Summer Update and heading into A/W 2025

I have been neglecting the blog over summer but lots has been happening at Ducks Paddle. Cottage bookings have been very slow to get going this year, with May and June being very quiet. Happily though since July we have been busy with lovely guests and their even lovelier pets. Andy's printing has also been very quiet and we can only really put this down to the state of the British economy. People are being much more cautious with spending and Novembers budget could bring more uncertainty. Never one to sit and moan I went out and got myself a job! Since the start of June I have been driving for one of the big supermarkets, delivering groceries 3 late shifts every week. It has meant that my time in the garden and house has been curtailed and jobs here have had to drop down the to do list. The extra guaranteed cash is keeping us solvent and I have to say I really love the work. Not part of our master plan but it is working out very nicely.

The website has been very successful with lots of new contacts on the Ducks Paddle history. We met with some of the Welsh family, who lived here in to 1970's. They gave us some amazing information and it was lovely to meet them. I have also made contact with descendants of the Mayne family who are over in Illinois and I am waiting to hear back on anything they can find out. They are the great grandchildren of two of the Mayne sons born here. Lastly we also were contacted by the son of one of the Rattenbury children who lived here in the 1920's and met him and his wife last week. I have lots of updates to now add on our history pages which will keep me busy in the winter evenings.

Early September we took part again the the North Devon Bat Survey and Andy will be putting the results online soon. The weather was very much against us this year as we had a stormy and wet survey slot. Therefore it was much reduced data but still lots of different species. It appears that the bats prefer to stay warm and dry and who can blame them? 

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Recently we actually made it to RHS Rosemoor for their Plot to Plate event with our main mission to see Jim Arbury from RHS Wisley. He was there doing apple identification and amazed us with his knowledge. We now know that the 3 old trees on our guests lawn area are Howgate Wonder. It is likely they were planted here in the early 1930's so our 100 year old guesstimate was bang on! More info on this will be added on our garden page when I get time.

Sharon x



P.S. Granny Tubbs is still going strong and brought us a baby rabbit this morning. She was very proud of herself!

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