BEEN HERE A FEW TIMES...

....well, more than just a few.   It`s yet another of my favourite places that I never grow tired of visiting.  It`s Polly Joke, or Porth Joke, between Crantock and Holywell Bay on the north coast of Cornwall and we were lucky to be there when the poppies and corn marigolds were in full bloom in the fields leading down to the most secluded beach. 

Polly Joke derives its name from the Cornish phrase poll an chauk which means `the chough`s cove` - referring to the red-billed Cornish chough which is now extinct on this part of the coast.  Another place I`m determined to revisit once this damned war is over.......

(It really is worth clicking on the photo.)

SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE TODAY....

It`s 4.15 on a blissful April Saturday afternoon.  In times gone by I would now be in a state of growing anxiety as the second half is under way at St. Mary`s Stadium snd the Saints battle for the odd point to help secure their Premier League survival.   On a good day we might be 2-0 up but the chances are that we might be locked in the perennial struggle for survival, much to the disenchantment of the assembled devotees.  But none of that is happening, of course - football has taken quite a few back seats in recent weeks and so my anxiety levels, at least in that respect, have declined gracefully.

No, instead of all that, I should right now have been staying at Burley in the New Forest starting a week in and around the National Park and revisiting many of the places I knew so well in my formative years.  There are just so many places to visit and to see in the Forest - from wide open heathlands, to the calm backwaters of the coast, to the seemingly endless forest walks among towering trees right away from everything.

Here`s a photo I took last year of one of my favourite forest haunts - the trackway leading through Setthorns Inclosure close to the village of Sway.  It`s just one of many places where the grandeur of the forest seems to take over and to make you feel privileged just to be there.   Such a shame our week has been cancelled but we`ll just hope to be there this time next year.......

(Please click on photo)

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA...

No, not Hemingway`s novel but once again I find myself trawling through my photos for a number of reasons.  The main one is simply to get away from the constant barrage of `stuff` about the corona virus pandemic.  Now I might be in denial but these photos might provide a bit of an escape for me - and maybe you as well?  

Anyway, back to the piccies.  There`s a magical stretch of the south Devon coast beyond Salcombe which leads all the way to Prawle Point.  It`s a quiet stretch with spectacular views out to sea.   So, as an old man who enjoys nothing more than standing on a clifftop and looking out to sea,  I give you this one which I took half way between Salcombe and Prawle......

(It will look better when you click on the photo.)

REMEMBERING THIS WEEK....

......three years ago.  It was April 2017 when, once again, we spent a week on the north Cornwall coast, staying at Trebetherick.   And from there we had some memorable walks along the coast path in what was, like today, glorious Spring weather.

One of my all time favourite stretches of that coast path is the one from the National Trust car park down to Lundy Bay.   My first photo shows the path already bedecked with spring flowers and not a soul in sight.......

Now I might be wrong but I guess that most people are content to keep walking, after all it`s always enticing to find out what`s around the next corner, but I like to pause and look at things, which is why I`m often accused of lagging behind.  But I think on a walk like this and on a day such as that it would have been  a pity not to to stop and take in the beauty that surrounded us.   So I took this next photo of the wonder of Spring, with nature coming to life and simple souls like me just being glad to be alive and being able to appreciate what there is to see if you stop and look.......

And just before you get to Lundy Bay itself, which I might have to come to in a future post, you come across this natural arch - another pause to take it in - and the only pity was that the tide was on the turn and the blowhole wasn`t blowing as much as it can when a gale is whipping up the sea.   Never mind, it`s still worth seeing.......

(As ever with my photos, they look better if you click on them.)

AWAY FROM IT ALL...

Sometimes, all you need is to stand on the shoreline and look out at the sea, the sky and the distant horizon.   Well, that`s how I felt when I took this photo.......

(Please click on photo for better image)

DOWN TO THE SEA...

To south Devon this time and the lonely stretch of coast path that leads from Hope Cove to Salcombe.   Half way along we stood on the cliff looking down on Soar Mill Cove and I was struck by the colours, the light and the solitude of the place, all of which I tried to capture in this photo......

(Please click on photo for better image.)

