It has been a strange week, what with the news about David Bowie on Monday, then traveling and being away for the next three days, finally being so washed out yesterday, it seems amazing that it is Saturday again. While I remember, I suppose we think stars like Bowie are huge in this country and big news just here; yet when I landed in Oslo, his face looked out from all the national papers on the news stands. Through the week there have been specials on Radio 6, more today as well. I will try to catch up with them at some point.
It being a Saturday and that the fridge was bare, it meant going to the shops first thing. And with the scan and shop feature, going to Tesco means no queues and so no waiting around. Jools stayed at home for a shower whilst I went to Whitfield to whisk up and down the aisles scooping stuff up for us. Nothing really important, but we needed milk, bread and the essential stuff. That done, once home, I made butties with the last of the Christmas bacon, which as ever, was just wonderful.
With the sun set fair in a clear blue sky, a car full of petrol and camera batteries fully recharged, just what to do with the day? Well, the truth being I am very good at filling up the day with stuff, visiting churches, looking for orchids, visiting country pubs, any of which isn't really necessary, but all of it costs money. And I am determined not to spend on stuff that is really not essential. Saying that, there is a couple of ongoing photographic projects that needed updating: the demolition of Burlington House and the repair of the sea wall at Shakespeare Beach.
We park outside De Bradelei Wharf as Jools wanted to look at some suitcases whilst I walked down to Newbridge, through the underpass and round what is left of Burlington House. It looks like at least one more story has been removed, and now from Jubilee Way it is hidden from view by the Gateway Flats. I walk round, get my shots before doubling back and meeting Jools back at the car for the short drive to Aycliffe to walk up Shakespeare Cliff to take shots of the railway repairs.
However, once parked up in Aycliffe, we were in danger of being run over by dozens of runners, who seemed to all be running towards Shakespeare Cliff, maybe they were running to Folkestone. Even getting up Shakespeare at this time of year is a challenge, let along do it for a race! We were in danger of being run down on the narrow path, but we manage to dodge out of the way to allow the sport billies to get past and run further up the cliff. or at least further than we were planning on going.
Down below some of the tracks have been removed, and a hole dug. Sadly, the footbridge has been demolished, which thanks to Facebook I knew had happened, but still looks odd not seeing it there. More rocks have been placed against the sea wall, with many more further along the beach waiting their turn to be added to the growing pile on the sands.
Once I got the shots, I decided we should visit Sandwich. Sandwich used to sit on a spur of land at the edge of the Wantsum Channel, into which the Stour used to flow. This meant that Thanet was indeed an island, separated from the rest of Kent by the channel. Since then, the channel has silted up, and the Stour now flows into Pegwell Bay. The river still flows through the town, but it is pretty much at sea level, and is at the risk of flooding occasionally. So in 2014, new flood defences were built along the river, and the attractive quayside might have been spoiled. I suppose due to all the other stuff we do in our lives, we had not been back to the town since 2012, so we were not sure how bad the changes, although essential, had been.
We park on the edge of town, but it is a short walk to the quayside, where we find a four foot high brick wall now lined the river side, and stretched to the bridge to Stonar. It blends in quite well really, no where near as bad as I feared Indeed, the car park at the quay might have lost a few spaces, but there were seats set into the new wall, making it quite pleasant really.We walk into town through the Fishergate, up the ancient cobbled street, past the church and to No Name Shop to buy some stinky French cheese and a couple of quiches for dinner. We walk back to the car, the sun is over the yardarm, which means time for scran; do we eat out or go home? We go home as there are two huge rills left over from the batch I made the day previous to go with the soup for dinner.
And being Saturday, that means football on the radio. Which I know fills you with joy. But hey, it gives me something to fall asleep to on the sofa. Apparently. City play badly and lose to Bournemouth away, 3-0, and we were lucky to get nil by all accounts.
With that, the day grows dark outside and we have dinner. And with that, another day has passed, and with this post we are 1 nearer the 1500th, which I am thinking something special to do after the Desert Island Jelltex of post 1,000. We shall see. I am thinking films, but no idea how to put my favourites in order. We shall see.
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