Mortehoe, Woolacombe, Devon stunning views and is there life on Mars?

Today we rest our weary legs from the steep climb up from Woolacombe to Mortehoe near to Woolacombe in Devon, UK and discuss, as we stare out over the dramatic views, is life on Mars?

Why Mortehoe? I hear you ask.

Well, Mortehoe is a really exciting place. The village is kind of sweet and old fashioned, the walks out towards the viewpoints are thrilling and I spotted a bench that looked really comfortable.

Why life on Mars? Well, today, 29th September 2008, NASA are going to hold a news conference to tell the world about the discoveries the Phoenix probe to Mars has made about whether the soil on Mars has sustained or can in the future sustain life, microbial or otherwise. It's all going to be announced at 6pm BST this evening and I can't wait :-)

So here is the question of the day. Will it make a difference to we people on Earth if life has been found on Mars?

Down at my local tennis club and the members of my family seem to think it doesn't matter.

I have to confess that, to me, it will be the most wonderful news ever because, if there is life on Mars, there will be lots more life everywhere else in our universe - and that is a very comforting thought.

So, as we rest our feet on the bench at Morte Point and read the National Trust literature telling us intriguing stories about Damage Cliffs, Bennett's Mouth, Bull Point, Rockham Beach and Grunta Beach (so named after a ship carrying a cargo of pigs ran aground and all the pigs ran ashore grunting!) I wonder what do you think?

I'd love for you to comment below.

Bye for now

Rob

Porlock Arts and Literary Festival Poetry Picnic 2008 in West Somerset - poetry chat, poetry discussion and poetry debate on a bench

My natural tendency is to gravitate towards fringe events and, at folk festivals, it is at the free pub folk music sessions that you will usually find me happily joining in with other musicians in the general melee.

So, when I saw local village Porlock in West Somerset was hosting an arts and literary festival, I immediately looked for an equally laid back fringe event.

The Poetry Picnic seemed to fit my criteria and when I spotted that my old school buddy Peter Philpott was performing as part of the Minehead 4 poetry group, there was no holding me back.

Perhaps because of fears about the weather, the Poetry Picnic started off in the small village hall but, as the sun continued to shine outside, everybody moved to the picnic area behind the Porlock Visitors Centre where I shared a table with Scottish poet Alasdair Paterson and his wife.

The format for the event was that each poet took a turn to read our their poetry; some from scrappy pieces of paper and some from published books.

People could come and go as the performances went on so I took the chance to nip out with Peter (pictured left) to the local pub and catch up with his life.

Soon, I returned back to the Poetry Picnic where there were a wide range of styles from rap / rock to lyrical humorous. Some poetry was extremely dense, like pushing through the undergrowth of a forest with hidden thoughts constantly emerging. Others were simply descriptive narratives about a time, an emotion or a place that had caught the attention of the contributor. The guest poet Elisabeth Bletsoe read for about an hour with each word given intriguing emotional weight and resonance which afterwards left her looking emotionally drained.

Later, most of the poets went to the pub and chatted about poetry which gave me the opportunity to quiz and explore the beautiful minds of Elisabeth Bletsoe, Francis Presley and Tilla Brading - a truly exhilarating although rather scary intellectual experience.

My overriding thought as I headed home was that I had been in the company of some extremely clever people for whom poetry was not only a hobby but a life driving intellectual passion.

Whether my humble brain is truly able to ascend to their heady heights, I know not, but their company was hugely entertaining.

The Poetry Picnic was but an opportunity to dip my toe into the water. Perhaps soon it will be time to go for a poetic paddle.

The Poetry Picnic drew poets in groups from all over England, including London, Exeter and Plymouth. Maybe my next step might be to visit them on their home territory.

Hey, ho! One more reason to get the camper van out I suppose!

Do you read poetry? have you ever been part of a poetry group? What do you think? Were you at the Poetry Picnic? Do tell! Your comments are welcome below :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author, slightly intimidated by the intelligence of poets but nevertheless feeling strangely drawn into their esoteric world.

