March 7

 Seashore

Being able to get out on my motability scooter is a relief and pleasure, especially after being so long confined to my Turret suite in Sunrise but I miss walking. I was lucky to have had many years when I could walk for miles, enjoying the countryside and towns all over the world and, my favourite, the seaside.

My greatest pleasureswas here, in Penarth, my seashore adventure.

In the afternoon I would walk out of Windsor Court, cross the Esplanade down onto the stony beach and and go westward.

In those days the shoreline was not so badly littered with bottles and other dangerous rubbish but it yielded some unexpected treasure. As I walked, the pebbles gave way to sand and a little way along the coast, under the cliff, lay scattered gleaming pink and white alabaster, all shapes and sizes. I became a collector with some ready made, natural works of art.

There was jetsum of course, and it was fun looking for interesting objects. For a few weeks I was continually picking up little plastic ducks, scores of them, probably the result of a charity competition in a local river.

I found footballs, dolls and seawashed tree branches.

On to Lavernock, to climb up to the cliff path and enjoy the walk back to Penarth, looking out across the channel to Somerset, fourteen miles away, and east and, on clear days the two Severn. Bridges. 

Home to tea. 

A perfect afternoon.