Friday, July 15, 2011
Littlehampton - mostly the west side.
Today has been a stay at home day.
The main task was to clear the dining room table of all the things I have been buying.
It is done.
Much is already stowed into a box, ready to take to the shop on Monday.
Yesterday was a much more stimulating day.
After our time at the Ford car boot sale we parked the car close to the beach on the east side of the river at Littlehampton.
After our breakfast we walked inland a way, pausing by the lifeboat station to admire the swan family.
The east side of the river has always been the devloped side. In earlier times quite large boats came up river and docked.
The town of Littlehampton is on the east side.
There is still some fishing and a gravel industry on the river, but much of the river is now given over to pleasure craft.
But the view across the river shows much from time past; there was ship building. Much is now derelict.
We continued up stream and crossed the footbridge. There once was a swing bridge on the site, but now it is a bridge that rolls back on rails when something big needs to reach the gravel docks.
That's the view from the middle of the footbridge, looking out to sea.
I guess one day somebody might do this boat up.
Many of the jetties are now not able to be used, though some work has been done to strengthen others.
There is a small island in the river - an inhabited island.
About a year ago we walked on the west side, and we chatted with a woman and her friend, Seb - who was doing up a boat.
Seb's neighbouring boat would seem to be beyond repair.
Littlehampton people are very friendly people - there always seems to be time to chat.
The dog was funny.
He really believed that he should attack and kill a bit of concrete in the water. Bark! Bark! Bark! as he tried to turn it over and pull it out.
Once he had it, he wanted to bury it in the sand.
I can't say if it was actually out of control, but that smoke was drifting across to the more popular east beach.
Somebody thought it was out of control because a fire engine arrived to see if help was needed.
The weather forecast for tomorrow is for much rain. Glad we did Ford and Littlehampton yesterday.
The main task was to clear the dining room table of all the things I have been buying.
It is done.
Much is already stowed into a box, ready to take to the shop on Monday.
Yesterday was a much more stimulating day.
After our time at the Ford car boot sale we parked the car close to the beach on the east side of the river at Littlehampton.
After our breakfast we walked inland a way, pausing by the lifeboat station to admire the swan family.
The east side of the river has always been the devloped side. In earlier times quite large boats came up river and docked.
The town of Littlehampton is on the east side.
There is still some fishing and a gravel industry on the river, but much of the river is now given over to pleasure craft.
But the view across the river shows much from time past; there was ship building. Much is now derelict.
We continued up stream and crossed the footbridge. There once was a swing bridge on the site, but now it is a bridge that rolls back on rails when something big needs to reach the gravel docks.
There is a small island in the river - an inhabited island.
About a year ago we walked on the west side, and we chatted with a woman and her friend, Seb - who was doing up a boat.
Seb's neighbouring boat would seem to be beyond repair.
Littlehampton people are very friendly people - there always seems to be time to chat.
He really believed that he should attack and kill a bit of concrete in the water. Bark! Bark! Bark! as he tried to turn it over and pull it out.
Once he had it, he wanted to bury it in the sand.
And finally the River Arun meets the sea.
The tide was still very high - just the pebbles on view - within a couple of hours, much of that breakwater will be on the sands.
The west beach is undeveloped and often attracts few people. In our younger days we often spent time on the beach further along - the Clymping sands and sand dunes.
We were hot and thirsty after our walk. We bought tins of drink from the west beach cafe, which doesn't impress us.
We then retraced our steps, calling in at the lifeboat station where we bought a second hand book and some Lifeboat Tea.
It was not quite the end of photography.
We had seen that a large bonfire was underway on the other side of the river at the boat yard.
I don't know what they had chucked on it, but it burned fiercely and with acrid black smoke.
I can't say if it was actually out of control, but that smoke was drifting across to the more popular east beach.
Somebody thought it was out of control because a fire engine arrived to see if help was needed.
The weather forecast for tomorrow is for much rain. Glad we did Ford and Littlehampton yesterday.
Labels: Sussex
