Honiton

It's very interesting visiting this part of East Devon from where I have the fondest childhood memories. My Dad is the only one of the immediate family who moved any great distance away so it always felt very 'holiday-esque' to travel down here. The travel time and good weather at the moment mean this hasn't changed.

This is Honiton high street where my nana and grandad lived. They came in 1947 as part of the postwar council housing boom and they had the same house until 2005 when my grandad died. We went to the cul-de-sac and it was looking very shabby. Although the town centre has undergone lots of changes, with my Auntie's regular hairdressers converted into an estate agent, a plethora of coffee shops and one of the oldest pubs being renovated into a deli, some stalwart shops remained, and it was bustling. My Dad was particularly excited about a barbers shop run out of the back of a van. Very mobile and low overheads. The Honiton toy shop where we used to spend the money nana and grandad gave us, and the Honiton Dairy ice cream shop (where there is some family history somewhere as the owner had the same name as me) were going strong.

Leaving Honiton the hill rises steeply and the original parish church sits atop it. Lots of family members are buried in the cemetery. As it's the first time I've visited with a smartphone I took pictures of the gravestones in case I ever want to digitise any family history.

There was much chatter in the 1990s when modern housing estates expanded around Honiton and a Tesco was built. What would happen to the mobile baker who used to go around the older houses with huge plastic trays of bread baps and cakes? I only associate Tunnock's teacakes with Devon - I've never noticed if they're for sale anywhere else.

One of the biggest drivers of change was an increasing number of retirees moving to the south west. Honiton old-timers would probably say the character of the town has changed, but people seeking a pleasant place to live should be welcomed. In this case they've brought more wealth and overall the town has prospered.