This Weekend (16) ...

OK, OK, I know that Wednesday is a little late to write up the weekend, but I've been flat out doing ... well ... not much. So here's this weekend in pictures for a change.

1) The best tea room in the world! Morning coffee and a slice of lemon drizzle cake that would adequately feed three people at the old bakery in Branscombe. The thatch, I think, makes the cake taste better. Nom nom nom!





2) Regatta week in Beer means that the flags go up along Fore Street. It's an exercise that involves four sea dogs and one old ladder. There are exchanges such as, "is the ladder straight?" "Straight-ish," and the lack of concern for health and safety is somehow a relief! To my amusement, after taking this photo, we passed three sacks lined up on the pavement, labelled, "flags," "flags," and "spare flags."




3) The old entertainment is the best! O Aargh! This sign can be ranked alongside such other public notices as, "Red Arrows display team. If wet, in Mariner's Hall," "For Sale - bunches of beetroot and kittens," and, "Scouts ... sizzling their sausages in Charlie's Yard."









4) My favourite view. Along the back of Beer beach is a wooden deck, raised from the beach by about eight feet, with beach huts along the back, and room on the deck in front to sit. From that vantage point, protected from the breeze by the cliff, and facing into the sun, a girl can get a nice tan whilst she watches the fishing boats come and go, and listens to the waves shuffling the pebbles. Heaven!



5) Sunday morning is bootfair morning! Rousden is home to the best car boot sale that I know of. An enormous field on a slight incline is jam-packed with stalls. Everything from farm machinery and second hand tools to flowers and fruit; this sale ends up being farmers market, jumble sale, and clearance all in one go. And, of course, there are bargains to be had if you have an eye for a vintage button (or 200 ...)



6) When Clouds Attack! Monday dawned fair and bright, but BOY did it change! This, can you believe it, was taken during a BREAK in the weather! This was a good moment! This was the point when the rain wasn't coming sideways off the sea like a thousand needles. And the point when, mercifully, Father Tooting stopped singing, "oh I do like to be beside the sea side!"






7) But Monday evening couldn't have been warmer. In sentiment, anyway. Monday was the 67th wedding anniversary of our friends Dot (aged 90) and Bob (a sprightly 89), and to celebrate we all, 11 of us, gathered in the static caravan of the wonderful Marion (pictured, far left) for ham, egg and chips, champagne, and smutty jokes. Once seated, you had to stay where you were, such was the snugness of the seating arrangement, but we laughed and laughed and laughed! Also in the picture are The Mothers (my friend Laura's and mine) squished on a sofa, with, you will note, a LOT of wine glasses between them!




8) And speaking of Laura, she made this out of the foil from her chocolate. She told us that is was a swan, but it's clearly a llama. Someone's had too much scrumpy ...










9) But this is how I spent most of the weekend. In and out of the Steam Gallery to look at this picture, by the marvellous Mike Bernard. I dithered and dithered and dithered and couldn't decide what to do, and in the end I had to go and get the train home. On the one hand, more money than I have, but on the other, a lovely picture of a place that I love which would, incidentally, look terrrrrriffic on the wall in my new bedroom. What would you have done?




10) And then I came home. Sad to leave, but lovely to arrive. And it still smells a bit of paint!