Saturday, July 03, 2010
Lovely day
It was a lovely morning - a bit breezy, but fresh and clean.
Our first job was to investigate all the stalls at Ford.
We came back pretty well loaded.
I'll comment further with the picture that comes at the end.
Breakfast was of course at The Balaton.
The all day breakfast is cheaper than the big breakfast - and has just what I want.
There is bacon, egg, sausage, beans and lots of fried sliced potatoes - not chips because they are round!
This comes with a cuppa - I always get 2 cups of tea because I have no milk and no sugar and use the same tea bag for both cups.
There is also bread and butter - but I chose to save mine for later.
It was lovely as usual.
But the tide was very low - and we couldn't see the boats as they passed up the river, just a flag maybe showing over the edge.
Then we had a happy walk along the river and on the beach.
Everybody seems happy at Littlehampton, in their own way.
And there are lots of differing ways and lots of different clothing to be worn.
The swans seem to like low tide - more chances of finding nutritious food - but they also enjoyed my bread and butter.
Two older women having a day out - maybe sisters, maybe best friends.
But to play with water - in it or by it, it is better not to be wearing too much.
Shorts and sensible sandals were ideal, with bag and camera case across my shoulder.
This young woman left very little at home.
But at least she had somebody to talk to.
Here are Bill's Mum and Dad at Hastings.
Now - to the other extreme.
Bill zoomed in on the tattoo!
I picked out the smaller items first - all lovingly cleaned.
Our first job was to investigate all the stalls at Ford.
We came back pretty well loaded.
I'll comment further with the picture that comes at the end.
Breakfast was of course at The Balaton.
The all day breakfast is cheaper than the big breakfast - and has just what I want.
There is bacon, egg, sausage, beans and lots of fried sliced potatoes - not chips because they are round!
This comes with a cuppa - I always get 2 cups of tea because I have no milk and no sugar and use the same tea bag for both cups.
There is also bread and butter - but I chose to save mine for later.
It was lovely as usual.
But the tide was very low - and we couldn't see the boats as they passed up the river, just a flag maybe showing over the edge.
Then we had a happy walk along the river and on the beach.
Everybody seems happy at Littlehampton, in their own way.
And there are lots of differing ways and lots of different clothing to be worn.
The swans seem to like low tide - more chances of finding nutritious food - but they also enjoyed my bread and butter.
Two older women having a day out - maybe sisters, maybe best friends.
I loved the hats and the sensible shoulder bags and sensible shoes.
Do I know anybody with a taste for hats, a little shoulder bag and sensible sandals?
You guessed it!
But to play with water - in it or by it, it is better not to be wearing too much.
It is a great beach for children - not too crowded and with plenty of space to play.
We saw a game of cricket that disturbed nobody and kite flying - which was a little disturbing as the large kites swooped down low.
The tyre tracks are from the jeep used by the lifeguards.
Shorts and sensible sandals were ideal, with bag and camera case across my shoulder.
I had left my hat at home.
This young woman left very little at home.
She was part of a crowd of people enjoying the beach - arrived on a coach from south east London.
But no day at the sea side was going to interfere with being a style icon with a phone.
But at least she had somebody to talk to.
This gentleman, in hat, jacket and boots had hired a deck chair to sit alone on the beach.
He reminded me of the old song which has the words
"I care for nobody, no, not I......
And nobody cares for me"
Did he wish that somebody was there to care about him?
Perhaps it is unusual these days to sit on a beach so very well clothed - but traditionally that is how the working man would have enjoyed his days out at the seaside.
Here are Bill's Mum and Dad at Hastings.
It must have been sunny - look how Mum is shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight.
Dad has his best clothes on - jacket and tie.
I haven't got a date for this, but it would have been late 50s or very early 60s I think.
Now - to the other extreme.
A hot sunny day and a beach is an opportunity to discard almost every stitch of clothing.
Bill zoomed in on the tattoo!
At home, later in the day it was time to survey our purchases.
I am so pleased with mine - there are some books and some ephemera; these will one day be on EBay.
But my best stall was the one which can enhance my kitchen section in Pilgrim's.
I picked out the smaller items first - all lovingly cleaned.
Then my eyes were taken by the lovely step ladder.
These are quite popular these days - for their true purpose of course, but also as a shelf unit to display things.
The stall was run by a fairly elderly couple and she was very proud and protective of him.
She was insistent that he shouldn't sell too cheaply because he had spent many hours making the wood of the step ladder look really good.
We came to an arrangement.
And off we walked. Less than 2 minutes later a passer by commented on the lovely ladder. "Yes, it is lovely" I said. "Do you want to sell it?" she asked.
But she wanted it to sell on too - and maybe couldn't buy it at the price I hope to get for it.
None of it is written up yet - and I want it in the shop on Monday.
My mind has been distracted by the sport - loved it that Germany won their match in the World Cup.
We have also been distracted by telephone problems.
An engineer came again today - not to mend our phone because they didn't know then that we had another problem.
He had come to fix all the others that he had been notified were down.
He advised that Bill contact Tiscali again.
More expense, more time and more frustration.
A so called engineer told Bill that he would ring back to Bill's mobile - but we have heard nothing.
So we don't even know if the fault has been reported.
Bill has written some purposeful emails to Tiscali. Phoning just seems to get you through to a call centre - somewhere in the world.
I can foresee we might be people who "come back to BT".
At least you can get through more sensibly when there is a problem.
We still have no phone - but happily we do have our broadband - running at a very slow rate. It was too slow to watch football on the computer this afternoon.
Tomorrow we shall go to the local car boot sale for a while.
Later I am chief timekeeper at Sussex Championships meeting - mostly for the Under 13s.
Labels: family, shop and stock, Sussex