Polite discussion not rigorous debate in 'Who do we believe?' in 'Afternoon with the Media' at Porlock arts and literary festival

Today's Adventures in Thought on a Bench reflects on my visit to the Porlock Arts Festival yesterday (Sunday 14th September, 2008) when I attended an 'Afternoon with the Media' featuring speakers Simon Hall, crime writer and BBC Crime Correspondent, and Roland White who writes for the Sunday Times. The subject under discussion was the media and 'Who do we believe?'

As it turned out, there was nothing really adventurous about the afternoon. The seats were comfortable chairs dotted around the local village hall.

The discussion, although entertaining, was rather in the manner of an after dinner speech instead of cutting edge debate.

However, the audience, who appeared mainly elderly, seemed to be gently satisfied with the afternoon's entertainment so the afternoon no doubt was a success.

I raised the question about the need to separate opinion from factual reporting in mass media. My fear was that many readers confuse opinion with fact. A statement that a politician is 'useless' can be taken by many readers to be true and persuasive in modifying or confirming their thinking without any evidence being provided. In my opinion, newspapers have agendas of their own and take advantage of this all too often to the detriment of sensible debate in Britain today.

What do you think? Should newspapers and other media be clearly required to state when they are giving an opinion or stating a fact? Is the standard of debate in Britain today 'fit for purpose' to meet the needs of our complex modern world? Is mass media debate just an irrelevant entertainment to raise a few chuckles appropriate to an after dinner speech?

Could Britain really become a better place with improved and more original thinking? The floor is yours. I look forward to your comments :-)

Bye for now

Rob Hopcott - online author who believes truth and debate are important

Innovative and beautiful Milborne St Andrew playing field bench is our virtual meeting place for today's relationships chat, discussion and debate

I snapped this bench while I was watching some Morris dancing during Roger's Rant Folk Festival in Milborne St Andrew, Dorset earlier this year. I thought it was the most beautiful bench I had ever seen so am sharing it with you today as the virtual meeting place for today's weekday chat.

Our topic today is about relationships and comes from a random chat I had on another bench which shall remain nameless for reasons which will shortly become clear (not in Milborne St Andrew).

It was a beautiful sunny day and I was admiring the views at this place I shall not mention and a woman came to sit next to me - so I said hello. Well, it was the least I could do. We began to chat, as you do and somehow the subject turned to fidelity, relationships and how she felt she was committed to her marriage but yearned for romance and excitement.

At this point, I have to confess that I chickened out and made some excuse to be somewhere else. I should mention at this stage that she was a rather attractive looking lady and I am a long term married man.

Should I have stayed? Perhaps for research reasons alone, it could have been justified. Was this idle conversation or had she decided that this respectable looking stranger could have been appropriate for a discreet encounter? Could I have been tempted? She was a musician too and an author. We had much in common.

I shall never know because I departed so swiftly but I am sure that this very ordinary pleasant and attractive lady must be only one of the many who regret the emptiness in their long term relationships but do not want to rock the boat and are struggling to decide what to do.

What do you think the solution is in cases like this? Should I have stayed - for research purposes, of course - or was I right to cut and run? With people living longer these days, are relationships and fidelity for ever?

Tell all - but no names :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author, fascinated by relationships

Falmouth Harbour, Cornwall with bench views, chat, debate and discussion about foreign films and the deficiencies of Hollywood

Today's bench on which we meet to have our virtual chat, discussions and debate is in the seaside Cornish town of Falmouth with views over Falmouth Harbour in Cornwall.

Today's topic is films. This is a personal choice because I have just discovered the World Movies Channel on Sky television (channel 331) which shows wall to wall foreign films (movies).

Woohoo! They are wonderful and I don't mind the subtitles. If the film is in French, I can even have a stab at understanding what is going on without reading them (usually short lived).

Talking of understanding what is going on, this is a perpetual problem with many foreign films which seem to be very much more 'arty' or philosophical than the usual Hollywood generated stuff that populates most of our television listings.

Frankly, I find these foreign films really refreshing and interesting and when one came to an end last night and I switched over to another channel while the credits were running, I found all the other stuff being served up to be very empty fare.