We decided it was a good place to stop for lunch and as we took in the view suddenly the local cattle from Soar Mill Farm took their own decision to wander down to the shoreline for a paddle.   Well it was a hot summer`s day, so why not?

THIS TIME NEXT WEEK....

.....we should have been going to the New Forest for a week `back home.`  We have holidayed in the Forest on a number of occasions over the years, partly because it is the part of the world where I spent most of my boyhood but partly also because it`s a really lovely area to explore.  So we were looking forward to another week in the village of Burley but of course that has been cancelled for obvious reasons.

I never tire of revisiting the Forest - as a boy growing up in Hythe on the western shore of Southampton Water the Forest was literally just up the road and that, along with the sea at the bottom of our garden, made it an idyllic place to grow up a bit.  There are just so many places and things to see in the Forest that it`s difficult to find a photo that is in anyway `representative` of what the area means - at least to me.

I came across this one which I took on our last visit and it shows the village of Beaulieu - I called it rush hour - and it is a village that has so much to commend it.  Quite apart from its picturesqueness it boasts a wonderful cafe, which specialises in enormous gooey cakes and splendid coffee, so I`ll miss that next week (and have to wait until this time next year which is when our week in Burley has been rearranged.)

LOCKDOWN ?

One of the most restful holidays we have had in recent years was to spend a week in a cottage overlooking Penpol Creek, just down the lane from Feock in south Cornwall,  Each morning we took our then much loved Golden Retriever, Barney, for a wander round the lanes which included a stroll along the banks of the creek. 

And each morning when the tide was out we would see this gentleman working away at his boat on what was clearly a labour of love for him.  It kind of summed up the Penpol lifestyle - laid back, quiet, easy going;  just my kind of lifestyle really and as I dug this photo out of my collection it occurred to me that Penpol is probably untouched by the current lockdown.   After all, it seemed to be in a permanent state of lockdown even then - the kind of place where you can spend a fortnight in an afternoon........ 

(Please click on the photo for a better image.)

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE...

We haven`t been away from home since last September, when we had a gorgeous week at Padstow on Cornwall`s north coast, courtesy of the generosity of family who treated us to mark my 80th birthday.

We like to get away from towns, built-up areas, and find those quiet, deserted spots where Dudley our retriever can roam freely and we can take in the surroundings.   I took this photo as Dudley and Mrs. S. were, as usual, way ahead of me as I was busily taking  the photos.   This one shows the magnificence of the Camel Estuary with Stepper Point to the left, Pentire Head in the distance and The Greenaway at Trebetherick to the right of the picture.

What`s not to like?  As ever, please click on the photo for a much better image.......

WISH I WAS THERE...

In these extraordinary times I`m finding it difficult to know what, if anything, to write about.   There is just so much sad news around, some of it a little too close for comfort, and the prospects for the immediate future don`t look too encouraging (I have just seen the UK death figure rising above 10,000 and it`s frightening.)

So, as it would be `insensitive` to comment further about the corona virus pandemic that is confronting us;  as there is no sport to bother me; and as most of the things I might have a rant about have become pretty much irrelevant, rather than close the blog down completely I thought I would indulge myself by posting photos I have taken of places I have been and wish I was there again.

Here`s the first one - it shows, on a perfect Summer`s day, the walk up to the car park from the south west coast path above the village of Portscatho on Cornwall`s Roseland Peninsula.   As I look out of my window now, it`s a glorious Spring day and I can just imagine on a day like this how uplifting and inspiring it would be to be on the Roseland right now.

Keep safe, be well.

Please click on photo for better image

PROUD TO BE A SAINT...

There`s been a lot of fuss in recent days about the way in which Premier League clubs have responded to the corona virus pandemic.   Now in their looking glass world you would expect - and you have not been disappointed - that some of the `solutions` to the current difficulties have ranged from the bizarre to the downright unacceptable.

However, my own club, Southampton, have until now been conspicuous by their silence but today they have issued the following club statement, the contents of which are a source of admiration and pride in a club which knows how to do things properly......

Southampton Football Club has agreed to put in place the following measures as part of its ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic.

