Tilting at wind farms

There's something missing here..... 21 120 metre high wind turbines that's it!

Coming back from a few days down at the old barn in Mortehoe last week I managed to catch the 303 bus back home that goes the long way around via West Down and Heanton down to Ashford Strand. The highlight of this trip was the fact that it virtually skirts the whole of Fullabroke Windfarm along it's quite considerable length and breadth. Now, after all the machinations manoeverings and transportation of heavy loads through the highways and byways of North Devon, all 21 of the turbines are now in place  I have to say that on a lovely sky blue summer's morning they are quite a magnificent sight. Fanning out as they do across the hills of North North Devon with the sun glancing of their polished 65m blades, all 66 of them. I reckon you can really feel the potential latent energy in the structures and I must say it gave me quite a buzz and made me feel strangely innervated. I can't say that my fellow travelers felt the same way as they just seemed to gawp, open mouthed at these leviathans of the downs. Some just started a muttering and a mumbling. Maybe they were just stunned to see such fine examples of kinetic energy converters in such a bucolic setting.
Believe it or not, although I may be a bit behind when it comes to consumer electronics and gizmos, I can never fail to be impressed by feats of engineering endeavour, be it the building of the new aircraft carriers down at Appledore, the construction of the Taw downstream bridge or the Windfarm to me they are technological marvels. I suppose this goes back to me days when I worked down at Tucker & Turners agricultural engineers, where as an apprentice I worked on the prototype of the Huxtables self propelled threshing machine. As a young man I also spent a bit of time on tankers, so the bigger the better.
When I first was aware of the plans at Fullabroke I didn't see what all the fuss was about, at the time there was a hell of a stink kicked up in villages like West Down, Marwood and Prixford (where today funny enough it turns out you can't actually see them from the centre of the villages), as I thought they'd be tucked away down the side of the valley out the back of West Down and I think most people were under this impression and all. Or came to this way of thinking after the notion of a community fund containing millions of pounds was wafted in front of their noses. Also, in these parts we are never of a mind to complain too bitterly about things especially when a few quid is involved.

So, earlier in the summer when they started appearing over the hills on the north side of town, an event which put me in mind of the martian attack in Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds, I was rather taken aback to start off with as it turned out that they can not only be seen from the Burrows, Barum Henge and Yelland but also further afield in places like Bideford, Alverdiscott, North Molton and even abroad in Port Talbot and the Mumbles and what's more, even from the Old Boy's and Mother's back bedroom up at Sticklepath. Somehow,  I don't think the residents of Woodville were consulted at the planning stage!
Initially, I questioned whether this was actually part of the original plan and was under the suspicion that the developers had been a little bit naughty and led us all on a merry dance in not disclosing the true impact that they would hev on the North Devon skyline. I was angry and was determined to try and get some answers to the questions however, my technological bent soon took over and the more I looked into the mechanics of the structures and saw all the monster loads being hauled through the town the sheer logistics of the operation the more I started to feel something like pride in what was being undertaken.

Ultimately, I think that they compliment the North Devon skyline. I mean, you might as well complain about pylons or telephone cables and at least the turbines serve more of a purpose providing energy as they will do to thousands of homes. I could have taken them on like a Devonian Don Quixote. Mind you it is not as if they are the first wind turbines in the area. I remember Bobby, one of the Combe Martin hippies, building one above Ilfracombe back in the eighties. Looking back he was a veritable pioneer in the field. The trouble was he had the idea to tap the turbine into an extant lay line to conduct the power generated through this less tangible national grid to other mystical points in the realm. No wires, underground cables or pylons, lay lines that was the answer. I wonder what became of him? I reckon he's probably still in a field outside Gloucester with his multi-purpose electrical tester and divining rods.
As Georgie Hatherly's Mother pointed out, when me and Annie Cawood popped into the exhibition at Braunton Countryside Centre, "what else are we going to do?" I failed to mention at the time that we could all consider using less electricity but somewhat blinded by the white heat of technology I let it pass.
I do have a couple of niggling concerns. At the moment the turbine blades are all higgledy piggledy not facing in the same direction and I don't find this too pleasing to the eye.  Annie said the same thing mind you she does have a touch of the old OCD and given half a chance she would be up there in a flash trying to get them standing proud, facing in the same direction.
My other gripe is that the company haven't put back some of the street furniture that they took down to make way for the monster loads, as just this morning I was passing the junction at Pottington and in the hedge outside of Hobarts some of the railings are still lying there all twisted and buckled up. The devils in the detail as Mother likes to say.
I also have a bit of a suggestion to make in order to make the turbines a little more attractive to all, detractors and supporters alike, they could be named. They could have nameplates fixed on the side of them so that folk could be encouraged to adopt one as from time to time they do look rather forlorn standing up their on top of the world. I've already earmarked one at Pippacott and to me it looks like a Gertie, named after my great aunt.  People might want to take a picnic out there from time to time, like my Gran and Granfer used to do on the central reservation of the dual carriageway when it first opened.

Just a final  point coming back on the bus down through Ashford I looked up river towards Town and was struck by the sight of a gurt big communication mast on top of Fort Hill. Where on earth did this come from? It reminded me of the one that they have on a hill above Santander that you see from the ferry or indeed the one I recall  that towers over Barcelona. Yet another thing that Barum and Barcelona have in common. It occurred to me that as they do in Spain someone should think about running a cable car up there. we could be missing a trick here. Mind you in Spain they do like a tower or two.

Only a week to go.........

...... before the Library re-opens after it's extensive refit and I can get back in there and do some serious blogging. Amoungst other developments they are going to get in WI-FI!! I can assure you that I have not been idle these past few weeks as I have been fulfilling my other media commitments details of which will be outlined directly. Suffice it to say Johnny Kingdom and his Exmoor safaris may have a bit of competition in the near future as I have a few different irons in the fire at the present time. Cheers.