News Item 6

Dot Bassett

I have recently received my first, very early, xmas card, posted on the 17th November. Mind you, it is my own fault. I asked for it - literally. It’s a fairly long story but the gist of it is that I dropped my camera, the other morning when I went out to feed the horses. I have a small digital compact that fits unobtrusively in my pocket so that I can have it on me, if I see anything interesting to shoot. When I got to the field, there were a load of sheep waiting along with the horses and so I took the camera out and put it on top a the gate post, while I opened the gate. And, what did I do? Right, I knocked it off when I reached out for it.

Many of you, in the area will know Dot - as a friend, as someone you saw riding about the villages or as a part time teacher at South Tawton Primary School. You also probably remember her excellent drawings, some of which featured in the Beacon magazine and others she made into her own Xmas cards. I have kept in touch with her and knew that she was not very happy with her original move, as the area did not compare favourably with her old South Zeal home. Also, her elderly Bearded Collie, Emma (see picture above) finally passed away. She has , however, recently, acquired a new dog, Sophie, who I was able to photograph when she paid us a visit a while back. She had told us then that she was house hunting again and had found something promising. The last we heard, she had moved into this house, so I sent her Pepsi’s passport photos and asked for my Xmas card drawing of her new home.

This web site eats up photos very rapidly and without a camera, I was forced to scan through my past collection to find material that I have not used. I also looked through my old videos, because you can capture stills from these, although the quality is not so high. And, looking through my videos, I found some footage of Dot Basset’s pony, Pepsi, who is now living at Nethercott Farm Riding School. I must explain that I first got to know Dot, when we were looking for a field for our horse, nearer to home (Ramsley) as she was, at that time, stabled at Wood Home Farm. We were outside St. Andrews in South Tawton, when Dot rode along on Pepsi. We got chatting and told her we were on the look out for a field, with the eventual result that we struck a deal. Our horse could spend the day in Dot’s field with Pepsi (she lived then opposite the King’s Arms) and, in return, I would groom, clean and feed Pepsi. Many South Zeal locals would see me walking Alezane (our horse) down Ramsley, along Zeal main street and up the long hill, past the Oxenham and Kings Arms to Dots field in the mornings and then, back again in the evening. It is strange how many people felt the need to tell me that horses were meant to be ridden! I also have Dot to thank for letting me know that the field we have now was for sale although (another long story for another time) I therefore have her to blame for the fact that we now have three horses not just the one!

Dot eventually became a grandmother and moved away to live near her grandchild. Pepsi went to work at Nethercott and Annabel, Eric and Meadowsweet moved into her old home (stable and field). Back to the photos. My video produces 24 frames (still pictures) a second so when I found some footage of Pepsi yawning, I was able to extract the most unflattering pictures and put them together as Pepsi’s passport snaps from a machine.

And so, I was delighted to receive my first Xmas card of the season, with the very welcome news that Dot is very happy with her new life. I’m sure she won’t mind if I quote - “It’s great here - lovely house & garden, good village with school, very like South Zeal. Fields of sheep and quiet country lanes ... just missing the moor.”
I know many of you are probably in touch yourselves but if anyone, particularly her old pupils at the school, would like to wish her a ‘happy xmas’, I would be very pleased to pass your wishes on.