In keeping with government advice, all activity at Staplewood Campus, St Mary’s Stadium and our other sites continue to be suspended except for essential activities. This situation will be reviewed at the end of April.

In addition, the board of directors, the first-team manager, his coaching staff and the first-team squad have agreed to defer part of their salaries for the months of April, May and June to help protect the future of the club, the staff that work within it and the community we serve.

Furthermore, the club can confirm that it will not use the government’s Job Retention Scheme during April, May and June. Our owners, Mr. Gao and Katharina Liebherr, have put measures in place to ensure that all staff not deferring part of their salaries will continue to receive 100% of their pay, paid in the normal way until 30th June. Any decision on the future beyond this date will be made in advance of this, but only when more information is known.

In these unprecedented times we are dealing with many challenges to our business model and day-to-day operations. The situation is ever-evolving and we will continue to monitor and assess the impact to the club over the coming weeks before deciding any further action necessary.

Everyone at the club remains fully committed to the community we value so highly in Southampton. We will continue to offer our full support to the city of Southampton through the work of the Saints Foundation and provide any further assistance we can.

We ask everyone connected to the club and the city of Southampton to listen and adhere to the government’s advice.

Meanwhile, we will continue to prepare our club for a return to the pitch and make sure that, when safe, we are ready to play and serve the people of Southampton again.

Until then, We March On. Together.

IN THIS WORLD OF TROUBLE.....

It`s a difficult time at the moment.  And of course there have been difficult times before and in my eighty years I have known a few.   And when they come along there are some things that keep me going through it all - friends, family, the sheer joy of being and never wanting it to end.   And one of the  most important things for me has always been music and my music pulls me through.

Here`s a guy who knows all about that (and the lighting rig is a bit special too)......

THE GREAT ESCAPE...

Don`t know about you but I`m getting a bit tired of the non-stop news going on about nothing except the corona virus thingy.  It`s pretty depressing viewing so I`ve taken to watching other channels;  in particular Sky Cricket which thankfully is showing loads of cricket documentaries and re-runs of famous Test series from way back when.   I suppose it`s a kind of escape from the reality of what is confronting us at the moment.

And I`m not sure why but seeing (again) the 1981 series, ever after dubbed Botham`s Ashes, brought back memories of a family holiday we had during the time that series was being played.  Out of a spirit of adventure we had decided to spend a week exploring bits of north Wales and we hired a cottage in the village of Trefriw, pictured above.  Looks idyllic, doesn`t it?  Loads of empty space to explore and places to visit.

Trouble was, the cottage in downtown Trefriw was a bit `iffy` - it was OK but lacked some home comforts, such as a television that worked properly;  the one in the cottage had a peculiar picture, which was `V` shaped, as the reception in the village was compromised by the surrounding hills/mountains and so it was impossible to see the whole  of the screen.  Very frustrating, especially as the Test match against Australia was hotting up.

Now, after a few days of driving the family around north Wales in my Datsun Sunny, getting back in time to see the last hour of play (well the quarter of it I could make out on the eccentric television screen) and given the fact that that part of north Wales seemed to be plagued by persistent and torrential rain, there came a point when the prospect of being home, watching the cricket on a proper television and enjoying the summer balm of the south-east of England, was irresistible.

So we packed up and drove home a day or two early to enjoy the delirium of being part of the celebrations as Botham and his chums did a job on the Aussies.  Not only Beefy, of course, but others like the sadly departed Bob Willis and Graham Dilley, Mike Brearley and Chris Old, a particular heroic favourite of mine. 

He must be one of the very few England fast bowlers who has run a fish and chip restaurant in Cornwall (at Praa Sands) and who now works on the magazine section of Sainsburys in Truro.   It was a pity that he was hampered by injury and would have played more than his 46 Test matches if he hadn`t been.  The first bowling machine installed at Lord`s was nicknamed Chris Old because it broke down so often.

Anyway, I hope you will forgive my corona virus defying ramble but alternative viewing has recaptured these memories from almost 40 years ago.  And no offence to the good folk of Trefriw but, having made the great escape all those years ago, we`ve never ever thought of going back there.