old places, new experiences

[deird1]

Just got back from a weekend in Torquay.

Usually "Torquay" for me means one particular house, with lots of cousins and second-cousins, Christmas dinner, using the swing, climbing trees, and playing cricket in the park.

This time, however, instead of being at my great-aunt's for Christmas, I was at a caravan park for a short holiday with the boyfriend's family. It was... weird. Torquay, but not "Torquay".

It's funny how places can become so associated with specific things in your mind that you completely forget the fact that they don't just exist for that one thing. That there's a whole town there, not just one house. And it doesn't just exist in December...

Comments

[speaker_to_customers]

Torquay, or not Torquay
That is the question...

[velvetwhip]

I know what you mean...


Gabrielle

[kerkevik]

Weird.

I grew up in a village the other side of Torquay from the seaside; then spent the last five years of my time in Devon living in the town next along the coast from Torquay, Paignton; the two making up with Brixham the borough of Torbay.

But I can't ever recall being able to play cricket in the park at xmas..?

;-}

Ray.

[speaker_to_customers]

It's a different Torquay, Ray; remember that Deird is in Australia.

[kerkevik]

Hence the ;-}

lol Ray.

[brin_bellway]

(Hi Kerk! *waves*)

And as if it wasn't confusing enough, Google Maps tells me there's two Torquays in Australia alone. I presume Deird meant the one 100km from Melbourne rather than the one 2000km from Melbourne.

[kerkevik]

Hi,

it gets worse, apparently there's somewhere called Hollywood that's NOT in Northern Ireland!

Who knew?

And hi!

Come On The Eagles & The Dockers!
Ray.

[brin_bellway]

Live in New Jersey, live within reasonable driving distance of Stratford. Move to Ontario, live within reasonable driving distance of Stratford.
We really need to stop naming things after the same places in Britain over and over again. Apparently Wikipedia knows of twenty towns named Stratford, which is just ridiculous.

[deird1]

Yes, that's the one. :)

[guy-who-reads.blogspot.com]

Huh. My mum is from Torquay; my grandparents still live near there. That would be the Torquay in the UK, not Deird's Torquay (whichever one that might be).