp position was as high as others
at the Quay we could have had a light shining directly into our living rooms.” He held talks with Eagle One and East Devon Council and pointed out that other street lights in the development were
at the back of people’s properties and there was sympathetic low-level downlighting at the front. It was agreed to screen the street lamp and fix it to a balcony partition wall, allowing it to shine away from Madison Wharf and onto the road. Mr Dowding had also been concerned that any street light positioned near the wave deflector wall would have illuminated the beach area and encouraged the use of the beach for parties etc. as youths already congregated on the beach, but moved on when it was dark. “Fortunately, the new position means we will not have lighting near the wall,” he said.

RESIDENTS’ CHAIRMAN WILL BE FUND SIGNATORY
THE decision has now been taken to switch the Quay’s long-term capital reserves from a
bank high interest savings account to an investment account which will be using index-linked gilts and low cost tracker funds. After meetings between the Residents’ Association finance group and the Quay Management Company, it was agreed that the Management Company would use Alliance Trust Savings (ATS) for the holding of the long-term fund’s assets. ATS is a subsidiary of Alliance Trust, which is a FTSE 100 company and the largest investment trust
in Britain. ATS was set up by them to administer portfolios for buying, holding and selling quoted shares, gilts etc for organisations and individuals. An Independent Financial
Advisor will be responsible for giving advice for the investment of the long-term fund. Cash will only be able to be withdrawn from the fund by joint signatories, one of whom will be a director of the Management Company and the other the Chairman at the time of the Quay Residents’ Association. The Management Company builds up the fund by levying a charge
on each property, currently £140 per year, and it has already risen to a quarter of a million pounds. It was set up for the maintenance of the bridge and sea and dock walls and other major items which may occur. Most of the serious work is unlikely to be necessary for 30 to
60 years and there was concern that money in a savings account could be hit by inflation.

QUAY CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINMENT NIGHT CALLED OFF
A plan for Quay residents to take over The Point Bar & Grill on a Saturday in December for a night of Christmas entertainment has been called off. Organisers Terry Darville and Gareth Awbery said they had taken soundings from residents and, for a variety of reasons, there was not enough support.
BY IAN DOWELL
Many of the 600 ships
a year that sailed into
Exmouth in the docks’
heyday would never
have made it without
local pilots at the helm.
The navigation channel
was surrounded by
sandbanks and rocks
and the narrow entrance
to the docks could be
very difficult when the
tide was in full flow.
Skipper of the pilots’
cutter, Geoff Holman
(above left) would take
pilots Terry Rowsell
(centre) and Brian
Rowsell (right) two
and a half miles out to
the Fairway Buoy to
rendezvous with a ship,
but they would have to
move quickly as the
channel was navigable
only two hours before
high tide and two hours


after. Once a pilot had returned a vessel to
the Buoy, he would have to climb down a
rope ladder to the waiting cutter while the
huge ship kept moving at a speed of about
six knots. “It was straightforward on calm
waters,” said Geoff Holman, “but perilous














