Pubs and Funerals

Pubs and funerals feature in everyone’s lives.
This morning I went to a talk at the Palace Theatre, Paignton, on historic pubs and breweries of South Devon. There was a big queue for tickets (only £6). I was surprised as there aren’t usually that many for this regular series of talks,  but I think that the local branch of CAMRA had imposed a three line whip on this event. There were a few beards among the beer enthusiasts but nothing could match that of the speaker, an amateur actor who was preparing to be in a production at the theatre,  of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It was very interesting and I realised that over the years  I had visited most of the pubs illustrated.
Earlier I parked my car in the car park of 
Oldway Mansion, where an intriguing scene awaited me - a carriage and horses were being prepared for a funeral. It looked totally in keeping outside this magnificent but dilapidated old mansion.I asked permission to photograph. The owners of this funereal rig are based in South Wales and regularly travel to the West Country and further afield to provide this service. They are almost one of a kind. The beautiful black stallions are in the extra photo, being washed and groomed.

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