Do you like 'foreign' or 'arty' films or do you think that Hollywood has got it about right? As we settle down on this pleasant virtual Falmouth bench and gaze across Falmouth Harbour, I would love to know.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author and lover of films with some depth

2008 Green Standard review shows environmental organisations are not 'Fit for the Future' as UK continues to burn fossil fuels

In my opinion the 2008 Green Standard 'Fit for the Future' published today by nine of the leading UK environmental organisations accusing the three main UK political parties - Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats - of inadequate progress on the green agenda is itself a waste of valuable energy.

Signatories to the report include the RSPB, Friends of the Earth, Woodland Trust, WWF, The Wildlife Trusts, The National Trust, the Green Alliance, Campaign to Protect Rural England and Greenpeace.

Together, these organisations have over 5 million supporters and could have an immediate impact on reducing the effect of fossil fuels on our climate and moving our country to a low-carbon economy by direct action through their members.

Why don't they simply lobby their members to join the buying strike on new fossil fuel powered motor cars?

Now that would have a real impact on the companies who have the power to genuinely initiate change!

Instead, these nine NGOs are passing the buck to the UK Government through the three main political parties. The reality is that the Government can probably do little effective so it is all an empty gesture.

With over five million supporters these nine NGOs could have an immediate impact on the car companies in a way that would really make them speed up their plans to start producing electric cars and create the infrastructure to support electric car recharging.

Instead these NGOs are doing what NGOs do which is all talk and no action - rather like the three main political parties they are criticising.

If these NGOs were 'Fit for the Future', they would canvass their members immediately to join the buying strike on new fossil fuelled cars and then we could really start making progress to a low-carbon economy.

Todays Adventure in Thought on a Bench is brought to you from the heart of Exmoor at Porlock Weir, West Somerset, UK.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Say no to fossilised transport! Join the buying strike on latest model new fossil fuelled motor cars. Say yes to alternative green electric cars now.

Today's topic is about saying no to fossilised transport and arguing we should institute a buying strike on newly produced fossil fuelled motor cars (i.e. petrol or diesel powered).

The bench on which we chat, discuss and debate these matters is the Cartgate Picnic area just off the carbon dioxide and fume filled noisy A303 where I stopped on my way to the Swanage Folk Festival for a comfort break last weekend.

My thoughts about a buying strike came out of a feeling of personal frustration that I, as an individual, am unable to change anything and a feeling that we really do need to take action that will effectively reduce carbon dioxide pollution and global warming.

Forget writing to the Government or your MP, you will be ignored. Forget writing to the Civil Service, they won't reply. Forget Local Authority consultation systems, they are totally unaudited and unaccountable.

All these options suffer from the same disadvantage which is that all these public organisations hide behind the concept of 'representative government'. In other words, once elected, they make all the decisions and know everything. Unless you are powerful and can pay millions for Parliamentary lobby services, your opinion will be ignored. Multi-national oil and car companies are powerful and can afford to lobby in their interests.

Take global warming. We know there is a problem. The scientists tell us so. The car industry, however, tells us that there is no alternative yet to one of the main polluters which is the humble car that we all drive in our daily lives.

How can we get them to move faster when they have a vested interest in stalling development in this area? The car companies have billions invested in conventional fuel technology and the oil companies liquid gold would depreciate rapidly in an economy that no longer burned its product to get to work. Neither of these organisations have any vested interest in moving from conventional combustion powered motor vehicles.

So, what can we as individuals do to get things moving?

Perhaps you have an idea about how we can get the car companies to produce electric cars for us to buy. If so, I would like to hear them. However, here is one proposal that we could perhaps try out.

Why don't we simply campaign to SAY NO TO BUYING NEW FOSSIL FUELLED FACTORY FINISHED CARS.

Quite simply, faced with a buying strike on new cars, the car companies would have to bring forward solutions. They would have an incentive they couldn't refuse.

Of course, the car companies would argue that technology doesn't exist that will work yet. This is rubbish, simply check out the Tesla to see what can be done if there is any will whatsoever.

So what do you think. Would a buying strike on new cars, unless they were fully electric, give the car companies a big enough kick up their behinds to get them moving. (Frankly, with the credit crunch, few of us may have the disposable income anyway so we probably wouldn't be losing very much by sticking with what we have and not buying new replacement cars.)