in a heavy swell or in a
night storm.” Terry said
the captains of the ships
were happy for the pilot
to take over “and it was
our job to get the vessel
safely into dock.” Even
if a skipper had been
coming into Exmouth
for years, he would
never operate without
a pilot, particularly
for insurance reasons.
Brian Rowsell (he’s not
related to Terry) was the
lifeboat coxswain for 20
years and said when a
pilot arrived on the ship
he would immediately
get precise details of the
vessel and discover the
character of the captain.
“The pilots’ role was to
advise, but it was much
easier to handle the ship
yourself and this wasn’t
usually a problem.” He
(Continued on Page 12) The old wooden jetty took a battering
(From Page 9) recalled one occasion when an arrogant German skipper appeared to want to do it himself, but in the end he relented and allowed Brian to take over. “When you are bringing a ship in you needed to know the conditions as the vessel has no brakes,” said Geoff. “The ships were high
and you had to contend with wind conditions.” There was never a major accident involving shipping at Exmouth Docks, which says much for the skill of the pilots, although the old wooden north jetty was bumped about and knocked down several times. Harbourmaster Keith Graham recalls: “In 1985, local docks worker Ray Towel had just repaired the jetty and was walking away when a ship made a wrong move at the harbour entrance and hit the jetty with her starboard bow. We called to Ray to get back to the jetty as his work was in ruins!” Brian and Terry lightheartedly blamed the north jetty incidents on a third member of their pilots’ team, Peter Hocking, who came from a family steeped in lifeboat tradition. Sadly, their old friend is unable to defend himself as he passed away some years ago. Exmouth Docks was constructed in 1868 and closed to commercial shipping on New Year’s Day, 1990. Keith Graham said the busiest period came in the early to mid 1980s. “Robin Carter had taken over the business and there was lots of storage space at Greendale Barton, Woodbury,” he said. The ships brought in coal, timber, grain, apples, fertilisers, gravel, bricks and cement, but there were occasions when the ships went out loaded with scrap metal bound for Spain, coke breeze from the Exeter and Exmouth gas works and certain specialised grains for the Scottish whiskey distilleries.
















NUDGE
NUDGE
Only inches to
spare as giant
ships moved
around docks
With a push, a tug, a
nudge and sometimes
a wink, pilots would
manoeuvre the 1,000
and 2,000 ton ships
into a docks berth.
“Often there were six tied
up, some double banked,”
said Brian Rowsell, chief
pilot for 18 years. The
docks measured 500ft by
288ft and the ships were
at least 280ft in length, so
every inch mattered.
In the top picture, the
Dahle, a Dutch vessel,
is guided into position by
Geoff Holman at the helm
of the cutter, Sir Ashton
Lister. 160 ships came in
the year Geoff started in
1970 and this increased
annually to 600 by 1980.



.
QUAY COUPLE’S SON MAKES ‘SMART DRUGS’ FILM
Film-maker Stephen Middleditch, who occasionally lives at Schooners Court with parents Morton and Barbara, attracted national media coverage last week for his work on a controversial television documentary. Titled “Wasted Britain,” it was screened on Current TV (available on the Sky and Virgin services) on Monday night. The programme featured the use of ‘smart drugs,’ which are being used increasingly by undergraduates to stay alert and improve mental performance. The side effects may include insomnia, agitation, anxiety, and heart problems and medical experts say the long-term effects are unknown. Stephen, who is 25, described the ease with which he was able to
get hold of one of the drugs to The Independent newspaper: “When the producers first told me to
buy it I had never heard of it, so I began some research on the internet. I discovered that with
a few clicks I could get hold of it by filling in a phoney prescription on line. I said I had jet lag.”
A week later a pack of 30 pills arrived, postmarked Mumbai. Stephen told the newspaper that to conduct his experiment, he woke up one day at 3am to make himself fatigued, and took the pills at midday. He described the experience of taking the drug as odd. “You get this massive buzz; it’s a
bit like drinking five cups of coffee in one go. It affects areas of the brain rather than the heart. My hands were moving a bit and I definitely got the jitters. I certainly felt more focused.” He said he could see why some might take them, such as troops in combat or paramedics “but personally it’s not something that I would take again because it doesn’t feel right. You become this person you
are kind of not.” His father told Quay News that Stephen was an independent documentary film maker, “so he was director and editor as well as guinea pig.” Stephen has just formed his Trunk Films Company and has been told he will be commissioned by Current TV to make further films.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
As the Regatta Court development nears completion – much to the relief of many existing residents who have been adversely affected by the unavoidable disturbance of the construction work – a new group of families have started to move into the apartment block and we extend a warm welcome to them and trust they will have an enjoyable time as part of the Quay community. The Greenfingers’ leader Terry Darville and his band of volunteers, who have made such a great job of tending the flower and shrub beds around the Quay, have begun landscaping the areas around Regatta Court
and this will add to the beauty of the whole waterside development. On a serious note, much of the Residents’ Association focus through the summer has been concentrated on the developer’s revised application to build an apartment block at Spinnaker Court, which was considered by almost all at
the Quay to be much too big for the site. The Association set up a small campaign group, consisting of residents Roy Pickering, Andy Buchan and Jeremy Campling, and their efforts have been quite extraordinary. Almost 100 Quay owners were encouraged to send letters of concern to the planning authorities and the Association’s Officers agreed to release funds to enable the group to seek advice from lawyers and planning and marine engineering experts. Almost certainly as a result of this pressure, Exmouth Town Council refused to support the application and East Devon Dist Council asked the developer to reconsider the scheme. At a full meeting of the Association committee, it
was also agreed to launch an appeal for funds to help to finance the campaign and the response has been most encouraging. On the social front, Carols on the Quay and Canapes on the Quay were again well supported and raised funds for the RNLI and the Exmouth and Lympstone Hospiscare. The second annual skittles match between a team from the Quay and the Happy Feet walking group took place this year at the Globe Hotel, Topsham, and resulted in a convincing Quay victory. These events help to build up the Quay’s community spirit. David Apperley, 15 Pilot Wharf.

MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Membership of the Quay Residents’ Association continues to grow steadily and several of the new Regatta Court owners have already signed up. It was agreed at the Annual General Meeting in 2007 to accept a single subscription from owners with more than one property at the Quay and as a result the number of houses and apartments under the Association’s wing is now slightly higher (143) than the number of subscriptions paid (130).Renewal reminders will go out with New Year’s Quay News.

SECRETARY’S REPORT
The year’s activities have been dominated by the Residents’ Association’s campaign for changes to the Spinnaker Court planning application and this has been dealt with by the Chairman in his report. However, a number of other important issues have been discussed at the meetings of the Committee (held at six-weekly intervals) which have been well attended by officers, block representatives and observers. Good working relationships have been established with elected representatives and this helped in our various discussions with local authorities and major public services. Martin Luce and the Chairman have put a lot of effort into meetings with the Management Company concerning the Quay’s long-term capital reserves and it is expected that action will soon be taken to preserve the purchasing power of the fund. Paul Stanbridge worked with the Management Company on precise specifications following a request by residents for a summer clean-up of the estate from a power washing contractor. In addition, there were personal appearances at the Committee meetings by former Devon County Council highways officer Dick Andrews (who addressed issues surrounding the adoption of Shelly Reach and Shelly Road), Quay Management Company Administrator Chris Fayers (who answered questions on Management Company accounts), and Keith and Sue Spring (who gave details of talks they were having at the time with the developers to transform the commercial units in The Moorings into a base for a sailing and powerboat school). Others matters addressed by the Committee included the safety of Belshers Slipway and anti-social behaviour on Shelly Beach; apartment block security; estate parking; cycling and fouling on walkways and the overall performance of the Quay Management Company. Finally, I would like to thank all residents for their support during my term of office. Although I am no longer a member of the Committee, I
have offered to continue to produce the Quay News magazine. Ian Dowell, 3 Cutters Wharf.

