The Storyteller: Hosting foreign visitors

I’ve always liked meeting new people, which is why my Moors and More Tours business is perfect for me...

I sometimes wish I’d set it up sooner...but I did enjoy my job in the theatre box office until they took my customers away...that was four years ago now! Where has that time gone?

When I was growing up, we had a caravan in Weymouth, and, being the eldest of four, it fell to me to think up ways to entertain my siblings out in the communal play areas, which usually got other kids our own age joining in too... a great way to make new friends!

Then, when I was 17, I went on a school’s exchange to the States, staying with a Jewish family in Philadelphia. The lad I was partnered with was busy with schoolwork most of the time, so I got palmed off onto his girlfriends, who were usherettes in the local cinemas, so I got to see a lot of films during my stay... including my first taste of The Rocky Horror Picture Show...

During my final year at drama school, we had a month-long tour of Sweden, visiting many towns and villages, putting on productions of Grease, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and an Alan Ayckbourn farce. At each location, we stayed with a different local family, and I enjoyed the opportunity to spend time getting to know them, if only briefly.

Both these experiences allowed me to see a country from the perspective of the natives, so to speak, which has spoilt me for going abroad ever since, as, in my mind, that is the only way to view a country. My partner, Sarah, likes cruises, but that’s not for me. Give me Dartmoor and some foreign visitors to entertain, and I’m happy. I see abroad through their eyes nowadays.

That was certainly the case the other Sunday when Richard, my driver, and I took a couple of ladies who were visiting from Canada on my Dartmoor Quest Tour...

Ruth is from Hamilton, whilst her friend Sharon is from Burlington. They have known each other for many years through the church they both attended and often go off on adventures together, whilst Ruth leaves her husband behind to play golf! Ruth plans their trips, and they have been to the UK many times. On this occasion, by a fortuitous twist of fate, the kind of twist I love, their plans, through their chosen tour operator, fell through, so Ruth opted for putting together her own itinerary, and, whilst goggling for tours of Dartmoor, she found me.

And so it was that Richard and I picked them up from their accommodation and whisked them off towards Okehampton to start their trip from north to south. They had already enjoyed a few days' stay in beautiful Bath, where they were joined by a friend from France, who had come over especially for this leg of their trip, before heading across the border to Penzance, in search of pirates, for Ruth likes to have her photo taken with men! The previous day they had gone to Sidmouth, from Exeter, and got caught in a heavy shower. The next day was to be to Torquay, to spend some time with Agatha, then ending their whistle-stop tour in Salisbury, but the trip over the moors was to be the highlight of their whole vacation... and we didn’t disappoint...

Our first stop was in Lydford, to show them its church and castle. As we got out of the car, the church bells were ringing, which meant a Sunday service was imminent. By chance, the local vicar was also just parking his car, so I asked him what time the service was and would there be time to show my guests around first? After admiring my hat, he said it wasn’t a problem for us to come inside. I introduced him to the ladies, telling him they were visiting from Canada, something which pleased him greatly, as he had been stationed there during the war.

As the ladies admired the interior, I was pleased to see what a good turnout he was getting, and I took the opportunity to ask him if he was aware of my favourite feature, the Devil’s Door... he was! He was even keen to give me his take on it, as the idea didn’t bother him, like it has other members of the clergy that I’ve tried to have a discussion with.

Moving outside, I showed the ladies Lydford’s example of one and explained my fascination with it. As we walked around the graveyard, I told them about how, in the early 1200s, all burials had to take place here, as it was the parish church of Dartmoor. After 1260, burials started to take place in Widecombe in the Moor and other moorland churches, thanks to the leniency of Bishop Branscombe.

I continued the history lesson next door by showing off the castle, which is partially out of bounds due to a weakness in the metalwork of the gantry and staircase that gives access to the lower levels. I explained how it was once the dungeons of the medieval tinners, who incarcerated anyone that upset them, many dying there whilst awaiting a trial. This was known as Lydford Law.

Returning to Richard in the car park, we headed towards the lofty heights of Brentor and its church. Having positioned the car carefully so as not to invite a break-in, like on a previous occasion, we allowed Ruth and Sharon to admire the magnificent views, at the same time regaling them with the tale of how St Michael had scared off the Devil in order to have his church built on this spot.

Back down the hill, we headed in the direction of Tavistock. The idea being to showcase a bigger Dartmoor town. We pointed out the statue of Sir Francis Drake, who stands guard over the remains of Fitzford House, one-time home of the, allegedly, notorious Lady Howard...cue another story...

Heading towards the higher moor, we decided to stop for lunch in Princetown, at The Plume of Feathers, passing the now defunct prison on the way. Before eating, we paid a visit to the information centre to learn more about Dartmoor’s history, and where Ruth got her picture taken next to Sherlock Holmes, no less...

After a splendid Sunday roast, which our guests were most impressed with and filled by, we continued our trip along the main Two Bridges to Moretonhampstead road, telling tales of Hairy Hands at Postbridge and the Powdermills, whilst stopping outside the Warren House Inn to admire the landscape. Then we turned off at Watching Place to take us past poor Kitty Jay’s Grave, where I was pleased to see fresh flowers in evidence, plus coins on the headstone, and, of course, we stopped to share her tale.

Onwards, passed Hound Tor, we headed towards Widecombe, where we visited another church, the scene of the Devil’s snatching of Jan Reynolds, from right under the nose of the local vicar during a Sunday service! As I told this story inside, I was approached by an elderly lady, also visiting, who, after admiring my hat, said I looked like someone who might be able to answer her query. She was looking for fields that had been made by the Devil. After a bit of further discussion, I worked out that what she was alluding to was the Ace Fields, which I had only just pointed out to my guests as we passed the Warren House, as they lie on the moorland, below Birch Tor, little walled enclosures, each representing a suit of cards. For it was here that Jan finally lost his grip on his pack as he was whisked away on the back of the Devil’s flying horse, and up they sprang, a permanent reminder of my favourite piece of folklore. The elderly lady was so pleased I could answer her question, as it now gives her somewhere else to visit on a future day out with her goddaughter... happy to help!

Leaving Widecombe, we took a circuitous route to Buckfastleigh via Dartmeet and Holne, as I wanted to show the ladies the tomb of Squire Cabal and share with them its connection with The Hound of the Baskervilles, as they were both very keen to read the novel after their brush with the detective in Princetown.

Richard is always very keen to share with our guests the impressive granite tramway at Haytor, as well as the surviving Dartmoor Longhouse at Lettaford. Both of which we managed to fit in, along with yet another church, this time at Buckland in the Moor, to show off the My Dear Mother clock face, before, reluctantly, having to return our new friends to their lodgings in Exeter. They thoroughly enjoyed their day out and were very appreciative of the time and attention we had given them, assuring us they would highly recommend our services to anyone who will listen, and, of course, if you too would like to make use of Moors and More Tours, please get in touch via my email:

davidtiptrips@gmail.com

The next day, during their trip to Torquay, Ruth had to make do with having her picture taken next to a woman...on Agatha’s new bench...