Perhaps it's time for us individuals to say we want our voices heard. We want action.

WE SAY NO TO BUYING NEW FOSSIL FUELLED CARS!

Your comments are welcomed, as always :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Dorset stone bench hillside views of Swanage Bay, chat, debate and discussion about regeneration, music festivals and government waste

Today's bench is on a lovely hillside overlooking Swanage Bay on the South Coast of England where I visited for last weekend's Swanage Folk Festival. It's a lovely spot and a lovely stone bench and you can read the names of the photographers the bench is dedicated to clearly etched into the stone. I'm not a stone expert but I wonder if it is Portland Stone. Perhaps somebody can advise.

Today's topic is about the benefits of music festivals to local communities. I believe that much government money that is spent on capital projects such as building new Council Offices is wasted and a much better return would be produced by simply putting the money into more community led activities of which music festivals are only one option among many.

Regeneration is an issue, it seems, for most communities, especially rural communities or deprived inner city areas. Getting the local community working together on a project such as a festival improves community cohesion, it's fun and brings visitors into an area which benefits local small businesses.

Of course there are those that argue that town music festivals are a nuisance and that their businesses don't benefit and pressure groups are often, over time, formed to oppose music festivals. So there are arguments both ways.

What do you think? Are music or other festivals a better way of regenerating a depressed area or is the answer to put the money into public buildings. Or perhaps there are other answers to improving the economic state of our small towns, rural areas and inner cities.

This virtual stone bench discussion, chat and debate forum is open and I look forward to hearing your views as we gaze out over lovely Swanage Bay in the beautiful South Coast county of Dorset.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Bench views, chat, debate and discussion about Mudeford Quay, Christchurch, Dorset, CERN, the end of the world and does it matter?

Today's bench is located at Mudeford Quay in Christchurch, Bournemouth, Dorset which I visited earlier this year before this end of the world deluge of rain set in that we are experiencing in the UK at the moment.

Talking about the end of the world. CERN is starting its new giant atom smashing machine Wednesday next week, according to the BBC Today Programme this morning and the good news is that it probably won't create a black hole that will expand to swallow up the earth.

On then positive side, the new research could identify yet smaller particles that will show what our universe is made of before it changed into its present form of planets, stars etc. The new research could therefore take us back to our universe's moment of creation and further our understanding of this important moment.

I suppose for many who believe what it says in the Bible about the creation of everything, there is nothing to find out. Apparently, this includes the prospective new Vice President of America who has been dubbed a Creationist many times in the British media.

Those who fear that a black hole could be created by the new CERN experiment say that, if it does happen, it will happen very quickly - in less than a blink of the eye.

Would the rest of the universe miss us - after all there are black holes raging out there at the centres of many galaxies, including our own.

I doubt it. Probably those intelligent lifeforms that are out there would be as indifferent to our passing as we would be of theirs, even if we thought they existed which many would deny.

Of course, if you are a Creationist, you would believe there is an old (white?) man sitting on a cloud (that would be an interstellar dust cloud, I presume) who would sigh and say 'well they were fun for a while - what a pity!'

I will leave you with a picture that is perhaps more uplifting image which is of the sea birds wheeling and crying at Mudeford as they fight for bread scraps somebody was throwing out to them.

Your comments are welcome and indeed what it is all about - but please don't quote the Bible, Koran or anything similar. Thank you.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Bench views and chat, debate and discussion about prostitution at Minehead Harbour, West Somerset, UK

No, I don't mean there is prostitution at Minehead Harbour - about which question, I haven't a clue!

Instead, I mean that the bench around which I have set today's virtual discussion is at Minehead Harbor in the glorious West of England location of West Somerset on the borders of Exmoor.

However, the topic for today is about prostitutes and prostitution since it transpires that, according to an interviewee on the BBC Today Programme this morning, cheap sex is now being sold in London for as little as fifteen pounds sterling.

Apparently, there is an absolute glut of women who are willing to provide, or who are coerced into providing, these services and the supply is driving the price down.

Well, I can't talk authoritatively about this issue since I have never availed myself of these services but I can understand why men might do so, especially middle aged married men whose relationships have lost their physical road.

