Re-visiting our last place

Plymouth Harbour from Jennycliff

Towards the end of last year, Pete and I had a quick visit to Plymouth, the city where we first moved to live together in the UK, and where we lived for 12 years before moving to the Island.

We hadn’t been back for three years, and we were both curious to see what might have changed and how it would seem after living elsewhere. We saw a few friends with whom we have kept in touch, and whilst Pete taught his classes, I mooched around the town, visiting once-familiar neighbourhoods.

In only three years, not too much physically had changed. Many of the shops had turned over, but there was a similar balance of empty shops and shiny new businesses, just like in most towns in the UK. The turnover is constant as new ideas come and thrive, or perhaps falter and move along. There is the usual array of Charity chops (second-hand stores that benefit a specific non-profit, like Red Cross for example), alongside some newer independent cafes and a sprinkling of larger chains that are trying to make a go here.

We arrived on the first Friday of the month, which we had forgotten meant crowds of young people in the Barbican area of town, the picturesque waterfront area with cobbled streets and numerous bars. We planned to meet some friends but our chosen places, even at 5, were already overflowing and we struggled to find a quiet place for a drink and catch up. But we did finally find our way to a new-to-us, not-yet-busy waterfront locale and enjoyed our time together immensely.

Plymouth Barbican

Because Plymouth was the first place I lived in the UK (not including a year in London when I was 20), it was a formative experience. People outside London live and approach the world differently, and I had so much to learn. It was the place where I, among many things:

• Learned to speak and write British, with a twist of Janner (quirky language only used in Plymouth).

• Learned that being an academic partner means saying hello and goodbye to colleagues a LOT, but eventually I made a few lovely non-academic friends.

• Applied for so many jobs, failing over and over again, and as a result, started my first business.

• Went to more networking events and activities than I ever thought possible (and was grateful to Covid for giving me a way out). It nearly killed my ability to function, and I sat by myself and read books for most of our Covid lockdowns as a result.

• Learned about social enterprises, and the communities who stop waiting for the government to fix things, and take their neighbourhoods into their own hands.

• Learned never to ask whether it is “jam first or cream first” when discussing how to eat freshly baked scones. It’s honestly more contested than than politics or religion. (No matter which way, they are delicious!)

• Learned how to cook and eat a whole new suite of locally-grown vegetables that I’d never heard of before I moved there. Related: ate my first wild garlic when I discovered a forest of it behind our old house.

• Closed my eyes many times as we passed other cars along the notorious sunken narrow lanes of Devon. (Pete was driving, obvs)

• Leaned to love Sunday roast lunches (vegetarian option) at pubs located along rivers and the coast using lovely walking paths to get there.

• Walked some of the most glorious coastal paths of my life, and I am including those I grew up with in stunning Northern California and also including South Western Portugal and rugged stretches of Maine (all of which I love too!).

  

  Wild garlic near our old home

We mused as we were driving home after our visit on what each of us had noticed and how our perceptions have changed since we moved from what now seems like the big City of Plymouth to our little village on the Island. These were some of the things we noticed or were reminded of:

• The city itself is not architecturally beautiful—like Bath or Cheltenham for example—due to having been heavily bombed during WW2. However, the SETTING of Plymouth is absolutely beautiful: the huge harbour surrounded by hills and the City is a gleaming jewell.

  

  Plymouth Foreshore, looking towards Cornwall

• The people are, as a general rule, more friendly and relaxed than other places in the UK I have visited or lived.

• There is a very particular style of dressing—at least for women—that I had forgotten about and was delighted to see again. Also, many women of all ages very vividly colour their hair: bright magentas, electric blues, and otherworldly lime greens. I remember noticing it when I first lived there, and had forgotten all about it.

• The fresh fish is amazing!

• There is a strong and resilient creative culture throughout this part of the South West that we were able to enjoy in various ways, including at a monthly craft and food market.

• The surrounding smaller villages provide a wonderful complement to the more ‘big city’ vibe that Plymouth provides.

• As we crossed Dartmoor on our way home, it was as misty and elusive-appearing as ever this time of year. It remains one of the most evocative places I have visited, and I miss being able to go for walks there on the weekends.

• And finally, it really is a lot more damp-feeling in Plymouth than on the Isle of Wight, so I suppose I should stop complaining. (Maybe, although it is absolutely tipping it down on the Island right now!)

HayTor, Dartmoor National Park

We were delighted to have visited our former home turf, and see some of the places that meant so much to us. I admit that although we visited our former lane and spent time with our beloved neighbours in their houses, I couldn’t bring myself to more than glance at our old home. It is still a place I miss very much.

Overall, we are happy that we lived in Plymouth, and also content with our choice to have moved to the Island. It was good to have revisited, to reflect, and then to come back feeling still content with our choices. Living on the Island works reasonably well for now, and we are trying to make the most while living here. We still, however, have no idea what—or where—the future holds for us!

Totnes, Devon

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Friends, thank you so much for reading!

I’d love to hear your thoughts about revisiting places you’ve lived after being gone for awhile. How did it feel? Did you notice changes? Did it make you happy with your choice to leave, or conflicted, or anything else? What things had you forgotten about? Were you surprised by them? What things brought you comfort to see or feel again? Have you moved back after time away, and how does that feel?

Hope you are having the January that you wish for! Until next week,

xx Sabrina

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