Bracing

A very pleasant bracing walk for Ida & I along the beach today. Four and a half miles there and back walking on both beach and dunes.
Ida hates the water so we didn't go very near the sea, she preferred the sniffs of the sand dunes  and shingle away from the water. A few other hardy dog walkers out, we met a Border Terrier pup called Henry  and a black Cocker who, despite his owners shouts got Cocker Spaniel selective hearing and came bounding over.
Great to see Ida open the throttles and go belting along the beach. Tried to get her to retrieve a tennis ball I'd taken with us but she went off this after skidding to a halt to get the ball and kicking up loads of sand that made her cough & splutter!
We walked on past the life boat station and on as far as the road that leads to New Romney then returned. An interesting piece of World War Two history just off shore, the remains of part of a Mulberry floating harbour that was towed over to Normandy just after D Day in June 1944. Called a Phoenix Cassion it was going to be a mobile break water. It was supposed to be re floated and towed across the Channel but it proved impossible to re float so remained where it is, whether this was a problem with this huge bit of concrete I don't  know but there are six in total off the British coast at various points along the south coast. It became a listed building in 2014 and no one can as much as moor  a boat on it, and quite right too. Its a great tangible link with Operation Overload that changed the course of world history.

Remains of a Dog Fish I think.

The Phoenix Cassion part of the Mulberry Harbour of D Day fame. 

 

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Break

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Break: Down visiting our dear friends in Kent for some much needed r&r. It's been full on for both of us since I got my job in January. We...

Break

Down visiting our dear friends in Kent for some much needed r&r. It's been full on for both of us since I got my job in January.
We went on a very pleasant walk round Rye Harbour Nature Reserve today and also had a look at the church. There's a very grand memorial to commemorate  the loss of the RNLI Lifeboat The Mary Stanford in 1928. The whole crew of 17 perished when it capsized after going out in bad weather to the help two ships that had collided. However a message from the coastguard for the Mary Stanford to stand down arrived too late , there is much conjecture as to how the boat capsized an inquiry decided it was due to a strong flood tide and a high and dangerous breaking sea. 15 are buried in the graveyard, one was washed up in Eastbourne three months later and laid to rest with his comrades and one was never found. A very sad tale. The graveyard also contains a couple of military graves:
456/ST Trimmer Thomas Stevenson RNR from HM Trawler 'Carlton,' died 21st Feb1916 aged 36, also sailor killed in 1938 and an 18 year Fusilier killed in the Gulf War in 1991. Such a waste.
We walked back towards the car park and Martello Tower and into the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. A very pleasant walk to a bird hide where we watched Avocets and  Redshanks feeding. Very peaceful. Finished the walk and met several dogs on the way back including one called Stan!