I'm more interested in the following question which is why do we think the question is important?

Is it something to do with the jealousy both men and women feel if their partner has a physical relationship with another? Is it to do with the feeling that the job is repulsive (to other women) and arguably exploitative? Is it to do with the criminal aspects that may be involved in managing these services?

If a man is in hospital and has intimate nursing or his wife sees the gynaecologist, there are no issues. Yet, if a man agrees with a woman that she will massage him for his pleasure, the situation appears to be completely different.

Quite honestly, I can easily understand how intimate contact with a stranger who others might not even want to shake hands with is likely to be most unpleasant for a woman providing such services but why should others object any more than they would if the woman decided to do other unpleasant work such as working in an abattoir?

Frankly, I could never work in an abattoir yet do I have the right to say others should not? Especially when obviously many people like to eat meat.

I suppose the truth of the matter is that I don't know the answer to any of these questions except that our physical relationships are a central part of our existence as human beings and also form the cement that holds together our child rearing families.

So, dear readers, as I sit here looking at the great view from the bench at Minehead Harbour in West Somerset, I look to you all to explain to me the answers, if there are any, to these difficult questions.

I look forward to hearing from you in the comments section below :-)

By for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Bench views, chat, debate and discussion on Minehead Tennis Club bench, West Somerset, UK

Today's bench is at Minehead Tennis Club, West Somerset, UK which I hereby declare open for views, chat, debate and discussion and the topic is 'Tennis Practice Walls'.

Riveting you might say! Why should I be interested in tennis club practice walls? Ah, ha! I will tell you :-)

Firstly, tennis is a great game. It gets you out in the sunshine (er, also rain) and fresh air. You get to meet lots of interesting people. Minehead Tennis Club has members from all social backgrounds ranging from Barristers to Painters and Decorators.

Secondly, it is cheap. You get a year of playing tennis with lots of cheerful people for one hundred and twenty pounds for an adult, less for youngsters.

Thirdly, it keeps you fit and healthy in a really fun way. Keeping fit means you keep cheerful and keeping cheerful stops us all getting depressed. When I'm feeling fed up, I just go and hit some balls against the practice wall. (A gorgeous young female would be a great alternative, of course, but - hey - I'm old and balding and married).

So you say, what has this got to do with a tennis practice wall? Well, the answer is that once you are a member of the tennis club, you can practice against the wall for hours and hours to learn how to hit the ball correctly and improve - all for no extra cost.

The wall at Minehead Tennis Club is the green thing at the end of the fencing.

Naturally, the club pro would like it if you paid for private lessons but, hey, I'm a skinflint! Aren't you?

According to a TV commentator I overheard during the US Open at Flushing Meadows, tennis practice walls are found less and less in clubs and part of the reason is that they reduce the income for the local tennis pro.

Minehead Tennis Club has not followed this trend! Woohoo! It's your opportunity to get down to the courts just off Alexander Road in Minehead and get stuck in for the next Olympics.

What? You are not a member?

For membership information, call Paul Rees at his Minehead address. He's Chairman of Minehead Tennis Club this year and ask about tennis practice walls.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author and tennis practice wall fan

Blenheim Gardens in Minehead, West Somerset views from a bench, chat, debate and discussion with Rob Hopcott

Well thank goodness! At last we have some sunshine and Blenheim Gardens in Minehead, West Somerset, where today's bench is situated looks great today!

I love the flowers in Blenheim Gardens. There is also crazy golf here and a cafe in peak Summer season and it's not far away from the sea so, if you get fed up with looking at the flowers, you can nip down the road and gaze at the Bristol Channel.

Today's topic to discuss on the bench is national aggression!

The thing that puzzles me about governments is that they act so completely differently from their individual people.

Currently, Putin over in Russia is being very aggressive towards the Georgians and in my humble opinion clearly would like to extend Russia to include at least some of Georgia, if not all of it.

Would any ordinary Russian want to extend the Russian territories? I doubt it. Territorial ambition is something that people in government aspire to not the ordinary people. Perhaps, to get into government, people have to be particularly power mad which makes them susceptible to invading other countries.

