Exeter Exodus - Day 1 - Wednesday 22nd June 2016 - Avoiding The Egg Man.

It's odd being a visitor in any location during the time of an election or political campaign.  The European Referendum rears its ugly head like the unwanted guest at a party.  This has various effects upon people.  It can make people more jingoistic.  I witnessed an interesting argument between an opinionated lady and an Asian gentleman concerning the relative value of wearing burkas in the United Kingdom.  Her range of opinions seemed limited to 'it's wrong'.  Needless to say, her narrow-minded attitude led to the man walking off with her shouting various put downs at him.

I was intrigued to see how the Leave campaign dominated the shopping areas of Exeter.

Exeter is an unusual blend of the old and new.  The high street is a generic blend of every UK high street with its assortment of Greggs and other franchises.  The British Home Store surrounded by closing down signs made me feel slightly sad.  Imagine working for a company that you know is closing and still having to go through the motions of good customer service.

I spent lots of time with my friend and her dog, which helped to acclimatise me more quickly to the nuances of life in Devon.  The early closing times and the quaint cake shops offering quality patisserie to those tired of Pret and their ilk.

McDonald's and KFC lurking amongst the other restaurants yet surprisingly unlike in London, they did not seem particularly popular.

Today has been a day of spatial awareness (i.e. learning how not to get lost) and my trip to the Indian restaurant, resulted in my decision to avoid the 'Egg Man', an ice cream based dessert with a special surprise.  I never did learn what the 'special surprise' was, but surprises scare me these days.

My enduring impression of Exeter is positive yet beneath the aura of student life and family excursions lurks a homelessness problem; people sleeping in doorways and scrounging money from people drinking outside cafes and bars.

Tomorrow, I explore the history and culture of the city of some of it.

                                                                               Barry Watt - 22nd June 2016.

Photos.

Sadly, in the minority.

BHS, the end of another era.

Afterword.

All of the fast food franchises etc are copyright to their respective owners.  They serve their respective functions well.  Just sad that they are everywhere.

                                                                                                                        BW.