Apart from a change of scenery what else makes for a good day out?

Good company, weather, and a confident leader can all add up to make a very good day out. I am a walk leader, therefore, I appreciate how difficult that role can be. You need to know exactly where you are going, how long it takes, where the loo breaks are (if there are any!) what time the trains are and find a pleasing place for both picnic and pub lunch. It’s quite a responsibility! especially with a large group.

Madelon is a member of East Finchley Walking group. She kindly suggested taking me out on this walk. It felt good to let someone else take charge.

We started at MILFORD ON SEA which seemed a bit complicated & tricky to get to. As always when going out on walks, it’s usual to take a tube or train to one of the mainline stations. This time it was Waterloo; then followed by a local bus. Perhaps it’s revisiting with an overnight stay. ? It was a lovely visit, although it included a lot of travelling which meant not enough time to have a really good day out.

Trudging along on the shingles towards Hurst Castle. Summer was on the Horizon but it still felt far away.

Hurst Castle is situated at the seaward end of the shingle spit that extends 1.5 miles from Milford-On-Sea.

I felt a strange sense of isolation walking along the quiet beach. Shingles are tough to walk on. We took the less pleasing option, which was not to take the ferry over the water to the pub for lunch. Which in hindsight would have made for a more enjoyable day. Instead we walked back the same way, along the shingles. It got a bit monotonous. As Ramblers we are used to this kind of walking!

The end of the spit, only three-quarters of a mile from the Isle of Wight, and the views from the top of the center keep are spectacular, so I had been told!

Hurst Castle was the perfect location to defend the western approach to the Solent. The castle was built by Henry VIII as one of a chain of coastal fortresses and was completed in 1544.

The nature resort after the coastal walk

Remote & wild

We are all Black Sheep here.!

I tried not to think of such images but couldn’t help it, I imagined fights and deaths as it was a smugglers paradise some years ago.

NEARLY SUMMER- looking towards The Isle of Wight

I WANT TO MARRY A LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER!

There’s something romantic about the lighthouse, it’s remote and secure, cut off from everybody else.

I recently saw a film called Frank a black comedy (loosely based on the character Frank Sidebottom.) Maggie Gyllenhaal sings a haunting melancholy song, I want to marry a lighthouse keeper. The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance film festival. It was released theatrically in Ireland and Britain on 9 May 2014.

It’s worth a look

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wptv2iDdTZM

All for now

Julie

I can't explain my feet!

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