Sherman Memorial, Slapton Sands

Sherman Memorial, Slapton Sands
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies

A simple yet moving memorial to all those hundreds of US soldiers who lost their lives when a squadron of German E-Boats got amongst the training exercise for D Day, which due to the wrong radio frequencies could not call for support.

This was a "swimming tank", that sank during training and was raised a few years ago.

Pipped by "more interesting news"

Looks as though the news release that Banksy is exhibiting at Bristol Museum has knocked any BBC coverage of the dig due today at Berkeley on the head.

Although I love art it is only because Banksy is a "mythical" figure that so much coverage has been given to him, whereas here we have a story of international importance with a discovery of a monastery enclosure the size of Winchester in Gloucestershire!

So frustrating.

Gloomy Predictions from South West Tourism

I'm disappointed that we are allowing negative publicity to rule our industry again.

To quote from the BBC website:

A stern warning has been issued about the future of tourism in the West.

In a new booklet, Malcolm Bell, Director of South West Tourism, says optimism the 2009 summer will be a bumper year may be misplaced. Assumptions a good Sterling/Euro exchange rate would favour the region may not materialise, he said.

Mr Bell predicts rising unemployment and ongoing economic uncertainty could see visitor numbers drop between three and eight per cent.

He said: "Even if we do get reasonable numbers of displaced visitors, they may just replace losses from loyal customers who cannot visit due to reduced incomes from savings, or lower earnings because they have lost their jobs."

South West Tourism covers Bath, Bristol, Bournemouth and Poole, Cornwall and Scilly Isles, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.


Surely it would be better to promote the benefits of the South West's undoubted excellent tourist facilities rather than hint that it will be a bad summer. We are so media driven these days that any bad news means we instantly assume the worst.

Come on South West Tourism, promote us all and be positive! I'm all for being realistic but let's see what happens.

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