A stroll in Bridport

 A stroll in Bridport

Our stay in Bridport was like a family visit - we were treated with so much kindness.  Pete and Hilda Smith (Madeleine's parents) welcomed us to their home in central Bridport where they had moved to a few years before.  It is spacious and comfortable and we were given a lovely room in the loft to stay in.  

The river Brid runs right past their house, but their home was never in danger in 2013 during the floods at all.  

From their home one can see a new apartment block which doesn't look new at all.  Building regulations stipulate that new buildings have to maintain the character of the existing architecture.  

Those chimney stacks are made of plastic, which are then covered with the cladding of your choice. They cannot be used at all.  They do add a lot to the appearance of the building though.

On our first morning Kevin took us for a walk to see a bit more of Bridport.  This kind of exploring is exactly what we enjoy doing in new surroundings.  We walked by an old mill and into the main street.  

The first place we looked at still belongs to Quakers - they are members of a Christian denomination, a religious society of friends with traditional testimonies of pacifism, social equality, integrity and simplicity.  To outsiders, like us, they remain a bit of a mystery.  

Once one has walked through the narrow corridor one enters what initially appears like a tranquil garden, but actually is walled-in graveyard.  

Here we looked at some flowers with very familiar names due to stories of British origin.  It was quite special  to have them identified and  see them close up.  

Buttercups

Dandelions

Next we visited the church of which we could see the steeple from the Quaker property.

Bridport has a community garden in which people work at their own little lots.  Some of these are even raised like in one of the photos above to make it easier for the elderly to work there.  I could just see my own dad happily pottering about there should he have ever had the opportunity.  

The bunting was out.

The Bridport museum is quite interesting.  Ropes for shipping and other purposes is the main export product of this town and has been so for centuries.  Good ropes are essential but we seldom give their production a thought.  This is a place famous for its ropes.

These days Bridport is also a centre for antiques and well worth exploring if that is what you enjoy.

What stays with one is the wonderful sense of community.