Saturday dawned bright and sunny (top). Could the miserable weather forecast really still be true ? One check of the internet confirmed that in fact things were to be much worse. Thunder mid-morning followed by incessant rain all afternoon. We set off from the hotel in the rain with waterproof clothing, stout umbrellas and “The Beginners Guide To Building A Canoe” book. When we reached the bus stop in St Marychurch the rain went off and as the open top Dennis Trident of Stagecoach appeared the sun made a brief appearance. This was one of six newly converted vehicles which are wisely only half open-top. We went upstairs, wiped the rain from the seats and sat down outside to brave the elements. We were the only ones outside – everyone else was under the covered section. Once on our way the main hazard on journey soon became clear – when the bus brushed past low hanging tree branches they sprang back with a splash of raindrops in our faces (far left). The route to Torquay is mainly downhill and there was no sign of the sea until we reached the harbour at The Strand. Several passengers including ourselves alighted here most of them saying a cheery goodbye to Dave our bus driver who must be a regular on the service (left).
