We Were Soon Marching To Beckenham,

first on the the tram to East Croydon train station, 

 and after arriving there on to platform 3, 

where Diana had time for a quick hot chocolate, 

 as one train speeded out of the station,

 and our train arrived,

 and this is where we ended up, 

 at Brighton station,

 a walk downhill brought us to the seafront, 

 and we started our walk along the front, 

 passing the many hotels,

 that look out to sea,

 Brighton's West Pier slowly getting smaller as each successive winter does it's worse,

 we continued our walk, which was so bracing as the Jolly Fisherman says in Skegness,

 the bubble in the observation tower at ground level,

 and this is where we were going,

 to see Caroline at Scandecor, based in Castle Street, the company makes sofas, and after months of looking we had seen one style that we liked, so here we were to order a couple of them, deposit placed and like our dinning table and chairs delivery should be some time in February next year,

 back out into the biting wind, we passed the BA i360 tower,

 as the viewing bubble made it's way up the tower,

 one of the beach front cafes, not very busy today, 

 we had a closer look at the West Pier,

 and started our walk to the East Pier, 

 the BA tower in the distance,

 we are getting closer,

 as we passed some of the hotels,

 by now we were far enough along the front to get all of the tower in frame,

 ta-da!

 turning towards the sea, this musician was playing,

 to an empty audience and just as I pressed the shutter he gave up, his fingers must have been frozen, I know mine were!

 we both thought this was a neat idea to beat the winter,

 a cafe/restaurant had put up igloo style bubbles,

 so even in winter you could eat sort of outside,

 in your own bubble,

 one way to keep in business in the low season, 

 it does not look it but the pier is definitely closer,

 and here it is,

 and we knew we were getting closer,

 as the number of seagulls in the air increased dramatically,

 it was like a scene from The Birds,

 we had a plan, Diana was going to have noodles for breakfast, I had decided on a dressed crab,

 so passing one of the ice cream and coffee stalls, 

 we were on our way, 

 naturally stopping,

 every now and then for a photograph, 

 and found this youngster, 

 who seemed quite happy to sit here and have his picture taken, 

 then disaster struck,

 the hopes of my dressed crab were dashed, the stall was closed,

 when I saw this I was immediately reminded of an old Acker Bilk number from the 1960's, 

Stranger On The Shore, 

 this chap takes his hobby of photography, 

far more seriously than I do, 

 I just hope he gets the picture he was after,

Diana takes a few on her telephone to send to her family in the Philippines,

 we made our way to the noodle stand,

 looking back towards the shore,

 at the end of the pier things seemed eerily quiet,

 and it was, disaster number 2, the noodle stall was also shut!

'always have a plan 'B' Dave' as Phonce always says,

 and this was our plan 'B',

 hot doughnuts, 

 I guess it was no surprise many of the stalls were closed, it appears we were the only customer on the pier!

 we decided on a walk through the lanes,

 in this area predominately,

 jewelry stores,

 the fountain display closed for the winter,

 for myself one of the more interesting shops here,

 an armoury, selling all manner of militaria,

 back through another jewelry section,

 and we were off again,

 walking uphill to Brighton station,

where this young chap,

 just sat down and started belting out a few tunes, he was quite good as it happens,

 arriving back in Croydon we took a walk past the tall towers being built to look at a few shops,

 then on to the tram to return to Beckenham, where in the High Street we decided on our evening meal, at the Miso Noodle Bar,

 'Cheers!', as our prawn crackers arrived,

 followed by a starter of shredded duck,

 in the pot,

some wraps,

 and to put on them, cucumber, sauce and onions, 

 and of course the duck,

 another 'Cheers!', from me,

 and then time to tuck in,

 on to our main courses,

 Diana choose the Miso Extra, Soba noodles, chicken, beef, Cantonese roast pork, duck and prawns, 

  for myself,

I decided on a beef dish, which was pan fried ho fun, si-chuan style braised beef, hot bean sauce, ginger, red & green peppers, chilli and Chinese leaves, all of which was very nice,

arriving home we both had a delicious Eton mess, then it was feet up, a couple of quiz shows, a couple from Poirot and we were off to bed.