Sorry, that was the best line I could think of to describe a day spent by-passing Exeter and mooching around Honiton this week, but truth be told, not a lot of lace did we find, however Bonhams Auction House did look very appealing with a Vintage Toy Auction in the offing.
Just look at those tiny sewing machines on the top.
But firstly I must digress and explain why we diverted past Exeter.
Did anyone happen to catch University Challenge this week?
Bookhound and I often watch, just to learn the very few new things that we don't already know about differential calculus and we also have an elaborate scoring system of our own, one that awards ten bonus points for getting the same incorrect answer, because this is often the only way to get points.
Well this week it was a quarter final, Corpus Christi - Oxford, v Exeter University and I had to declare a double interest. Exeter, home of the brave, esteemed and beautiful Cathedral city of my birth and Corpus Christi, Oxford, my alma mater.
The former is undoubtedly true but the latter is a bit of an exaggeration because I did only actually spend one night staying in Corpus Christi (Oxford Literary Festival 08) rather than three years studying , but it was memorable all the same. Mostly because I couldn't remember which was the Corpus Christi door (no signs outside) it was 11pm at night and I ended up trying my key in the doors of many Oxford colleges before I could shriek with some relief 'it fits'.
Anyway this week I quite think we witnessed one of the greatest University Challenge contests in many a long year, thanks to Corpus Christi Trimble.
The whole programme went something like this
Jeremy Paxman - asks question
BUZZ - announcer - "Corpus Christi, Trimble" - answer - correct
Jeremy Paxman - asks question
BUZZ - announcer - "Corpus Christi, Trimble" - answer - correct
Jeremy Paxman - asks question
BUZZ - announcer - "Corpus Christi, Trimble" - answer - correct
Jeremy Paxman - asks question
BUZZ - announcer - Corpus Christi, Trimble - answer - correct
I don't think I've ever seen such a lovely, fresh, self-effacing, lightning-fast intellect in action, any allegations of smug arrogance occasionally levelled at floppy-haired University Challenge contestants from the sofas chez dovegrey were silenced, Corpus Christi Trimble was a treat to watch in action. Nor have I ever heard an embarrassed Paxo half-groan and suggest that Corpus Christi Trimble was finding the questions easy (they absolutely were not) and then to see poor Corpus Christi Trimble apologise (yes really) so politely for getting them all right.
Halfway through the programme The Kayaker flew in through the front door from Croatia to pick up his snow-boarding gear to go to Bulgaria (this sounds like a very long way round to me but best not to ask). It was about all we could do to ask 'good flight' before returning to the starters for ten. The Kayaker watched for a while, declared that Corpus Christi Trimble probably never went to parties which we said wasn't nice at all because by this time we were in thrall to her every utterance, and so off he went for a bath.
So why did we by-pass Exeter on our travels?
It was no good I couldn't face the chagrin and humiliation of a visit to my home city the morning after Exeter had been so soundly trounced with a grand total of 15 to Corpus Christi's 350 something, but actually because I also wanted to find Fiddlesticks, the Honiton wool shop.
It was tipping down with that very wet Devon rain and it was unusually cold but I did find and move into Fiddlesticks, while Bookhound went off around the antique emporiums and charity shops.
I emerged cash-poor but wool-rich and can now say that if you are coming to Devon any time soon, divert to Honiton too and go and say hi to Barbara and Wendy who are knee-deep in Noro, Debbie Bliss, Bergere and plenty more delightful offerings of the sheep et al.
If that shelf looks a bit untidy blame me.
Meanwhile Bookhound emerged having quite excelled himself in the Oxfam shop by finding a copy of Dorothy Whipple's autobiography, The Other Day for £3.99. He is indeed a treasure having subliminally absorbed the names that matter and I have no plans to trade him in any day soon.
Too cold and wet to go searching for lace, another day.
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