For The Benefit of Mr Keltz.

Don't worry about the title and I'm happy to pay due deference to the Beatles for the abuse - he

knows what it means...

Sorry, it has been a while now I know. I’ve been surprised at just how busy I am, don’t get me wrong folks, it’s great, but time just flies by and before you know it another week has passed. The pub is doing rather well. The local villagers are very supportive and the Euchre team have been a blessing with their home matches here at the Provi’. The food has really taken off now and we are getting lots of diners in. Karen Tucker is working wonders in the kitchen with a varied and appetising menu. She really knows how to cook that girl, her food is getting recognised in other villages and we are receiving lots of bookings based on recommendations made by previous diners. The biggest problem is staff. We are desperately in need of a second chef, but can we get one? That’s a big no at the moment.

I have also acquired a new role for myself. I am now the East Prawle correspondent for the Kingsbridge & Salcombe Gazette. I have made a couple of submissions to the paper already and have the honour of having my ugly mug pasted at the top of my weekly musings. On Monday evening this week I attended a meeting of the Prawle Fair Committee. Each year the village holds a fair to raise funds for the Community Hall that sits next to my pub. I sat in the hall and thought back to what I was doing last year at that time. I decided that I was either sitting in my old home watching a football match on the TV or possibly doing some telecom related work. Yet there I was on the 26/02/07 listening to a serious discussion about the best way to hold a guinea pig race! Welcome to Planet Prawle.

Tomorrow evening the village cricket team are playing a darts match against a team from the Pig’s Nose. The Pig’s Nose is the other pub in the village and it is famous for its music evenings some very well known bands play there. I just hope their darts aren’t as good as their music.

I am getting to know various people in the village and whilst they are a diverse bunch, they are also a very warm and welcoming group of souls (as long as the beer is okay.) I really enjoy their company especially when a heated argument is on the go. More often than not it is about local and national politics but on occasion it can be caused by a stupid townie asking a dumb question about foot and mouth disease. (With apologies to Tim, Richard, Sarah, Shawn, David, Louise, Julian and Brian.)

Helen and the boys came down last weekend and we took Charlie for his first walk out in the big wide world. We went to Lannacombe beach which is close to East Prawle. The beach sits at the foot of a valley and all the rain water that runs down and from the valley cuts through the beach and runs out to sea. Well, just lately we have had a large amount of rain and as a result the stream was flowing very fast. I crossed at a shallow point and Charlie dutifully followed. Now, shallow is a subjective term. I am five feet ten inches tall, Charlie is approximately ten inches tall, and I guess the extra five feet can make a difference. When he surfaced he looked quite surprised in the way that only puppies can. I must admit, I found it hilarious as he paddled, flapped his ears and tried anything he could think of to get out of the water. His tail acted as a rudder and he floated by my feet looking totally confused. We got him back to the pub soon after and he seemed fine despite his aquatic adventure.

I am really looking forward to Helen joining me on a permanent basis here in Prawle. She makes the journey every weekend and considering her New Year’s Day exploits she doesn’t complain, but it is hard going. Our Sunday lunch time sessions are usually a nice time, but I dread the clock reaching three o’clock as that is the time that she and the boys go home.

More soon….