Martin Hesp visits an old mate doing a fine poacher-turned-gamekeeper act

Social media has many downsides, but one useful role it plays is in allowing users to keep up with old friends. Occasionally their posts can surprise and delight you - which is what happened recently when I saw an Instagram photo and note from an old colleague saying: “Really enjoying life - wish I'd done this years ago.”

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The photograph showed a lovely waterside inn, tucked away deep in the South Devon countryside - and what Andy Cooper seemed to be saying was that he wished he'd stopped being a successful newspaper and magazine editor years ago to take on the management of a pub.

It seemed to me the onetime editor of the North Devon Journal and group-editor of a large stable of county magazines had done a kind of poacher-turned-gamekeeper act. As editor-in-chief of numerous lifestyle magazines, I knew Andy must have stayed in literally hundreds of lovely pubs, hotels and other hostelries down the years, so the idea of him actually running one really did come as a surprise.

“I am absolutely loving it!” he replied, when I messaged him. “Why not come down to The Maltsters at Tuckenhay and sample the delights of the place for yourself...”

No need to ask twice. I knew The Maltsters from years ago when I went down to Tuckenhay - a tiny village on the banks of Bow Creek on the tidal River Dart - to sample its delights when it was owned by a man called Keith Floyd.

Yes, that Keith Floyd. The man from Wiveliscombe who did so much to revolutionise cookery programmes on television. The TV chef who used to bark orders at the cameraman while slurping glasses of wine over steaming pots in wild, exotic and often unlikely places.

Alas Keith, having enjoyed something of a late night, was apparently feeling a little under the weather the day I visited - so I didn’t get to sample the joys of the pub back then, but instead contented myself with the fabulous local walk which I've outlined in the panel.