Main Content
Spring in Devizes
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2008-05-08 15:38:02 - Graham Ellis
Yesterday evening, Lisa and I got a breath of fresh air in Devizes - a beautiful Spring evening with leaves on the trees where 2 weeks ago there were just twigs.
Moored at the wharf on the Kennet and Avon Canal was a cluster of modern narrowboats (and what a wonder it is that my modern camera let me shoot this right into the sun!
Looking out towards Honey Street and Pewsey, "Unity" is moored up. Now "Unity" is a famous name - a barge built in the days of commercial carrying, horse drawn, and operated by Robbins Lane and Pinnegar - a long established firm of carriers on the canal. She looks beautiful - but is she original, or a reproduction? And if she's original, just how much of the original boat remains? Questions that I don't know answers to!
Questioning "Unity"s credentials is rather like questioning our credentials to describe our breakfast as "Continental" when we're certainly not on the mainland of Europe, and our breakfast products are sourced locally where possible. Not only do local products help us to support local businesses, but they also cut down on greenhouse gases from Transport, and they give distant visitors a local taste rather than the standard fayre from a worldwide chain.
Our niche at Well House Manor, where we cater for business travelers to our computer courses and to other local businesses also allows us to provide products that would be out of the question at a more general hotel. The picture here shows the preparation of fruit which we allow guests to juice for themselves - bringing a true new meaning to FRESHLY squeezed orange juice - but it's something we couldn't entertain allowing if we were to accept bookings from children.