People
Amanda Marks - Spreading My Wings
It was a sparkling sunny day when I drove down Fore Street some twelve years ago and the view from the Quay took my breath away. As I looked back up the street the fish van was parked selling his wares and a little black cat crossed in front of me ,I immediately took this to be a sign as Seafood and Cats are two of my favourite things. Another sign (quite literally) stood out, it was a For Sale Sign.
I rang my husband (ex now) and simply said ….I’ve found it.
We had been scouring the Devon countryside looking for property as we both had a desire to move, he wanted to sail and be by the water and I wanted to replicate the soundscape of my childhood having been brought up in Devon to the sound of Herring gulls on the roof and the sound the wind makes through the shrouds on sailing boats. It was a happy childhood spent either on the beach or on Dartmoor and I think I was chasing that dream.
When I arrived back in Somerset to tell my ex husband all about my adventure I think he imagined a house to replace the one we were intent on leaving but with my sensible head on (for once) I suggested we buy a little cottage as a toe in the water exercise this was made possible as in my youth I had invested in property and we bought our cottage with the proceeds of one of my rental properties.
Of course when we started coming to Cargreen we both fell in love not just with the place but the community and having discovered my neighbour and I were from the same town and had been to the same school I felt very much at home.
My friendship with this special friend has been such a joy … her and her husband guided us on the joys of paddling across the river for Barbecues and we spent many happy hours in their company.
We eventually moved lock stock and barrel when we bought Coombe Park and where I live happily every day enjoying the panoramic views of the Tamar.
I had had many adventures in my previous life as a Cabin Manager with British Airways after leaving school halfway through my A levels not knowing what I wanted to do my Mother suggested a career with an airline as a friend she had been to modelling school with had joined BA and according to my Mother had a wonderful life.
I was eighteen and BA at that time would not take you unless you were over twenty one so I applied to British Caledonian and received a reply to attend an interview and the next thing I knew I was sashaying down a catwalk in tartan!
They were interested in how you looked in the uniform and if you had the confidence to face a sea of people … they were more interested in whether you had a good pair of legs I later learned ,the chap who was in charge of recruiting had an eye for such things … it was the 70’s remember.
I was accepted and discovered I was one of the shortest women on the course I was 5ft 8ins and the girl next to me, who would eventually become a life long friend, was 5ft 10ins.
The course consisted of how to make up professionally, Estée Lauder came and we all had free samples … how to make cocktails and my friend and I sailed rather close to the wind by drinking the contents.
Instructions on how to behave and what to pack while … down route … were issued, firstly always pack an evening dress and remember to behave as if you were representing your Country especially at embassy balls and in the officers mess on board ship.
It all sounded very exciting and so it was, one of my first flights was an eighteen day South America trip landing in Rio at night and driving through the streets with the statue of Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) lit up and towering over the city was magnificent. The next morning a friend on the crew suggested we have room service and breakfast together … I awoke to brilliant sunshine and opened the shutters to see the sugarloaf mountain and the avenue de Copacabana in front of me, a gentle knock on the door and in wheeled a cornucopia of Brazilian delights Papaya with lime, pastries and the best coffee I have ever drunk (instant coffee back in U.K. in the 70’s) and that moment started my life long love affair with Brazil.
My next trip was to the capital of Nigeria … Lagos, that was a very different experience. I loved the people they had a great sense of humour … one lovely man who travelled in First Class in yellow flowing robes was always seemingly delighted to see me on flights and whenever he greeted me it was with a twinkle in his eye and he would say “ah Amanda, you know I would like you to be my third and final wife”. I would protest that I was already married but it didn’t seem to deter him … I later discovered he’d been put in prison after a coup where he’d been poisoned … very sad but having survived a coup in Lagos running the gauntlet of road blocks on our dash to the British Aerospace compound for safety and having an AK 47 thrust through the window at me I knew Nigeria could turn dangerous very quickly.
Baobab and me in Zimbabwe
Africa has always weaved its spell on me and what the French call ‘Mal d’Afrique is certainly true in my case, with BCal I visited most countries in West Africa and I even lived in East Africa for a short while down at Lake Naivasha.
I’d accepted a part time contract when BCal was swallowed by BA which enabled me to commute and I loved being able to have both lifestyles.
I now spend my Summers in beautiful Cargreen and when the weather turns then, like the Swallows, I head off to Africa spending time in the African bush where on hot Summer afternoons Martin and I talk about all the adventures we’ve had.
© Amanda Marks, May 2026, All rights reserved
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