Sunday 8th January 2023

Sunday.

And a day of rest.

Or that’s what should happen, but then again, we all need some phys, even if it is just walking around. And as the tracks and lanes round home are clogged with mud due to the winter rain, best to go somewhere paved. We have recently done Deal and Walmer as well as Dover a couple of times, so next nearest really was Sandwich.

Sandwich was built on a spit of land at the edge of the Stour estuary/Wantsum Channel, and was heavily defended by a town wall. These days its much more peaceful, full of fine listed buildings, three churches, a town gate as well as the finest French cheese shop in these here parts.

We had coffee. Second coffee and croissants, got dressed and were out of the house at the crack of dawn, or quarter to ten as it is known.

Being early, we drive through Walmer and Deal and then out past Worth before arriving in Sandwich, parking behind the Guildhall, where we find parking is free on Sundays.

I remember out beyond the art deco cinema, there being a sluice and stream that runs through the houses. So we walk in that direction and come to Horse Pool Sluice, with the stream of drainage ditch that flows either side. Towards the centre of town, the stream flows right by the frontage of a row of houses, requiring each of their doors to be accessed by a small bridge.

In fact this stream meanders all through the centre of town and emerges on King Street before flowing to the railway station and out beside the Deal Road, which we find later on in the walk. The stream flowed between the high walls of two houses, then among the gardens of a new build estate before flowing out over the marshes towards the river Stour.

We walked back through the town, window shopping as we went, and at least because it was Sunday, the narrow streets were pretty empty.

Back at the Guildhall, we went to the old bus waiting rooms which have been converted to a café, and have a coffee and a Tunnock’s wafer, whilst enjoying the décor.

Back outside to walk to the other side of town, where we find the sluice/stream continues in front of the row of houses, just like we saw earlier. Not sure whether I’d be that happy about a stream passing literally outside of the house. Anyway, many of the houses have been there a hundred years or more.

But we were done, 5,000 steps done as we meandered round the town. We called in No Name Shop for some cheese and fresh bread, then back to the car and drive home, just as the next wave of wind and rain swept in.

We now had more bread and crackers we knew what to do with. We’d just have to eat it. Not much to report of our journey back home, other than me thinking I could go back to Eastry church next weekend. Yes, that sounds like a good idea.

Back home we had another coffee, and I began the football marathon, with games on TV and radio, while Jools binged watched the last series of His Dark Materials. I haven’t watched any of them, I am done with drama on TV or in the cinema. I just got out of the habit. And, I don’t miss it, if I’m honest. I see ads for stuff, and very little piques my interest, and never enough to make we set time aside to watch it.

Norwich were in action in the Cup, and fail to score, let one in, so are out for another year. We do have a new manager though, and we shall see how that pans out, but this years sees the 50th anniversary of me attending my first game at Carrow Road, and all I have ever wanted was to see us lift the Cup at Wembley.

Is it too much to ask?

Then Citeh give Chelsea a footballing lesson, rattling in three before half time and getting another in a pedestrian second half.

So it goes.

Cheese and bread and crackers for supper. And wine.