A very busy bank holiday weekend
28/08/2023
My mum took us to see her new allotment and I took some pictures with my flying camera.
Overhead at the allotment
Overhead at Fibrex
Mum gave us some eggs from her chickens and I made myself breakfast. It was very nice.
Beach at Winchelsea
Weird wood things at Winchelsea
People have to stand in the way at car shows, so I leaned into it.
This ice cream was "under the sea" flavour. I don't eat many things from under the sea but I may have to start.
Went back home to take my mum and aunt out for lunch to celebrate their very-much-deserved retirement. Nearly melted in our hotel room. Went to a beach, a car show, and had some ice cream.
My mum and aunt retired on Thursday, after very many years running the family business (I am a terrible son and nephew, and I have a complete lack of flair for horticulture. The industry is better off with me at a distance), so I wanted to take them out for a meal to celebrate. The last couple of years have been intensely draining for both of them, and I'm so happy that they finally get to start winding down and enjoying their retirement.
It bummed me out a little, seeing the place wind down like this. I pretty much lived here every school holiday from when I was old enough to walk, to when I was old enough to do my own thing during school holidays. We were functionally feral during our summers - we'd wander off around the village, gathering people up and mooching around, or climbing trees (which I was always rubbish at), or playing basketball on my aunt's driveway, or camping under the Perseid meteor shower, or playing squash with a tennis ball against the wall, or watering plants for pocket money (I wanted to love it honestly I did, but it's hard work and I would moan like crazy). It's only watching how Tabitha spends her summers, that I realise how lucky I was to have that place and that freedom. Kids in my day, apparently really didn't know we were born.
Then this morning I wanted to go somewhere we haven't been before so I dragged us all to Winchelsea to have a look at the lighthouse. The eagle-eyed among you will note that there is no lighthouse at Winchelsea, but there is a lifeboat house and that I should not be allowed to skim-read maps.
Winchelsea is a 7/10 beach, which would be 8.5/10 if not for the midges.
On the way home we stopped at Bexhill for a car show which was great because it had loads of old stock cars which is what I like. Give me a 1993 Ford Orion Ghia and I'm happy. There was loads of fancy stuff too, but I'm happy when I get to see a pristine 1991 Rover Metro. Leave me alone.
I pretended to be Martin Parr for a while, then we had an ice cream then we drove home. I think I have a bit of a sunburn but I could get burned in the dark with the lights out so hardly surprising.
We Never Learned to Live - The Sleepwalk Transmissions