Imagine if Britain decided to take over and occupy Southern Ireland. How would this improve my life? It wouldn't - not one little bit. I wouldn't even get a bigger garden out of it! Probably it would make my life worse because I'd have to pay for a bigger army. My son might get killed trying to kill somebody else's son in some Irish bog. What's the point?

Let's tell all our governments clearly. Territorial aggression - no way!

What do you think?

Bye for now

Rob

(Rob Hopcott - online author)

Views, chat, discussion and debate from a stone seat high on Exmoor above Horner Valley near Dunkery Beacon in West Somerset

Today's bench is made of stone and sits high on Exmoor near Dunkery Beacon above the sleepy Horner Valley near Porlock in West Somerset. It's a wonderful place to sit with breathtaking views - although certainly quite difficult to find and the hill is very steep.

Today's topic is about visiting places or people.

It occurred to me that we spend a lot of time looking for interesting places - castles, countryside or whatever - but we don't have the same approach to seeking out and visiting interesting people.

Imagine if there were cafes or places we could visit full of interesting people! Perhaps even themed cafes or places might be possible.

If we were interested in talking about tennis we could go to a tennis chat cafe, if we were interested in talking about politics, we could go to politics cafe or chat place.

Perhaps benches or public seating areas could also become places to discuss anything or everything. When I was recently on Southbourne Overcliff in Bournemouth, Dorset one early morning, lots of people seemed very willing to stop and chat

Of course, all this already exists online in discussion forums and chat rooms. But virtual chat and discussion, to me, perhaps lacks something. It has huge value but personal proximity also seems to be very important too and, at the end of the week when I have been working on the computer for many hours, I would like to get out and meet some real people. Am I alone in this need?

I hope you enjoyed today's views from a bench and I look forward to your comments.

Tomorrow, another bench or public seating place and some more views for chat, discussion and debate. I look forward to seeing you here :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

I cannot recall the colour of her eyes but I knew she was not afraid

I cannot recall the colour of the eyes of the lady who sat next to me on the high hill overlooking the green and gold valleys and moorlands that sweep down to the Bristol Channel from my favorite old wooden seat on the West Somerset coast.

But I do remember she seemed unafraid, although the spot was lonely and remote.

"Where did you come from?" I asked, surprised.

To this and to other questions in our brief conversation, she gave no reply.

In my memories, sometimes she appears waif-like. At other times, I recollect she bore a maternal fullness that was warm and reassuring.

Was she tall or was she petite? I cannot recall. Nor cannot I bring to mind the subjects about which we talked although we spoke for many long minutes.

As she lifted her eyes from my face and rested them for a moment on the sweeping lines of the coastal path below, I dared to ask her name.

I think she smiled - or was it a flash of sunshine or the heather's smell that caught her breath.

"I am just a friend of Swifty," she replied.

Bye for now

Rob Hopcott - online author

Southbourne Overcliff and Adventures on a bench

I was taking a mid-week break down in Southbourne, Bournemouth, staying at a great little bed and breakfast called the Newpoint Hotel, and decided to take a walk on the nearby Southbourne Overcliff.

The weather was beautiful, there was a slight breeze and the scent from the grasses was stunning. Just about everybody was stopping to say 'hello' (except those who were running, of course) and I felt like I was part of a real Southbourne Overcliff community.


I decided to take 'pot luck' and sat on a bench overlooking a delightfully blue sea.

Before long, a friendly old couple came along and chatted. They had two dogs. One called 'Monty' and the other called 'Sir'. One was a West Highland Terrier and the other was a Tibetan Terrier (see photo top right).

I asked why call their dog was called 'Sir' and the man answered

When I was a training officer in the army, everybody was called 'Sir', so that's what I called my dog ...

You learn something new every day, especially if you are partial to sitting on benches and just chatting to anybody that comes along.

The dogs were a bit camera shy, though :-)

Bye for now

Rob
(Rob Hopcott - online author)

Adventures on a bench at Wessex Folk Festival, Weymouth, Dorset

Folk festivals are wonderful for music, sessions and workshops but, at the end of the day, it is the people that are brought together by the event that produce the fondest memories.

