Devon

Devon – only equal in measure to my love of Gloucestershire. I never would have thought from my late teenage years of surfing in Croyde, Woolacombe and Saunton that I would be allocated Devon as a county to develop business and grow my career. As I have found, it’s not all tea shops, retirees and Fawlty Towers.

What a journey and what a treat it’s been! There are so many ways I can detail my affection for this county but let me start with main areas:

The moors (Dartmoor, Exmoor), the beaches and the coast (Woolacombe, Croyde, Exmouth, Dawlish), the towns and villages (Exeter, Braunton, Chudleigh, Torquay, Brixham), the curiosities- The House of Marbles, The Jolly Roger, Trago Mills, Saunton Sand Dunes, Dartmoor Prison, South Devon Chilli Farm – the list goes on and on, the hikes including the South West Coast Path and Otter trail – all vastly unique and stunning.

As with Gloucestershire, it wasn’t until I was allocated Devon as a geographical “patch” for recruitment that I truly fell in love with the place. I have again covered many sectors - including but not limited to- social housing, accountancy and finance, procurement, strategic NHS and public legal recruitment. Which equally opened my knowledge of the people, specifities, interests, passions and idiosyncrasies of the people, businesses and companies of Devon.

Truly, a unique landscape and diverse community of socio-economic clients. Rural and coastal, farmers and fishermen, albeit my client base was more towards large social housing providers and NHS Trusts. The old adage that all relevant candidates need to be aware that they could get “stuck behind a tractor on the way to an interview” was very much the case. That things are different in “Ambrosia Country” (in a good way) is true and moreover that people have more time for you, I can definitely attest to that.

Now, not in a bad way, but I have recruited in highly competitive sectors and population dense geographical patches and the contrast to clients in Devon is marked. This could well be because there is a slightly slower way of life but realistically if you work as a Finance Director in a FMCG company in either area the stresses and pressures are the same – and yet there is more of a “giving the time of day” I found from these Devonian clients than elsewhere. My personal belief is this comes from the environment, the green surroundings, the easy access to beautiful coastlines, a closer sense of community in villages etc.- Equally it could be that there is lesser competition for resources and time. Compare for example getting a taxi from Waterloo Bridge in London to getting a taxi in Honiton!

This love of Devon may of course come more from my personality type than anything else, a love of countryside, a love of amiable and open minded people who are willing to engage in conversation and new business ideas. Either way, Devon is a small slice of heaven and I hope to continue my development of business there over the next couple of decades!

Don’t get jealous Cornwall – your article is on the way!!