Monday 5 January 2015

Sea-change



The first time I saw this beach it was high tide
on a cold windy day.
I was unimpressed.
There was grey shingle and grey sea
backed by a high sea wall.
 I would have given it nul points
in a Best Beach Guide book.







How glad then I am to have been able to revisit,
year round, in all weathers,
at high and low tide this amazing stretch of coastline.
It has a wreck visible at low tide, an ancient submerged forest, 
dinosaur footprints, a cliff, a small cove with huge rock slabs to sit on,
lagoons for seabirds, ancient groynes, yellow horned poppies 
and sea cabbages, shells, sea glass and interesting pebbles.
If you glance inland across to Hog Hill
you'll see a windmill
and this is what sometimes goes on in there:





It is not a soft sand bucket and spade beach, 
but you can shift along the coast
to Camber Sands if that is your thing.

This was grand daughter's first visit.
There is so much for her to enjoy here in future,
but this time, from the comfort of a sling
strapped to her dad and well wrapped up she heard 
the sea and the wind and the bird calls
and it must have made a good impression.
I think she gave it dix points.



8 comments:

  1. Beautiful selection of pictures showing it at its best - something for grand daughter to look forward to as she grows up.

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  2. Frazzled net , wide sweeps of sand , wriggly worms and the chance of a strange man playing a bazooka ....
    Grandaughter will find it enchanting !

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  3. Lucille, what an interesting place! Your little granddaughter will have so many fine days here, letting her imagination go free.

    Just to see the tide, the open sky, the changing light, and the lack of crowds is so appealing. Wow!

    xo

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  4. An enticing place for your grand-daughter to grow.

    I hope your back is feeling less sore?

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    Replies
    1. Yes! Thank you much better today but with unexpected twangy moments.

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  5. A playground for the adults as well - I think that's part of the reason we love beaches. We are allowed to play too! Have fun. (but mind your back...)

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  6. You can't judge a beach until you've seen its full expanse of shining sand...... Ours is largely imported sand and an ugly sea defence wall, but I love it for its gleaming light.

    Little granddaughter will love it later, filling her wellies with water, and digging for treasures of her own!

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  7. I love a good complicated, changeable beach! This one looks like one to come back to time and again.

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