The Village

Advantages: Atmosphere. Well produced - Escapist
Disadvantages: Story line too unrealistic for me

...Last week I came across one of those special offers in HMV (4 DVds for £20). It was end of the season sale and I picked up a film called "The Village" just to make up the numbers. It struck me as being some sort of clichéd horror film from the blurb on the cover and I didn't expect to be watching it in the very near future. But it was one of those DVDs that keep popping up every time I looked through my shelf of dozens of other unwatched movies. Well the other evening, it popped up again and I just put it in the machine without giving it too much thought. As I wasn't in the mood for thinking anyway, it would probably be an ideal film. As we got into the film, enter the monster, well, a glimpse of it. It was supposed to be scaring me but even my wife, who makes me jump out of my skin with her sudden screams in scary movies, remained...

derek-j-a 06.10.2005 (07.10.2005) · Read review
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Review of The Village (DVD)

IT's a small world!

Advantages: lots to see and lots of lovely little buildings
Disadvantages: expensive

...As we have been visiting my family in South Devon we have been taking in some of the local attractions. One of these is the delightful Babbacombe Model Village which is on the outskirts of Torquay. As my daughters both love playing with their dolls houses I had a sneaky suspicion that an entire village filled with miniature buildings would go down a treat with them and I was right! They absolutely loved their visit to the model village. The village has been a part of Babbacombe since 1963 and has been continually added to and updated over the years. It is set into the side of a steep incline which means that as you walk around there is a lot of steps and slopes to climb up and down. This makes it quite difficult for people with mobility problems. I took my mum who has leg problems and she found the slopes quite difficult but was...

kingfisher111 08.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Babbacombe Model Village (Devon)

Riviera Bay Holiday Park, Brixham, Devon

Advantages: Active pensioners and seagulls will love it
Disadvantages: No help if you're disabled

...hundred yards from the entertainment complex. Most nights as we lay there trying to get to sleep, we had to endure the rowdy sounds coming from the nightclub, which went on until after midnight. This would then be accompanied by the drunken sounds of people tottering out of the club and walking directly past our window, laughing and singing noisily. Too bad if you wanted an early night, especially as we weren't getting much sleep on the uncomfortable beds. We've stayed at several caravan parks in Devon over the years, and have also stayed at the sister sites owned by the same company that runs Riviera Bay. We've never had complaints before about any of them. But the basic accommodation on this site can't be recommended. Most of the people staying in the cheaper chalets were elderly, perhaps because these are a cheap option if you have to...

jools61 08.08.2005 (15.11.2009) · Read review
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Review of Devon (England)

Appledore - a jewel in the Devon crown

Advantages: Friendly people, lovely views, quaint cottages, summers
Disadvantages: Bit of a ghost village in the winter

...I can hear you all saying 'Appledore? Never heard of it.' Well, neither had I until just over 5 years ago. How I came here. My family have always favoured North Devon and Cornwall for UK holidays and we had all spent many happy weeks in these areas relaxing and wishing that we didn't have to go back to our humdrum daily lives. Like many we'd trawled the local papers whilst on holiday, checking out the job and housing situation, and like most we'd return home with regret and dream of our next holiday. Well, everything changed for the whole family within the short space of 18 months. In that little time slot my husband, both my parents and my grandmother died leaving only my brother's family and my family to carry on. It was a devastating time for all of us and one which made my brother and myself take stock of our lives...

jackyann53 20.11.2006 · Read review
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Review of Appledore, Devon

The Village

Advantages: You will enjoy it
Disadvantages: None

...The Village, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan on a budget of 60 million dollars, was going to be a tough follow up for a director known for his twists and turns. As it turned out, there was a twist, but it was a rather low key one, and it was almost apparent from the start, though it is not without a small end revelation, that will surprise you. This movie starts off really slowly, leading you into the lives of a group of villagers, who live on the outskirts of a wood, in 1897 Pennsylvania, which is seemingly haunted by some nasty hideous monsters, referred to only as, 'Those we do not speak of'. A village where the colour red is not allowed, as it is the colour of evil. The Elders, who have set up and run the village, teach their children that the Towns outside their village is a bad place, and they must never cross into...

Paradis 21.12.2004 · Read review
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Review of The Village (DVD)

Saltram House, Devon.

Advantages: Lovely parkland and gardens, house.
Disadvantages: None.

