Wednesday 28 October 2020

Half Term Memories

Hello, and thank you for dropping in.  Thank you too for the kind comments left on my last post.  You lot are lovely.  The weather here has been typically autumnal with wind, rain and sunshine, in fact we have had all of that today, but it's not cold and although we are lighting the fire in the evenings at weekends, we haven't turned the central heating on yet. I am thanking God for small mercies because there hasn't been much income this month. 

So, it's half term week and I am feeling a bit wistful.  For years now we have gone away during half term, usually to visit family.  That's the thing when you live a long way from the rest of your family, you spend your holidays visiting them.  The Best Beloved's parents lived on the south coast of England and mine live in South Wales so these visits often included trips to the seaside.  In more recent years the Best Beloved and I snuck away for a few days to North Wales on our own but for the last few years half term has seen us take the ferry from Poole to Guernsey with The Teacher and her growing family to visit The Mathematician.  This year, of course, there are no trips and for the first time in years, we are at home, almost as far inland as it's possible to be in this country and I am missing the sea as well as the people I love.  I am trying to keep busy and distract myself, looking for the tulips as I can't have the roses, but I am a little melancholy, reminiscing over our past trips.  I thought I'd share some photos with you.

This is the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth under an intensely blue sky, still under construction in October 2003 and at this stage known locally as the Pompey Peg because of its resemblance to an old-fashioned dolly peg.  

In October 2006, some of us (not me, I have no head for heights) ascended the completed tower to take in the views. 

This is the beach at Dinas Dinlle in Gwynedd, near Caernarfon, in October 2009.  This is one of my favourite beaches and when the tide is out there is always treasure to be found for beachcombers here - shells, mermaids' purses, pretty stones - as well as the most amazing view of the Llyn Peninsular.  When the tide is in, the view is still there but the beach is not.

Here is the beach at Ogmore-by-Sea on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast in October 2010.  The weather was glorious and we took The Mathematician and two of her cousins.  It was even warm enough for a paddle (but only just!) and I found an ammonite.  I have very happy memories of that day.

Here are the almost endless sands at Aberffraw on the west side of Anglesey in October 2013.  This is another wonderful beach.  You park your car in the village and then walk along the estuary until the big expanse of sand appears in front of you.  Storms and strong currents wash things up here - I have seen large shells, fish boxes from Ireland, a dead seal, a dead porpoise and, once, half a dozen heart sea urchin tests.  The shells and the sea urchins were the only things I brought home!

This was our first trip to Guernsey in October 2016.  The Best Beloved and I went out by ourselves to L'Eree Bay to watch the sun set over the sea behind Hanois Lighthouse.

This is Porth Trecastell on Anglesey in October 2017 the day after a storm.  The waves were strong and hardy surfers were making the most of it, wearing wetsuits and helmets.  There were two dead leatherback turtles washed up on the beach that day.  It's another of my favourite beaches, not because of dead turtles but because of the golden sand, the dunes, the rock pools, the cliffs, the ancient burial site on the headland and the lovely family memories I have made here.

In October 2018 we were back in Guernsey and the sun was shining.  The sky was so clear that we could see all the way to France that day from Jerbourg Point.

 


This is me on the beach at Cobo Bay in October 2019.  The weather was dreadful that week - our journey was delayed by storms for twenty-four hours and it rained almost all week, but we went out whenever it stopped, wrapped up against the wind.  We LOVE to be on a beach.  

I'm off now to look for those tulips.

See you soon.

Love, Mrs Tiggywinkle x



15 comments:

  1. How refreshing, just what I needed! We managed a trip to Swanage in March but that's been it for this year. Sigh. I do miss seeing the family like you but thank goodness for the internet and fingers crossed we're back to normal as soon as possible. x

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    1. The internet has made it all bearable, hasn't it? I keep thinking about my grandmothers during the war, with menfolk and children away for years, and only letters for communication. I am counting my blessings. x

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  2. Lovely memories Amanda, let us all hope we will be back to normal very soon from Rita xx

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  4. Thank goodness for lovely photos and memories. I really hope that at some point next year, travel will be possible. I was supposed to be in the States for the summer, but that didn't happen. :/

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    1. Oh Tammy, I am sorry. Yes, thank goodness for photos, memories and the internet. x

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  5. It’s good to look back at all those October memories. Hard to believe it’s a year since you met up with my triplet relatives. Hopefully you’ll be back to Guernsey very soon. It’s blowing an absolute hooley here at the moment...bit like last year too! B x

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    1. It's not looking likely for the foreseeable future, is it? We'd really like to visit Guernsey next summer for a different (warmer!) experience. That was funny and amazing, meeting your triplets and their parents. x

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  6. Traveling via memories is the same for most of us these days. How lucky we are to have these photos and wonderful times to mull over and discuss with those we love. Who knows when we will travel again?

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    1. I am trying to be positive, remembering past trips with fondness rather than resentfulness. Even if I never go anywhere again, I am fortunate to have been to some beautiful places and made lovely memories. x

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  7. Remembering is good! Just occasionally I can sit for hours going through the box of photos reminiscing...its fun! However,as Sr P who is much more pragmatic tells me we have to keep going forward and to make more happy memories to fill our book of life! I am all for that!! We will look back on these times too and remember!! keep well Amanda x

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    1. I do love looking at photos - even other people's holiday photos! My father recently found a photo of his grandfather which was taken in the 1890s, real treasure as far as I'm concerned, but you are right, it's important to live in the moment and fill our books of life. x

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  8. Oh dear...you have got it bad...have you ever been to Bucks Mills....the sunset at Bucks with the sound of the waves hitting the rocks is truly amazing x

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    1. No, I haven't even heard of it so I've had to look it up - it sounds very special. x

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