The Wessex Folk Festival last weekend (6 - 8 June 2008) was favoured by bright sunshine and thousands of people visiting Weymouth, Dorset from all parts of the UK. It was an ideal opportunity for me to find somewhere to have an Adventure on a Bench.

The bench I chose was alongside the Old Harbour and close to where the bridge opens to let tall craft through.

Before very long, an old chap sat next to me to drink his pint and to watch the ships. We got to chatting and he explained that he had first come to Weymouth in 1949 to train on an aircraft carrier. He told me how he went on to have a career in the Navy and then the Coastguard.

He has been an avid sailor all his life and was currently getting rid of some spare sailing equipment which he had decided to give away. Sometimes it is better for equipment to go to a good home, he said, than to make a little bit of money. You could see that he loved sailing.

The clincher was that every day at 6.00 p.m, he liked to visit this bench, drink a pint of beer and watch the bridge open to allow the tall craft through. The challenge every day was to see if the craft could handle being bunched up and get through without having an accident. The thought of the boats banging together obviously tickled his fancy and like many sea dogs he had a great chuckle.

It's quite amazing the range of people you meet if you're willing to sit on a bench and just talk to people who join you and, strangely, this old man, who is now in his '80s, has now given me a new thought each day.

When 6.00 in the evening comes, I'll wonder whether that old man is still there drinking his pint of beer and chuckling on the bench at Weymouth Town Bridge, waiting for the boats to arrive, queue and wondering whether they will get through the bridge safely.

Bye for now

Rob
(Rob Hopcott - online author and avid folk festival goer)

Meeting someone interesting whilst seated on a bench

This site is all about interesting people I have met whilst seated on various benches.

But it occurred to me that it would be nice to hear about other people's experiences of people they had met whilst seated on a bench.

Perhaps you met your partner for the first time while waiting on a park bench.

Perhaps you just got into conversation with someone really interesting at a party while seated on a garden bench.

Do you meet a special friend regularly for a chat on a park bench?

Is there a bench you love sitting on because of it's location or view and it's a wonderful place to be, even with nobody to talk to? What do you think about?

I'd love to hear about your special benches ... Just leave a comment.

Rob

Secret sunsets and favorite dogs - more adventures on a bench

One of my favorite places ever is the moorland around Selworthy Beacon in UK's lovely Exmoor. It takes some getting to but the sunsets are fabulous and, in the early evening, you could almost touch the tranquility.



Locals know about this spot and turn up every day, almost religiously, to sit and gaze at the sun going down but it has never really been cottoned on to by many tourists. so it retains it's charm.

Needless to say, there is a very special bench located at a convenient spot for me to plant my rear end, unless somebody else gets there first, and it's from this bench that I often enjoy the sunset.

Normally, the sunset is so awesome that people just enjoy the tranquility but recently I spotted a wonderful dog that must rank as one of my favorites ever and set me to chatting with it's owner who was a very nice lady.

He was a bernese mountain dog called Humphrey. I wish I'd got a picture of Humphrey. If I see him again, I'll try to be more brave and ask his owner if I can take one.

A good excuse, if ever I needed one, to spend more time seeking adventures on that particular bench.

Bye for now

Rob

(Rob Hopcott - online author - sunset and Humphrey worshipper

Outside the Ring o' Bells in Cheriton Fitzpaine, Devon, UK

Seated on the bench outside the Ring o’ Bells pub at the recent Crediton Folk Festival, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Devon, UK, with the Morris Dancers whirling around and the smells of the Devon countryside in my nostrils, I chanced to get talking to a quite amazing lady.

It turned out that she was a UK author called Marion Langton and had recently written a book, for which she'd won a Millennium Award, about her experiences caring for her mom who suffered during her final years with Alzeimer's disease.

I was able to empathise strongly with her grief because I'd lost my mom a couple of years ago due to cancer.

Marion's small book, called 'Have you seen my daughter?', is packed with tips for anybody who is going through the problems caused by Alzheimer's Disease.

She is one gutsy lady who believes in a positive approach to everything. Her story is amazing and it was a pleasure chatting.

It's extraordinary who you can meet and what you can discover just by chatting to people on a bench.

Bye for now

Rob

(Rob Hopcott - online author and bencheholic)

Adventures on a Bench - first timer!