...I live fairly close to Saltram House which is a property owned by the National Trust. It is great being so near as it is possible to visit fairly frequently for a short period, or spend longer depending on mood. The house is impressive, the gardens are beautiful and there are lots of walks around the grounds. Location Saltram is situated in Plympton which is in Devon. It is high above the River Plym, surrounded by woodland. The address is Saltram, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 1UH. I would use a route planner if unfamiliar with the area as it is not on a main route. It is not far from Plymouth itself though being just on the outskirts, it is 3 and a half miles East of Plymouth City Centre. The entrance is in Plympton and there are brown National Trust signs as a guide and the entrance has magnificent pillars. Parking...

spottydog2 06.12.2007 · Read review
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Review of Saltram House, Devon

Village of the Damned Scared

Advantages: Good acting and story
Disadvantages: Looking for the plot twists will give you whiplash

...Pennsylvania, 1897; the inhabitants of the utopian Covington have held an uneasy truce with the creatures that live in the woods around their village for years. But when Lucius Hunt asks permission to leave, things change for the worse. Writer-director M Night Shyamalan?s films all seem to exist in the eternal twilight of an autumnal world. ?The Village? is no exception, portraying a world of muted tones and frosty nights, the whole thing awash in leaf litter. It makes for an atmospheric backdrop in a tale where the greatest horrors are imagined and not seen. Here he delivers a taut, slow-burning psychological horror that plays on our primeval fear of the dark and the things that may be lurking in it. He ramps up the suspense through the judicious use of obscured views, half-seen creatures and a shrieking score that will send shivers...

afy9mab 28.08.2004 · Read review
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Review of The Village (DVD)

South Devon Railway

Advantages: Nostalgic look back in time.Wonderful scenery, friendly Staff, Clean Trains.
Disadvantages: Short journey.

...We visited South Devon Railway for a day trip to Totnes on the steam train. Admission Prices: Return trip (single fares also available) Buckfastleigh - Totnes Littlehempston Adult £9.90 Senior Citizen £9.20 Child £5.90 (5 years - 14 years; under 5s FREE) Family £28.90 (two adults and two children) There is also FREE parking at Buckfastleigh for cars and coaches. We travelled from Totnes to Buckfastleigh to Totnes and it was just like going back in time. It was a thorougly enjoyable ride on a proper steam train. Taking in the wonderful scenery from Buckfastleigh to Totnes. We went in the summer and it was a fantastic journey beside the river Dart t. The trains are clean and comfortable, in my opinion much better than the trains of today. The children enjoyed the ride and the ability to get up and move...

livelylad 31.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of South Devon Railway Trust

Divine Devon

Advantages: So much to see and do
Disadvantages: Very crowded roads

...I always wanted to go to Devon when I was little. I had seen pictures of thatched cottages with hay wagons passing along dusty country lanes. I had seen golden sands lapped by crystal clear water and fringed by palm trees. It seemed an awful long way to go though so it was some years before we ventured to pack our car with all required for a week's camping. Sure enough, it was a long way to go and the trip wasn't made any easier by roadworks on the M5, already heaving with caravans. But hey ho, we Brits are used to this kind of travel and we carried on. We were staying at a campsite just outside Brixham in South Devon. The view over the River Dart was little short of stunning and we never tired of it all the time we were there.However, we only spent evenings on site as there were so many places to go. Brixham was closest to...

stitch99 27.07.2006 · Read review
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Review of Devon (England)

Designer Shopping all in one village?

Advantages: Bargains, nice shops, good selection
Disadvantages: Still expensive, can't always find something

...Designer Shopping all in one village? Bicester Village is a collection of designer shopping outlets located in the town of Bicester in Oxfordshire. I have been here several times and enjoy looking around. It?s very easy to reach by car and there are lots of free car parking spaces outside the shiops when you arrive. You can also get here by train. For more detailed information I would recommend visiting their website at http://www.bicestervillage.com The opening hours are as follows: Mon - Sat 10am to 7pm Sun 10am to 6pm ? although again I recommend checking on the specific day you ant to attend as if it is nearer Christmas or a school holiday the times may change. They describe themselves are such, ?Just one hour from London, we have over 120 international fashion and lifestyle brands offering luxury at desirable...

Spottydog11 20.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Bicester Village (London)