Town crier Roger Bourgein writes about the beauty which Exmouth displays

Greetings, citizens and visitors to Exmouth, this jewel set midst Devon’s red cliffs, green hills and silver seas!

Now I am stunned by the beauty this seaside town displays as the rays of afternoon sun strike buildings, streets and human activity.

I mean there’s little or no road vehicles, and street sounds seem muffled by the power of this sunlight.

I am an observer, wish I was a painter.

Somehow this is unlike warm European countries, the shadows aren’t black, life is still visible but the sunlight is glare free and has the power of life of creation of... oh dear, lost my train of thought!

That was yesterday, now is a morning of bright sun, yes the same as yesterday, bright bright warm gold, in a way in competition with those same dark cloaking shadows.

I’ve no idea why I observe, always been fascinated by human sight and the memories it allows my mind to store...

Khartoum, 110 F, no sound, heat, shimmering shining deadly heat. In every direction as far as my eye could see, now’t, zero, zilch, nothing - no trees, grass, plants, animals, beetles, birds, flies - total and utter man-made sterility!

I watched as a dark speck on the horizon grew in size, for more than 30 minutes I observed that black dot metamorphose into an ancient donkey with an ancient male human atop. I nodded, no response, stock still stood donkey and passenger, this was not a situation for smiling.

Suddenly I’m aware I’m no longer the observer for I am now the subject of another’s observation!

Khartoum in those days had an excellent system of sewers, no water so giant gully suckers sucked the waste and sprayed it for years and years and years, creating that shimmering shiny crust that supported, just like Armstrong’s lunar surface, no life ‘cept, donkey, male and me.

Ah... memories!