Wednesday 21 April 2010

First steps and first.... ;-)



Standing on Newton Abbot station, on Sunday, waiting for a train, I suddenly realised that I had ****** up with the train times!

The train about to arrive, was a one carriage, tiddley thing.

There were enough people standing on the platform to fill it and so a hasty, 'executive' decision (because I know that Mr S likes to travel in style!) meant that we had 45 minutes to kill before a ' proper ' train came our way.



It was a beautiful morning and opposite the station is a lovely park,

Courtenay Park.



Courtenay Park is very special to me.

It's a park where I had a 'first'!

Now I know what you are all thinking ... stop it right away!!!!

(No, I did not have my first 'snog' there, with my boyfriend, on a Friday night!)

(That was in Forde Park!! LOL ;-)



When I was very young , my mum used to take me to Courtenay Park rather a lot.

We lived nearby and it was like a garden to us as we only had a tiny back yard at that time .



My mum was in despair, because, at the age of 18 months, I still could not walk!

I bottom shuffled very effectively and efficiently !

Thus, I put my energies into talking!

No surprise there eh?!



Anyway, there I was...18 months old and shuffling around the grass...when all of a sudden, the band in the bandstand, started to play.

And guess what I did...?

You've got it!

I took my first steps , towards the band, in this lovely park.

Well I don't remember any of this, of course but my mum has often told the tale.



Newton Abbot does have some lovely parts to explore and it has much history.



On Sunday morning it was showing itself off at its best.



By now, it was almost time for our train but I'll no doubt bring you some more of Newton Abbot...
some day soon.

Finally, the bandstand was surrounded with scaffolding on Sunday so I snitched the top photo from the Teignbridge website!

;-)

11 comments:

  1. What a very pretty park. I must find it on my next trip to Newton Abbot.
    Julie xxxxxx

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  2. Oh, lovely photos, Sal, of Courtenay Park, one of the prettiest parks in South Devon. I always notice the floral displays on the roundabout as you enter Newton Abbot, so much better than those weed heaps at the top of Hamelin Way! I had a first, too, near Courtenay Park ... I don't know if it's still there, but the Driving Test Centre used to be at the back of the Park, and it was from Courtenay Park that I first drove as a qualified driver, having passed my test in January 1971!
    Margaret P

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  3. I wondered what on earth you were going to come out with in those first few lines.... I was roaring with laughter ..........

    A lovely park. :O)

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  4. How good it is to laugh out loud at 8.44 in the morning! Loved this post - and love those houses.

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  5. My memories of Courtenay Park are--- learning to Roller Skate. I also remeber running like mad through the park after running all the way down Wolborough Hill to catch the train to Dawlish!
    And sitting on a bench reading Lady Chatterleys Lover thinking I was the bees knees!!! I remeber not understanding most of it
    Lovely pics Sal
    We are due to fly home on Friday so I will have a reunion with it first hand very soon
    Love Linda

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  6. Never been to the park as by the time I have been round the huge selection of charity shops, time has run out !
    Very nice though by the look of it x

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  7. Lovely pics of the park. I'm a great fan of parks. Where I grew up (in Stourbridge) we had three lovely parks and lived opposite one so I rather took for granted the lake, tennis courts, picnic places, hill to toboggan down etc. I now realise that not all towns are so fortunate. Those were the days when wealthy entrepeneurs spent their profit son the community rather than yachts and islands ... if you see what I mean?!
    Lesley X

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  8. My son was nearly as old as you were when he finally walked - and like you he too put his energy into talking (I often say to him he hasn't shut up since!)

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  9. Your pictures are just lovely! I feel as if I've been there. Thanks for taking me on a little imaginary vacation. I needed it!

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  10. Hi Sal...smashing post.
    Looking forward to seeing you both at V & H. x

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  11. The Photos are fabulous and what a great place for a first.

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Thank you for taking the time to comment! ;-)