Southwold was a favourite destination for Mrs S & I. We travelled the few miles over to the coast regularly throughout our years together, particularly out of season, for many a pub lunch and cobweb-clearing walk. I'd been studiously avoiding that part of the world even before the pandemic, for fear of reawakening ghosts - indeed until this week it'd been over two years since I'd set foot in the place. On Tuesday I found myself out in that area on other business and thought that perhaps it was time to tentatively revisit the old haunts. It was a clear, gloriously sunny late-afternoon, but I initially felt myself hurrying around the streets, as if anxious to get it done and hot-foot it back out of town, so I wandered down towards the beach, gulped down several lungfuls of fresh sea air and felt my anxiety drift away. A few short weeks ago I wouldn't have been able to move for holidaymakers, but now it was largely deserted. As the light faded, the air reverberated to the noisy chatter of hundreds of Barnacle Geese coming down onto the grazing marsh beyond the houses on Gun Hill. I pulled out my phone and caught a shot of the sun's final rays, stretching across the ancient cannons that point mutely out to sea. What a lovely evening. The ghosts? They were around alright, but they kept a respectful distance.
8 comments:
Been to Southwold a few times. I can imagine out of season it has a certain charm. Always worth facing those ghosts I think Swede- and facing them down.
Sounds and looks like something out of Autumn Watch Swede!
It's a lovely, unspoilt little town that gets completely over-run during the Summer, but is a blissful retreat from the world out of season.
I remember sharing a picture of Soutwold on my blog once mistaking it for Lowestoft but you put me right. Great sunset picture and glad the ghosts kept at a respectful distance. It does get easier.
Haha, I don't remember that Alyson. Lowestoft and Southwold are 14 miles and a world apart.
Way to go, Swede. Time to make some new memories on one of your favorite walks. This place reminds me of a spot we have around here on Wihdbey Island... cannons and all.
After watching the film Yesterday which was set in Lowestoft I wrote about it and erroneously added a pic of Southwold. You put me right pretty quickly and I can see now how you would have spotted my slip immediately. I would have been the same if someone had done that with a place in my neck of the woods.
It sounds as if you did exactly the right thing, at the right time - I'm glad. I've been hoping to visit the 'Under The Pier' show one of these days - if it's still there (?)
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