Sunday, October 18, 2009

 

First day of winter and trips to Whitstable.

For lots of days to come the blog will be in two parts.
I shall deal with the doings of the day and follow this with a tour of North East Kent.

We had arrived back yesterday to a cold house. We were hoping not to have heating on until next month, but we had to get a fan heater out.
Oh, it was cold last night.
We had to get up in the night and find extra bed covers.
We were not surprised to find that the temperature had dropped to zero.

And we dragged ourselves up to go out - finding woolly hats and gloves first.
Bill wore the one he bought yesterday at Faversham.
I was sporting the hat bought on the last day of our October holiday last year - in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. Bill had unfortunately lost his - so very apt that he found the replacement on the last day of this year's October holiday.

We went to Dorking.
The station car park was crowded but we didn't find very much - maybe we were too cold to think.
We drove home via Horley where I bought a lovely Bristol blue Dartington glass decanter. That's the second bit of Dartington glass in a week - I bought a beautiful dish at the Thursday car boot sale near Canterbury.

For the rest of the day we have pottered at home, not having much enthusiasm for very much.
I haven't written up any of the purchases for the last two weekends.
I have listed some items on EBay - might as well get started again.
Mr Negative Feedback from Holland has apologised for jumping in too quickly with his comments. He can't change the negative - but it is possible to add a later comment, which he has done. Trouble is his English is so poor that it doesn't make sense!
And we have started to sort photographs.
Just how many can 2 people take in a week? We have well over 500. Don't worry they will be edited before publishing!
In the background we have been aware of 2 UK sporting world champions this afternoon.
Well done to Jenson Button and Beth Tweddle.

This evening the heating system has gone on. Our system takes 24 hours to get up to full potential, so the fan heater will be useful once again in the morning.
Maybe it will be useful all day - we think we will take it to the shop.

But enough of this twaddle - lets go to Whitstable.
It is a small fishing port on the north coast with much history and character. There would be so much more to explore if we returned.
Do the railway buffs know that the first steam pulled passenger service was from Whitstable to Canterbury?
http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/buildpage.php?id=2419
Check out the crab and winkle line.
We visited Whitstable twice.

The first time was en route to our cottage. We stopped at the harbour for some light lunch and a walk.





There is a bustling fish market.



We did eat crab.


And I intended that we should try oysters. But didn't get around to it.
On our first visit we sat outside the fish market with prawns and chips and sweet chilli dip from a stall and we chatted with an interesting couple who went and got the plate of oysters and prawns from a stall close by.
We seem to have chatted with many people during the last week. The folks of the Isle of Thanet do seem to be particularly sociable and friendly.
We were told that the oysters done in a shallot sauce were delicious - and not the sort of thing to be swallowed down as quickly as possible.
But our second visit took us to the Old Neptune - and no oysters. I expected this pub on the beach to be a smooth, swish place for tourists - but it was basic and local and a centre for good music. Interesting people drifted in and out.
As I write (Sunday evening) Lonnie Donegan junior will be performing there.
We enjoyed our meal and the choice of music in the background - classic rock I would guess it would be described as.
Just found Ticket to the Moon by ELO on a site to recall a relaxed lunchtime.


The Old Neptune.



Bill ordered prawns and I ordered dressed crab - but we shared so as to get the taste of both.


My crab shell - thoroughly cleaned, is now in the back garden.


A general view of the bar


We walked back to the harbour along some of the streets a little inland - lots of white weatherboarding in this part of Kent.



These old fishermen's huts face the sea. They are now used for all manner of other things.




Interesting street name!



Beach scene looking west.


Late afternoon sailing.
There is so much more to enjoy and explore - who knows we might need a second week at Pop's Cottage some day.

First day of winter and trips to Whitstable.
posted by Grandma P on Sunday, October 18, 2009