When I was a child I lived two miles from the sea. If I walked to the top of the country lane behind my house I could clearly see the sunlight and clouds reflecting on the sea in the distance.
I still live close to the sea – my family’s local beach is about 3 miles away although the sea is probably as close as a mile from our house. We have lived here for 25 years. There are usually seagulls on the neighbouring rooftops, their cries are part of the background noise here, and sometimes you can catch the smell of salt in the wind – yet this isn’t a seaside town.
One of my goals this summer was to get out and about more, in the fresh air and sunshine, because over the last few years I have felt very much stuck inside the house. I started off well enough, with short walks and good intentions, but life and a DIY bathroom refit got in the way. I might have failed to go on as many ‘real’ walks as I would have liked, but I still went down to the beach with my family for a wander once a week or so. There is always something interesting to see, like this wonderful sand castle abandoned for the sea to take. Other times it might be a massive jellyfish, the occasional fossil to find, or just the sea grasses and flowers that change with the seasons.
We might stay for an hour and walk for a mile or so. There’s something special about the sand and pebbles under foot, the familiar smell of the salty sea air, the rhythmic beating of the waves, and the sting of the cold sea breeze against my face. I particularly like to walk on a beach at dusk, in that eerie quiet time after the sun has completely disappeared below the horizon.To watch the night begin.