So, after a fairly torturous morning - I was in the boiler shop at 8:12am - we piled everything we own (well, that's what it looked like) into the car and thrashed it down to Winchelsea for the weekend. We ate lunch on route so we could all go straight to bed for a bit when we got to The New Inn. Two hours later, we were as good as new and made for Rye Harbour where The Scrap raced his Like-A-Bike up the long, long path to the wild and windy seafront. 
We chucked stones in the water and tried to stop our ears from freezing. Thick black clouds hung over half the sky with the rest of it blue or grey. Rain would appear from nowhere, then disappear into bright sunshine. The sky was endlessly fascinating. However, by the harbour the cloud cover made it look like night was falling, so we raced over to Camber to see some sand and make a few turtles just before sunset. The British seaside in the off season is brilliant. By 6:15 our window table in the Inn had a pint of Guinness, a JD and Coke and a plate of Suffolk ham, free range egg and handcut (by Mr Beefeater of PotatoCorps Frozen Carb-Delivery Systems) chips. Scrap scoffed the lot, asked the barmaid for "a glass of wine, please" - he got apple juice - wolfed his chocolate ice cream and was ready for bed. With him tucked up we returned to the bar for more Guinness, more JD, some wine, an excellent steak and a great piece of plaice. We were full and happy and ready to pass out. It was 8:25pm.
At nine our old friends Jane and Bruce - who have a cottage nearby came over and we got a very welcome second wind. Jane brought us bags of presents and a parcel of delicious muffins she'd just baked. This morning breakfast wasn't served until 8:30 and Scrap wakes up at 6, so we were very grateful to have those muffins to keep him quiet. We were downstairs by 8:31 and the boiled eggs and soldiers soon followed.
We took the scenic route back to London stopping for fantastic scones, clotted cream and jam at the De La Warr Pavillion, chucked a few more stones in the sea, searched in vain for some cockles or winkles then piled back into the world's filthiest car and made for home.
Next week I'm going to buy The Good Pub Guide so we can do this more often. A lot more often, hopefully.
7 comments:
That sounds idylic. I would love to be scrap.
Hello Dulwich Mum. You're quick off the mark this evening!
Wow, now that sounds like the life. let's all move there...
miss s. i would break a boiler for this. look at this sky! AMAZING! i think i should start to focus on other parts of england than just london. i hope you are all happy in your warm beds in your warm house with all machines working for a change. speaking of it: my dishwasher just broke...
Did you see any kitesurfers in Camber?
not by the time we got there - but there a couple of stunt-kite flyers still pluuging away. Some brave soul was in the water in Bexhill yesterday lunchtime too!
Excellent - we love Rye. Every time we go there Mac wants to go on a boat and I want to sit in the harbour pub and eat lasagne! Another good beach is Pett Level, a few miles out of Hastings through Pett village. When the tide is out you can walk for ages in knee high sea (watch out for the muddy patches though!) and take in a few wrecks in the sand. Roll on the good weather!
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