Sidmouth International Folk Festival in the English county of Devon created the perfect chance for me to try out an exciting idea I've been playing with for some time.

Now I'm a great one for having ideas, often completely unrealistic, so I was quite nervous about putting this one to the test, but the large numbers of people milling around on the sea front at Sidmouth enjoying the colorful folk dances and music was the perfect place. I had to take the plunge.

The idea was simply to find a busy public bench, big enough for two, sit on it, wait for strangers to sit on the bench and then, if a conversation ensued, to record the conversation online in my specially created blog.

The thought of being able to record random strangers innermost thoughts, fears, passions, hopes, aspirations and secret dreams was intoxicating. Could real secrets be coaxed from ordinary members of the public just by sitting next to them on a public bench? I was determined to find out!

The bench I chose was in the thick of things. The August sun was shining with hardly a cloud and the sandy beach ahead was crowded with people sunbathing and splashing about. There was a Morris Dancing group leaping up and down and clashing sticks to my left and a lady selling craft to my right.

I didn't have to wait long before a middle aged couple sat down besides me. She was smiling but the man with her wore a frown. I sat saying nothing, feeling nervous. Would two people only talk to each other or would they involve me in their discussion? How would I remember anything said? I didn't have a notebook with me and, anyway, writing stuff down would kill any conversation.

After fidgeting for a minute of two, the man got up and walked away, muttering grumpily something about checking out a piano accordion workshop. I turned and caught the eye of the lady. She smiled and I smiled back.

"Grumpy old man!" she said.

"All old men are grumpy," I replied, " I should know,"

Ten minutes later we were still talking! I couldn't believe it. She was so open and friendly.

I learned that she worked for Local Government as an administrator, that she was soon to retire and was really looking forward to having more time at home.

I discovered that one of her favorite things was to sit and watch the world go by, as we were doing on that seafront bench. I delved more deeply.

"What is it you find interesting about the passing people?"

I could never have anticipated her reply.

I like to look at the people and imagine the sort of kitchens they have and the sort of houses they live in. Are they clean and tidy or messy and disorganised? It really gives me a buzz!"

It was then that her husband returned and took her away to get some lunch.

I too decided to leave at that point. I play folk flute and soprano sax and there was a music session that I wanted to join in with at a nearby bar.

Maybe I had not discovered any truly dangerous secrets but I was sure, with a bit of practice and by devising different strategies, I could delve much deeply next time.

I was totally sure there will be a next time!

Bookmark this site and I look forward to telling you more about my adventures on a public bench.

'Bye for now

Rob
.
.

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

The privacy of our visitors to www.benchchatviewsdiscussiondebate.com is important to us. At www.benchchatviewsdiscussiondebate.com, we recognize that privacy of your personal information is important. Here is information on what types of personal information we receive and collect when you use visit www.benchchatviewsdiscussiondebate.com, and how we safeguard your information. We never sell your personal information to third parties.

Log Files

As with most other websites, we collect and use the data contained in log files. The information in the log files include your IP (internet protocol) address, your ISP (Internet service provider, such as AOL), the browser you used to visit our site (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox), the time you visited our site and which pages you visited throughout our site.

Cookies and Web Beacons

We do use cookies to store information, such as your personal preferences when you visit our site. This could include only showing you a pop up once in your visit, or the ability to log in to some of our features, such as forums.

We also use third party advertisements on www.benchchatviewsdiscussiondebate.com to support our site. Some of these advertisers may use technology such as cookies and web beacons when they advertise on our site, which will also send these advertisers (such as Google through the Google AdSense program) information including your IP address, your ISP , the browser you used to visit our site, and in some cases, whether you have Flash installed. This is generally used for geo-targeting purposes (showing specific real estate ads to someone in Philippines, for example) or showing certain ads based on specific sites visited (such as showing cooking ads to someone who frequents cooking sites).

You can chose to disable or selectively turn off our cookies or third-party cookies in your browser settings, or by managing preferences in programs such as Norton Internet Security. However, this can affect how you are able to interact with our site as well as other websites. This could include the inability to log in to services or programs, such as logging into forums or accounts.