On my way shopping up Moor Lane I was most surprised to see the Maidencombe road sweeper from the sixties walking along with a backpack.
It brought back memories of that now forgotten era.
It may surprise residents to know that there once was a full-time, council paid road sweeper for Maidencombe.
I have forgotten his name but he was a regular fixture around the village with his little wheeled cart and invariably smoking a pipe.
He was, on occasions accompanied by one or two dubious fellows and my little cameo recall ends somewhat dramatically.
For whatever reason, one late autumn's afternoon, the road sweeper and his two companions attempted crossing the narrow channel between Shaldon and Teignmouth in a tiny pram dinghy.
The current is very strong at this point with a severe undertow and local knowledge about the dangers here were evidently not sought by the hapless trio.
The dinghy overturned, tipping the occupants into the water. Their situation became dire as two of them were wearing heavy overcoats which became waterlogged, making it impossible to swim to safety.
I was running from Shaldon back to Maidencombe on the afternoon of the incident and vividly recall a dreadful sight that met my eyes.
A rescue helicopter had been called out and was hovering a few feet above the estuary entrance. I stopped to observe, not knowing of the dinghy capsizing earlier.
A line was suspended from the helicopter and suddenly, it was winched in. A body, with water pouring off it, emerged from the water and then the helicopter turned and flew off towards Teignmouth with the body still suspended below it.
I was never sure if the body of one of the others was ever found but the sole survivor was the road sweeper and I never saw him again - that is, until this afternoon. A surprising sighting indeed ...
I must admit that this does seem to be a dubious operation and perhaps there should be tighter controls on the towing of vessels through UK waters as we've already had a similar disaster when the Emsstrom under tow foundered off Hopes Nose.