Seaside observations

We don’t often go to the seaside here.  It’s quite a long way to drive and the nearest, most convenient seaside towns are actually on the estuary rather than the wide open sea.  So, the days of going off with a picnic on a sunny Sunday to one of the blustery, East Yorkshire coastal towns – usually Hornsea – are the stuff of memory.  We didn’t have a car, so everything was packed into a couple of bags which were easy to carry onto the train with us.

Living in the East Riding, our yearly holiday in Newquay was a great adventure.  Though, once there, we did the same things as we’d do back in Hornsea: play on the beach, sit and enjoy the sunshine and run in and out of the sea all day long.  My parents deliberately chose beaches with a minimum of alternative amusements and when we reached the beach, we always had to walk to the furthest, quietest point to set up camp.

Occasionally, my Nan and Grandad would come with us  and in true English style, they’d sit on the beach, fully dressed, the one concession to the season being summer shoes and sandals.  Oh, and it was probably the only time my Nan would consider going out without a hat!  (I have no idea whose dog that is!)

These were the days.  Happy times playing in the surf with a wooden board – I’m not sure it was referred to as a “boogie board” then.  A deckchair for each adult, a tin of sandwiches (cream, rectangular with a green lid…funny how we remember these details!) and a Thermos flask of tea.  We wanted for nothing more – or perhaps I did!  I’m sure I lusted after the brightly coloured beach toys and probably whinged for ice cream all day, but for a family on a budget, this was a great holiday.

So it was interesting to observe the beach life in Lyme Regis the other day and compare it to my seaside experiences.  Families had set up camp in the same way as they always did, but this time, there were small tents for the children; protection from the sun which is so much more of a concern now than it was then.  There was a sea of brightly coloured plastic paraphernalia, but few were building sandcastles or playing catch with a ball.  In fact, it was hard to see any children busy doing anything. 

The traditional deck chairs were still there, but seldom used since everyone seemed to have their own folding chair, brought with them in the car and the abundance of fast food available the whole way along the beach meant that there was no need to bring a picnic.

It’s clear we’ve come a long way since the simple days on the beach.  A raised concern about our safety has to be a good thing, cleaner beaches and safe water to swim in can’t be bad and the information signs such as this one are really helpful in showing tide times, weather forecasts and suchlike.  We also noticed a strict “no dogs” policy on almost every beach, though in some cases, there was a designated area for them to run.  But so many rules and regulations, so much information to take in makes a day at the seaside not quite the simple affair it was.

It’s interesting how the beach hut has become so fashionable too, though few were in use the other day.   The beach hut design motif is everywhere alongside the nautical stripes, the rope, wooden seagulls and scrubbed driftwood.  The seaside has become another decorating opportunity and these coastal clichés are to be found everywhere, replacing the cheap seaside souvenirs and sticks of rock.

Oh, and whilst we’re on the subject of cliché…

Along the coast

Rather than simply speed straight up the M5 home on Sunday, we decided to take a more picturesque route, along the Jurassic coast of South Devon and into Dorset.  All new territory for me.

First stop was Exmouth, from where we could look across the estuary to the sands of Dawlish Warren, where we’d been the previous afternoon.  It was still quiet, with just a few people taking the morning air.

Taking a picture of the clock tower, I deliberately waited for a car to pass, thinking that this  also looked remarkably like one of Daddy’s slides, except the car would be an Austin Allegro in

his!

On to Budleigh Salterton then and another shingly beach, preferred by many (including my parents) for not having sand to get everywhere. 

We stepped onto the shingle for a walk, but soon found the small stones difficult to manage in sandals and stayed on the prom.

Sidmouth next, looking rather gloomy in this photograph, though in reality it was fairly warm and much brighter than it appears.  By the time we arrived here, the coach parties were leaving the seafront hotels and it was easy to see the attraction of a week in this elegant Regency town.

Here, a crew from Sidmouth Gig Club were out training, and though not quite as sleek as the Exmouth boat yesterday, they were still making ease of the journey across the bay.

No takers for the windsurfing this morning, however.

Next stop Seaton, where families were beginning to come down to the beach and some brave souls were already soaking up the sun by their beach hut.

Some pretty large scale work was going on in the shingle, possibly managing those rather steep banks which must make launching the small fishing boats pretty difficult.

The workers had set out the essentials on the prom, ready.

Trusting people down here aren’t they? 

Last stop of the day was Lyme Regis, where there were appetising wafts of fish and chips in the air and we were getting hungry.

First, though, a walk on the Cobb was called for.  This was another of those places I’d read about and seen in The French Lieutenant’s Woman, of course.  Even though it was a fine and merely breezy day, it felt exposed out there and we could only imagine what it must be like in more inclement weather.

Right out at the end, the air was clear and fresh – most invigorating! 

There was a great view of the town and the beach, too.

A short while later, sitting on the seawall, the haddock and chips hit the spot perfectly.

Time for home then and a fairly trouble free drive through Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire to a quiet night in after a busy few days.  Best of all, our own bed!

Meanwhile, I can hear Jordi laughing

We both knew that, left in the packet like new, I’d never ever use those Peerless Watercolours and even though we’d come across a solution to that, we thought it a bit OCD.

But I’d already written the names on the back of each card square, because otherwise, how could I tell which side was the “loaded” side and which was the blank back?

Otherwise, how would I know that this purply pink square was Viridian Green?  And, actually, the cards themselves are pretty messy to handle since the watercolour/dye dust comes off onto my hands quite readily.

