Of empirically English seaside sights and sounds!

This was a walk with a difference for me :)!  As you will know, I normally prefer to walk in the countryside or cliff tops, somewhere wild and free and away from civilisation.  However, just occasionally for a change I like to walk along the sea front.

There is no mud to struggle through, there are no hills, just flat easy walking along the promenade…….and there is a lot of promenade in the Bournemouth area!  Nearly 10 miles of it in fact, stretching all the way from Sandbanks to Hengistbury Head and in this walk I covered all of it both ways :)!  That’s not to say there are no hazards.  If you walk at the waters edge, there are groynes to climb over and waves to dodge, not to mention the occasional Frisbee!

If you walk on the promenade itself, there are cyclists to avoid, skateboarders, skaters, the occasional vehicle, and of course numerous dogs of all shapes and sizes – what is strange is that whatever shape and size the dog is, there is always that dreaded extendable dog lead.  And invariably the owner is one side of the promenade and the dog is the other so that you either have to high jump over the lead or shimmy underneath, the owners seemingly oblivious to the problems they are creating!

It is a wonderful walk though, full of those typically English sights and sounds, beach huts of all colours, two piers, acres of sand, the crying of the seagulls overhead, the beautifully restful sound of the surf washing across the shore, the sound of children playing, bright colours everywhere, and the gentle breeze caressing your face.

Naturally it was a walk punctuated with regular stops for photographs because there is so much to capture, so much to notice.  With the amazing blue sky, how could I resist!

There are not only seaside sights here, there is also a lot of architecture too, ranging from Regency to modern as parts of this coast has been modernised and improved.

And all the way, the dancing waves followed me…….

……and the beach huts numbers just continued non stop!  Its amazing how many there are…….and amazing how much some of them cost!

One of the problems along this beach is that the tide constantly erodes the beach, transporting the sand in an easterly direction.  So at the time I did this walk, the JCB’s and trucks were reversing the trend by transporting the sand in a westerly direction back to where it had come from, lest the beach disappear completely.

I think one of the wonders of God’s creation is the constancy of the tide and waves as they roll onto the beach all day and all night like some giant perpetual motion machine.  It is awesome just to stand there and watch as one wave follows another and another and another……

I mentioned that there are numerous photo opportunities along the sea front, well quite often these involve people :)!  If you keep your eyes open and are aware of what is going on around you, it is quite surprising how often a good shot will pop up.  The picture below made me think of the three wise monkeys ;)!

And of course, new opportunities present themselves as the sun goes down and the shadows lengthen.

And I always think there is something fascinating about the underside of the pier – I guess it is because it is normally viewed from above or from one side.

With the lengthening shadows, the evening sun brings some gorgeous golden light, hence the term ‘The Golden Hour’.  It is that time of day when the light takes on a special quality.

On this occasion, the sunset didn’t quite match the day’s promise as it did what it often seems to do, it fizzled out with very little colour.  But it was still nice, and in any event, that time of night is always great as most people have gone home and you are left alone with the washing tide and your thoughts.

It was a great end to a great day and it was with reluctance that I left the beach.  Nearly 20 miles of sea front, populated with many people and pets, busy and bustling even in winter, totally different to my usual walks but nevertheless, a really enjoyable day.  And I didn’t have to carry sandwiches or drinks………it was fish and chips for lunch, ice creams, and cups of tea whenever I wanted.  Very civilised :)!

Be blessed!

Thanks for stopping by and reading the ramblings of The Dorset Rambler.

Until next time,
Your friend
The Dorset Rambler.

If you would like to contact me, my details are on my website which is http://www.yarrowphotography.com – comments and feedback are welcomed.

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