The Postman Delivers: Prefab’s Gunman CD. That almost completes the set. I only need Swoon now.
ON IT.
Plans for a bicycle ride were once again called off. It’s still wet around the bloody Estuary Wilds. I’m a week or so away from being given the all clear to resume running.
And so…
To Brightlingsea! For BOOZE! The long way around as well!
We crossed the train track at Paget Road.
HONK!!!!
Blimey. That was a close one. This is the first time in 13 years where we have been mid-track on the railway crossing with a choo choo breathing up our arse.
I was surprised to see the number of walkers that were making the most of the rare break in rain. The scene at the Sailing Club looked almost like Oxford Street comes to the country.
The sun was struggling to come out. The wind was picking up. This was perfect walking conditions.
We shared an AirPod each with Robert Elms on BBC London as the choice of listening. He dropped Johnny Cash’s cover of Redemption Song.
That sounds decent, I thought. But not a patch on Uncle Joe’s cover.
And then midway through - woh. There he was. I had no idea that Strummer sang with Johnny Cash on this version.
The four-fer for this morning was all about renewal. Listeners were asked to phone in with songs having a theme of optimism as we approach 2024.
Nina’s It’s a New Life, Sam’s A Change is Gonna Come and even Dylan’s New Dawn featured.
“Why haven’t I heard any of these before?”
…asked A.
‘cos they’re not on Automatic for the bloody People, luv.
I held off with the photos. How many snaps does one person need for the stretch from the Sailing Club to Creek?
My iPhone did make an appearance for a few portrait snaps for Insta. It looks like the latest update for the camera includes a nice equilibrium line. No more wonky skyline ahoy!
We took a slight detour at the Creek and headed behind the back of the quarry. This involved higher, drier ground.
Elms then played out a session with the ACE Rhoda Dark. She played a brilliant ska cover of The Man Who Solved the World. There was no other fuckers about. We both had a major sing-a-long in the middle of nowhere.
We passed a sunflower graveyard coming back on to the estuary path. They hadn’t been harvest, but instead, left to hang out dry. It was a very depressing scene. The summer months seem a long, long way away.
The stretch over to Thorrington Mill was easier in the winter months than in the summer. It can become overgrown in mid-summer. The only obstacle today was mud.
We reached Brightlingsea Church. We took the strategic decision to tack along around the back of the estuary, on the opposite side to the Alresford bank.
Out came the Ricoh camera. This has now become my default compact cam. It packs an awful lot into a very small body.
Soon we could see Bateman’s Tower. But it was still around 3km away. The rain started to blow in from across the estuary and Mersea Island.
Arse.
A lone windsurfer was having the time of his life.
Brightlingsea was reached. And so was the boozer. We had time for a very decent pint from Colchester Brewery at the newly refurbished Railway.
Chin chin.
A mad dash was then taken for the bus back to Weird Wiv. We couldn’t tell if a local clothes shop was a charity shop or not. It’s confusing these days. Especially after a lunchtime pint.
And then there was Forest.
ffs Forest.
You put me through it.
It got off to a decent start with Sir Des being interviewed on BBC Radio Nottingham. It got better when we were 1-0 up.
Forest need a new ‘keeper in January.
ffs Forest, etc.
I bloody LOVE MGW.
There. That was a Crap Match Report and a half.
Darts, BOOZE etc.
Chin chin.