So, there was nothing for it.

I had to do it.

Just the job for a day at home after a busy weekend.

I even put them in a suitably decorative cover and heard the chuckles from way over the Atlantic, there above the George Washington Bridge.

More from Devon in the next post.

Sunny Saturday

When the weather is good (that means not too cold, not too hot, not too windy, bright but without too much blistering sunshine and of course, with absolutely no sign of rain on the horizon), there can be few better places to be than The English Riviera.  This weekend, we found ourselves in Exeter because the Stuart Singers had a couple of concerts in the area and immediately after breakfast on Saturday morning we were off to find some seaside!

First stop was Totnes where we’d hoped for a lively farmers’ market where we might pick up the ingredients for a picnic.  Sadly however, this was flea market day and though we enjoyed a potter around the charming high street, thoughts of picnic fare were forgotten.

For sure, this is an unusual high street in that it doesn’t have the chain stores and as a result, each shop window invites a closer look.  The atmosphere is friendly and it wasn’t hard to leave a few pounds behind in a couple of them as we pottered about, wondering if the Cath Kidston style will overpower the incense-perfumed hippy vibe which lives on here. 

We arrived early enough to find somewhere to park and enjoy a little space to wander too, which was a blessing, because within an hour or so, the streets became a little more challenging to negotiate.

So, deciding to take our refreshment with us rather than sit outside a cafe and have to endure the drones of the most dreadful busker imaginable, we decided to move on and find some lunch elsewhere.

 

When we were first married, we loved Dartington Glass and for several years took every opportunity to add to our collection of glasses which were carefully stored and seldom used!  We both remembered visiting Dartington and enjoying a good lunch at Cranks here – another touch of the 1980s – so seeing the sign by the side of the road tempted us in.  We’re unsure whether it’s the world which has moved on or simply caught up, because it seemed that this collection was no longer the exciting and vibrant source of interesting design that we remembered.  OK, a little less Cath Kidston style here, but we wondered how many outlets for Joules clothing are needed?  Thankfully, Cranks can still deliver the goods, and we enjoyed our healthy, freshly prepared lunch in the sunshine before moving on.

I’m sure that, somewhere in the vast collection of slides which Daddy took over the years, I have this exact same slide taken in Torquay.

Finding (unsurprisingly) that a large number of others were driving in the direction of Torbay on Saturday afternoon, we turned left before we reached Brixham, carrying on straight through Paignton and heading for Torquay.  For several years before my parents began to take holidays further afield, on “the continent”, we’d spend a late summer week here in a b&b near Meadfoot beach, where perpetually happy and sunny days were spent in and out of the water.  On Saturday afternoon people were passing their time doing much the same things and we were happy to stroll along and watch them. 

I did, however, fancy a walk along the beach, and as you can see, this wasn’t the ideal place.

Further on along the coast, however, a boardwalk looked as though it might lead to somewhere more promising.

We’d left Torquay behind and driven through the bustle of Babbacombe and on towards Teignmouth following the route of Brunel’s Atmospheric Railway to Dawlish.  This was new ground for us both and curious to see where the path might take us, we left the car behind and set off down the path.

 

We were delighted we’d left ourselves time to stop here.

There was a broad and sandy beach here, the perfect place to be on a warm, sunny afternoon.

There was a stiff breeze however, and the lifeguards were advising against the use of inflatables, keeping a watchful eye on the waves from their balcony.

This crew from Exmouth Rowing Club had their work cut out but were making swift progress through the water.  What a glorious day to be out there – hope they had applied plenty of sunscreen though.

Anyway, after taking the photo opportunity that is offered at the seaside – yes, I’m still on the neon theme – we returned to Exeter, to prepare for the second concert of the weekend, at Witheridge church.

Friday evening’s concert went well and hopefully raised a tidy sum for the Ryan Edwards Appeal.

Thursday

The colours in the garden are great right now.

Fresh greens, creamy whites and that particular shade of blue.  Love it.

But whereas some areas of the flowerbeds are brimming over with luxuriant growth, in other parts, we’re still awaiting the final bloom.  There are plenty of buds there, but oh my, how long it’s taking for them to burst open.  We think it’s at least three weeks later than usual.

Whilst doing my little once over this morning, I spotted this lovely colour combination.  I’d like to take the credit for planting the clump of white poppies with the purple and green centre next to the purple sage, but really, it was mere luck.

The centre is gorgeous, isn’t it?

There’s a little flash of purple at the base of the iris stems too, and though he thinks we haven’t spotted him, he’s sadly mistaken, wouldn’t you say?

I picked a pale pink rose to bring indoors without realising that it was a good match with my top, as well.  I’d planned a morning in the kitchen, baking an emergency cake with some leftover peaches and a pack of blueberries I found in the fridge.  Looking for a link to that foolproof and very popular Nigel Slater recipe, I came across this post, which makes interesting reading, since it appeared that we had both elderflowers and tulips in the kitchen at the same time just a couple of years ago!

Whilst there, I spotted these cherries which were begging to be used, so I gathered together the ingredients for a clafoutis.  Not wanting to wear a purple polka dot top made by the cherry juice spatters, I went in search of a pinny.  Of course, I finished the lot with not so much as a single splash of juice on my front.  You know what would have happened if it’d not covered up, don’t you?

It was just about warm enough to enjoy our lunch outside in the garden, too.