Thursday, 8 June 2023

Wednesday,

and I was off to visit Duncan,


I was going to wear a summer jacket, but thankfully I put a fleece on, it was so cold outside,

the number 54 bus was early, and I was soon speeding past Peter Pan's Pool,

in the centre of the island a elderberry was putting on a good show,

but then a bit of a stop, which was thankfully quick,

past the gayly painted pub in Catford,

the market up and running in Lewisham,

I arrived in Blackheath early, the florist had not yet opened,

and in some good news, the 09.31 was running and on time,

the platform going to town nearly empty,

filling up,

and then nearly empty again,

arriving at Gravesend it was quite chilly,

up the hill to the nursing home where Duncan lives,

nothing but grey skies,

the roses still making the air so nice,

some looking really nice,

like these,

but I fear their days are numbered,

some already well past their best, Duncan was in fine sprits, we chatted away, as it happened the television was on with a feature about the latest Royal court case, we both admitted neither of us really understood what is was all about, I left as Duncan's lunch arrived,

in those 2 hours what a change in the weather,

blue skies behind the apple tree,

but no sign of any apples, 

I was soon at Blackheath station, the florists next door,

had a good show of potted,

and cut flowers,

lots of them,

the bus stopped just by the entrance of the building that never seems to be finished,

looking up, more work needed!

and still they were working on the bell tower,

the bee gardens on top of the bus shelter,

looking a bit the worse for wear, they were so dry,

into the park,

and there she was waiting for me, Diana had seen me in the distance and waited for me to catch her up on her way back from work,

I was still reading Labyrinths by Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo, the story I started last time, A New Refutation of Time, is not an easy easy read,

next our seafood feast from RX Fisheries we bought yesterday in Hastings,

and what a feast it was! 

'Cheers!',

for dessert a sticky toffee pudding with fresh cream, we were full to bursting! we watched a Lewis that happened to be playing on ITVX followed by one from Midsomer Murders and as Diana has a early start we were then off to bed.


Tuesday, Our Second And Last Day In Hastings,

first thing book out of the hotel,


outside the tide now in,

as we walked onto town I mentioned as it was working I would take a photograph oh the fountain in the middle of the roundabout, as soon as I got the camera out of the bag, it stopped, no change there then!

as we walked round it, the fountain started again,

we walked past where we had eaten yesterday,

and a few other restaurants,

in most of which it was fish and chips or not much else,

we crossed the road, and settled here,

for some reason I forgot to take any photographs, Diana had a bacon panini, for myself a bacon sandwich, 

we had a plan,

we stopped for a quick photograph,

and looked at the disused amusement park, 

our plan was in the distance,

we are going to have a round of crazy golf,

but first a pose,

or two,

Diana teed off, with a score of 5, for myself talk about beginners luck, a hole in one!

the next hole 6 for Diana 3 for myself,

Ta-Dah!

all around the course there were so many water features,

Diana tees off on the third hole,

next the fourth,

the hole was a long way off,

more water features,

next Diana tees off,

this is a tricky one, the ball goes in one hole at the top,

and comes out of one these at the bottom,

Diana had played this some time ago on a works day out,

I had only played this once before, 

but so long ago I have forgotten where and when,

I have to say the course was so well laid out,

with stone features and behind Diana a tall waterfall,

on the tenth hole, you guessed it, Diana sunk a hole in one,

through the tunnel,

or through the stream?

the next hole by another waterfall,

on to the next,

the rules state that after 6 shots you should score seven, then move on so as not to block the course,

but as there was no one behind us we played until the ball was sunk,

which meant on the fourteenth Diana holed in eleven shots, oh dear, how sad, never mind!

I mentioned the water features here,

there were so many of them,

Diana keeping score, I had a feeling I was a tad ahead,

then on the fifteenth it took me 6 shots, 

must do better!

a look towards the street,

Diana was trying so hard,

nearly there, I have to say I think the electricity bill for pumping all of this water is not going to be cheap!

the last hole, the eighteenth,

Diana again tried so hard,

again,

and again,

nearly done, 

6 shots and then it was just down to me,

at the end of the game if you hit a lucky shot you win a free game, we both failed,

time for a pose,

as we made our way out of the course, as it happen this is the largest crazy golf course in the UK having three different courses, it also is featured every few year for the International championships,

and just for the record our scorecard, 

next over the tracks, the railway today not running,

the park still deserted,

we made our way through the shingle,

passing some fishing boats,

and of course,

we had to have a few poses,

well more that a few!

last one,

the rubbers on the shingle is where the boats are pulled up,

looking back towards town,

I just had too!

we passed a few working boats,

unlike other towns on this coast,

there is no natural or manmade harbour,

so it is drag the boats up and down the beach each time they are used,

lobster pots,

stacked and ready to go,

these are of an age,

this is the winch which is used to pull up the boats on the shingle,

I guess this windowless caterpillar is used to pull the boats to the sea, 

next stop for us,


two dressed crabs and a selection of seafood to go,

we were soon back at the station,

a drink and a cake for the journey home,

all settled down for the journey,

and a few ZZZZ's on the way!

we were soon back in Beckenham, just over 2 hours as it happens,

some traffic lights were being removed at the entrance to the park, some emergency road works had to be completed,

past Foxgrove Lodge, 

the aroma of roses filling the air,

it was soon time for our evening meal,

and what a treat,

after which it was time to relax, what a lovely couple of days we had, the bad news is that Diana has a early start for the next few days, so we just watched a couple of Midsomer Murderers before we were off to bed.