TREASURER’S REPORT
We still have close to £3,000 despite paying some sizeable legal and consultants’ charges relating to our inquiries into the Spinnaker Court planning application. An appeal to members for extra cash to help with campaign expenditure was well supported, with donations ranging from £10 to £250, and this has helped to preserve the Association’s general funds. A more detailed balance sheet will be available at the AGM on November 26. Increased advertising covered the printing costs of the four Quay News issues. Last year’s Carols on the Quay raised £752. Pat Braden, 10 Pennant House.
ON THE WATERFRONT
Our roving reporter ANDY PRICE has a
giggle with the great Quay globetrotter
****************************************
When was the last time you saw Robert Braden? I don’t mean walking round Exmouth Quay …I mean further afield?I can tell you that the last time I saw him was at a display of Spanish Dancing in Cordoba. I can only say that it was the over ripe smell of the fellow that revealed him as a ‘Robert Braden lookalike.’ My friend who watched all this going on said, “Don’t you know, there are Robert Braden dopple gangers all over the world”… and I thought ‘My Sainted Aunt’ she’s right. Robert is the finest example you are ever likely to encounter… one of those tall, big chested, bewhiskered fellows. Generally found wearing sensible footwear, fawn toggs,and a broad brimmed hat on the Australian model. I suppose what I like especially about Robert, speaking as a small male, is that as a big chap he does not frighten me with wild movement or intemperate manner. In short, I’m not afraid he’s going sit on me and not notice…Here it comes the cliché which clearly applies in Robert’s case ….He is (wait for it) a Gentle Giant.I suppose it should not come as a big surprise that Robert spent the last eight years of boyhood working on the Sussex farm his father managed. In fact, but for asthma and a nasty allergy to the cows he was obliged to tend, he might well have stayed there.In 1962 he moved on to work with an agricultural dealers as a demonstrator, a time when mechanisation in the form of hydraulic power was making huge changes to life in primary industry. Seven years later, Robert joined a British manufacturing company Matbro, at the time leaders in the field of plant design worldwide. Robert travelled all over, demonstrating big revolutionary bits of plant, which he happened to have in his brief case. By this time, Robert understood that here was a natural home for his abilities and yet there lingered an unfulfilled desire for adventure, seeing more of the world than his sales trips permitted.The opportunity Robert sought was to come right to his family front door in 1971 in the person of a boyhood chum from the village. This young man proposed that Robert should join him on a Land Rover trip overland to Australia. Robert jumped at it.Robert and Tony set off to Iran and Afghanistan only to find that war between India and Pakistan had definitely closed the Khyber Pass. They went back to Iran, took a ship to Bombay, drove around southern India and sailed from Madras to Malaysia. Then it was off by road through Malaysia to Singapore and another ship to Perth, Western Australia.No money by now, so they worked on farms for a few months. At this point Tony dropped a bombshell. He’d invited his ballet dancing girlfriend to join the gang. Robert had misgivings about how she would fit in to a regime which featured a weekly shower only when events permitted. As things turned out, she was a real trooper and won Robert’s approval in the ‘Tucker’ department. This trio of Poms drove round ‘Oz’ and New Zealand north and south and then sailed offto Peru, drove on up the Americas across the Rocky Mountains and came home for Christmas three and a half years (and 27 countries) later.Robert counts himself very lucky that he was able to walk straight back into a senior sales job with his old employer. It would never cross his mind that perhaps his shrewd old boss might have been very pleased to seesuch a stable, agreeable leader figurefor his sales force return. Robert met Patricia at the age of 48 at the Smithfield Show (Of course, where else would you expect this highly individual couple to start a relationship!).They lived in Gloucestershire for 21 years where Robert’s company had relocated before making a home in Pennant House at the Quay in 2007. Robert and Pat travel a lot and it thrills me that this charming, deeply British couple are going about the globe, popping up at Matins in Anglican churches everywhere they make land fall. Finally, just be aware that all that look like Robert are not the genuine article. It’s the gentle manner, humility and quiet sense of self which mark out the original. Mind you, if he gets the giggles they can hear him in Lyme Regis!





Trapped Shelly Beach 4x4 is write-off
QUAY residents with properties overlooking Shelly Beach had
a grandstand view when this Cherokee 4x4 became trapped in
the sand as the driver attempted to recover a dinghy on a trailer
Other vehicles failed to pull the 4x4 to safety and at high tide it
was submerged almost to the roof. Coastguards were informed
and wanted the vehicle recovered quickly as it was a hazard to
boating, but it was not retrieved until next day. A JCB pulled it
out at low tide and it was dragged up Belshers Slipway, loaded
on a trailer and taken to the Dinan Garage, where a spokesman
said it was a write-off. It was not known if the owner was local




















Quay News is published by Exmouth Quay Residents’ Association and printed at the Exmouth Copy
and Stationery Centre, Exeter Road, Exmouth (Telephone 265358). Next issue out 1st April, 2010.







.
Please insert your text here.