Inshore Waters

When my parents were alive all holidays were spent in Wales so we could visit them; in their final years in a care home.  After Dad died (in 2011) we broke this tradition, had a holiday in Llandudno and visited the Great Orme Head.  The next year I fulfilled a long felt want to take the train from Newcastle to Penzance, and visited Land’s End and the Southernmost Point.  Our next trip was to John O’Groats, Dunnet Head (the Northernmost Point) and Cape Wrath.  Then we decided to visit all the other outermost points and the places mentioned on the BBC Shipping Forecast Inshore Waters.  It took a few years but was worth it, and I felt quite lost for ideas for trips when we’d completed it.

This next post wasn’t on Facebook – it’s taken from a letter to Paula and was included in a Chateau Midden Monthly. 

10 February 2018

The Inshore Waters’ Points trip went off very well.  There were of course ‘moments’ but we shall pass over them.  The drive down on Sunday was interesting weather-wise.  Hail as we passed over the Dartford Crossing.  Like tiny balls of polystyrene blowing across the road.   I was quite surprised at how empty the roads in Kent and Sussex were; I’d expected a lot more congestion. 

We had a huge family room in the Cintra Hotel which is right on the front at Broadstairs with views over the sea, gardens and towards the harbour.  Good sized bath and bathroom as well. 

They don’t do breakfasts in February but Tesco’s hypermarket café did and was surprisingly good.  Excellent coffee and I had Eggs Benedict for the first time (won’t do again as didn’t like the Hollondaise sauce but worth the experience).  In fact I think they were better than Weatherspoons. 

On Monday we drove to Hythe and took the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway to the end of Dungeness.

Seriously strange place.  

The only desert in the UK according to Dr F.  Glad I’ve been.  Not sure I’d rush back. 

For tea back at Broadstairs we found a quiet chippy where Thunderthighs tried rock-salmon.  Not a vegetable I’ll give you that, but something new nonetheless.

Tuesday morning up early to drive to North Foreland which is a couple of miles north of Broadstairs with the point mostly at the end of a cauliflower field.   

The lighthouse is a good 200 yards away from the edge of the cliff, which makes taking an appropriate photo problematic. 

Sea or lighthouse? 

Thunderthighs is looking particularly pissed off because we hadn’t had breakfast yet.

The drive across to Selsey was mostly in pouring rain and gales.  We went via Beachy Head but only got out for a coffee in a pub as we didn’t fancy being blown off the cliff edge.  So that is somewhere I do fancy going again.   

Selsey is another strange place.  Dormitory rather than touristy but none the worse for that.  We stayed at the Coast Yard Hotel which, as well as rooms in the main building has a row of chalets in the garden.  We had no.7: two rooms a twin and a double; and a tiny en-suite shower room (which she did warn us about).  

Lovely and clean and a good breakfast.  Dinner we had down the street in what looked like a chippy but actually served some really nice stuff and had a salad bar.  I had a delicious cabbage and smoked bacon soup.

Selsey stands at the end of the Manhood Peninsula. 

Sadly we didn’t find any signs for that. 

So we had to do with this. 

Which I feel may find its way on to this year’s Christmas Round Robin.

We drove home via the A34 which, again, was much less congested than I expected, and was dual carriageway almost all the way.  After we got onto the M1 we stopped at a services near Leicester.  Fester found a table, I went for coffee and Thunderthighs took Ferretfingers to KFC.  “You are in charge of Ferretfingers” says Dr F firmly “Look after him.”  After a goodly while they returned with a big bucket.  “I thought Ferretfingers and I can have 4 pieces each and you can have 3 each.”  Seemed like a good plan to me.  Dr F finished our bits off for his tea. 

We left Selsey around 9 and got home about 4.30 so it wasn’t a bad journey at all.  Rain and sleet caused a lot of spume to be thrown up so there was some difficult driving but nothing horrendous..

Another good thing was that, because we had to be up and out by 8 most mornings, and we were all in the same room, Fester insisted on lights out at 10.  I actually put my nightie on when we got in from dinner and watched tv from bed.  So I got loads of sleep and rest.  I actually felt full of energy and well on Thursday!

So much so I did two loads of washing and some ironing.