Your seaside shoreline slipping slowly into the sea

[alexsarll]

Between Ottery St Mary and Budleigh Salterton, falls the shadow which very nearly lives up to its Wodehousian name, lies a sidestreet called Inner Ting Tong.
Let's have that again: Inner Ting Tong.
Even in the field of Devon placenames, that one's truly astounding. So yes, the weather being too erratic for boating to seem wise, we opted for a bit of a road tour of rural Devon instead. I say 'rural', but Exeter surprised me by being a town where one could actually live, more or less - it had its street of odd shops, Kitsch-U-Like and a small goth emporium, secondhand books and CDs, even a comic shop (shut for lunch). I'd forgotten that places this small could still sustain alternative life alongside the clone high streets (and truly, they don't come much more clone than Exeter's). But all around this, places like the aforementioned daffy villages, and then those like Ladram Bay, where once one has evaded all the Thou Shalt Not and Private signs one finds oneself in quite the most melancholy bay for miles, with the slow withdrawing roar of waves and pebbles as sad as Matthew Arnold's Dover, and the huge sandstone towers in the bay slowly being eaten away by sea and burrowers. It would be quite something to be there when any of them finally collapses, though I suspect I'd jump at the chance, and then find the experience horribly upsetting.
Had a real Touched By The Hand Of kendall_lacey moment early on in the drive, too - flipping through the CDs in the car, I selected the first Killers, and 'Mr Brightside' kicked in just as we turned the corner into his old hood, Honiton*. Similarly, after aforementioned West Country/Islington/West Country/Islington correspondences, found a secondhand Robert Sheckley book which, after purchase, I discovered had begun its life in Islington Libraries. It's clearly just using me to piggyback home. Speaking of which, shall be making my stately progress back to London this afternoon - I had a half-formed plan to go see Friends of the Bride in Soho but failing that, is anything else afoot?

*Even curiouser, there's a Killerton not much further along.

Comments

Exeter.

[obsessive-katy.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing you were in McCoy's Arcade on Fore Street, yah?

xx

Re: Exeter.

[exmoor-cat.livejournal.com]

Used to hang out there a lot, they used to do ace flapjacks and coffee real cheap. Comic shop = Krackers IIRC.

Adam - Exeter College 1994-7

Re: Exeter.

[obsessive-katy.livejournal.com]

I used to go there on days away from the insane asylum (Dartington College, 2001-2004). I had my lip pierced in Exeter Piercing upstairs and bought 2 dresses for 2 quid from the balcony of The Real McCoy.

Excellent times. :D

xx

Re: Exeter.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I was quite surprised to note that even Axminster has a tattooist. Overall, I was not massively impressed by Axminster. It's badly laid out, and not even in a way suggesting modern planners are to blame.

Re: Exeter.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

There were a couple of small arcades off to either side of the 'alternative' street proper, whose name I don't recall, but it ran down to the remnants of the old bridge.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

It is possible, that I could be up for a beer.

[angelv.livejournal.com]

I echo this sentiment. In fact, I wish I was drunk RIGHT NOW.

[missfrancesca.livejournal.com]

If I had time to go to the shop I would have a bottle of vodka half-drunk under my desk at this very moment. Shall we go pubbing?

[angelv.livejournal.com]

Hm. I need to dye my hair tonight. I do want to get drunk though. If only I could combine the two. Does Moveda have alcohol in it?

[(Anonymous)]

Um. Possibly. It might dye your wee black!

[missfrancesca.livejournal.com]

I don't know why I went anonymous but that was me.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I thought maybe you were distancing yourself from the vulgarity.

[missfrancesca.livejournal.com]

Nah. I EMBRACE the vulgarity ;)

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I see momentum rather collapsed on this matter; apparently there is N.London pubbing later but that's probably not much use to you, alas.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Bah. I could really do with a beer now but I really can't be fucked going to north London.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Yeah, tbh I would feel likewise were the tables turned. In my defence, this was arranged without my input!

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

I'm in a fucking terrible mood now so it's probably for the best I stomp off home scowling. And frankly I am about to snap the head off SOMETHING which shows any inclination to be soft and irritating at me. (nb not you, just I mean, anything that annoys me).

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Oh who am I kidding I would probably snap at you as well but you generally tend to deserve it for being a cider drinking poove who won't even sing the fucking cider song ffs f f f f eff.

[cappuccino-kid.livejournal.com]

I came across a street in York called Whip Ma Whop Ma Gate.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

OK, I think that may even trump Inner Ting Tong.

[johnnybrolly.livejournal.com]

Yes. That's the place where you takes yer wife, in order to whip her. Trufax.

[exmoor-cat.livejournal.com]

Brithembottom

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

Bishop's Itchington

[blanche-carte.livejournal.com]

Oh, I do like the sound of that band and their myspace tracks. But am busy tonight.

mr brightside

[kendall-lacey.livejournal.com]

woah! spooky! maybe that happens to everyone who enters Honiton, they get INSIDE THE KENDALL BRAIN....
"and now on Radio 6, 'After Murder Park'!"

:)

x

Re: mr brightside

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

While I was choosing a CD, the radio gave us 'Enola Gay'. Not sure how you feel about OMD...

[johnnybrolly.livejournal.com]

Hello. This is Johnny Angel reporting from the Philippines, Earth.

I arrived here amidst election day, and so the place is still covered in election posters. Not sure if he's an senatorial or congressional candidate, but there definitely is a candidate called "Ting Tong". He's not even the best named candidate. No, there's also a Benhur and Big Joe Navarro too. In fact people all over the Philippines are blessed with brilliantly barmy names.

This is Johnny Angel in Cebu City. Alex?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Johnny.

Big Joe Navarro isn't significantly sillier than Jesse The Body Ventura, and he got to be a US Governor. Benhur, though - that's good.

[johnnybrolly.livejournal.com]

Once again, you are right and you are wrong. Joseph "Big Joe" is no siller than Jess "The Body", but they are both ridiculously loopy.

Since I have been in Thebigwatchfactree I have met people called; Joybug, Mimi, Doydoy, Daffy and many many more. It's rude to laugh, isn't it?

[dr-shatterhand.livejournal.com]

Just in case you wanted insight into my personality, Axminster is very like my home town, and only a pleasant bus ride away from it across the Somerset border.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Even down to that whole every-street-feeling-like-the-way-to-somewhere-else thing?

[dr-shatterhand.livejournal.com]

Yes. Bath Road, Bristol Road, Taunton Road, West Street... the bit where they cross is the town centre.