Paddy Rice Moule sings about her love of Woolacombe and Mortehoe before she moved to New Zealand in the very touching song “Its’s Been Too Long” .
Paddy was born in 1952 and lived in Mortehoe until she emigrated to New Zealand in 1988. Her parents had a guest house in the village and lived there until it was sold in 1969; then moving to Sandy Lane living there until 1988. After leaving college Paddy worked in the office at Simpsons Garage (as it was then) in Woolacombe and later on at the Woolacombe Bay Dairy.
Around the mid 1980s she took on the shop at Easewell Farm for a couple of summer seasons and a few years later, had the shop at Woolacombe Sands Caravan Park. Meanwhile, starting in the late 1970s, Paddy was playing solo gigs at the Chichester Arms and The Jubilee Inn, and later with her band, Night flyer, around the locality and further afield in Devon. They made 1 album which they sold at gigs. ’twas a hectic life sometimes!
The video that accompanies this song, shares some wonderful pictures and memories of her time in the area, and really does reflect how special Woolacombe and Mortehoe are.
It’s Been Too Long
Too long, too long away from home
I’ve been away for oh so long.
Never going back, though my heart is always there.
Wish I could be back where I belong.
Seeing all the old places,
The faces I knew before.
Memories fill my head.
Dreaming, dreaming of the past;
Sandy Lane, Mortehoe, Woolacombe
Instrumental break
Time’s gone by so quickly,
Can it be so many years
Since I left you behind?
Far away, far away from home.
So many miles away from my home.
Dreaming, dreaming of the past.
Wish I could go back, back where I belong.
It’s been too long, too long.
¢ Pat Rice-Moule – 2011
woolacombemortehoevoice.co.uk 
Lovely ,yes I miss Woolacombe ,left there 1960 when I got married & went to Plymouth to live ,come back still to c family & Friends .
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