Out & About ...

... with Dad! Yep, finally made trip out with Dad just for the hell of it - *lol*

Weather has been awful this week. We've had enough rain to nearly refill the pond which had lost about 4 inches in depth from evaporation in just over a week. It's now only about an inch down, which shows how much rain we've had since the weekend. Can't really complain though as it's been a while since we've had rain like that. Yesterday, however, was all change and it was glorious. Beautiful blue sky, bright sun and very little breeze ... ideal for a ride out!

We took the 'scenic' coast road off towards the east aiming to go to Beachy Head, have lunch and then come back. We diverted the long way around Seaford. The Newhaven to Dieppe (France) ferry had just left Newhaven so we went to Seaford Esplanade to watch it making it's way into the English Channel. I've only been on that route once. Might live close to Newhaven but it's worth the 2+ hour drive to Dover to take the ferry to France. It's only an hour on board from Dover to Calais, around 4 from Newhaven to Dieppe and can get mighty boring once mid-channel and nothing to see but sea - *LOL* Anyway, Dad wanted to see the ferry so see the ferry we did! Not sure he actually did see it too well - *lol* It was reasonably close to shore but don't think Dad was looking in the right place (it's difficult to tell with him sometimes - *lol*), although he did say he saw it ☺

We left Seaford behind and headed onto the A259 towards Cuckmere Haven and the Seven Sisters Country Park, past Friston Forest and East Dean village then up the hill to Eastbourne, taking the turning at the top of the hill towards Beachy Head. The views from this road and around this area are amazing and everywhere you look there are sheep! Dad hasn't been in this area for years but he remembers the sheep - *lol* After lunch we continued on a circular tour, stopping at suitable points to take photos and admire the view. We passed Belle Tout lighthouse, Birling Gap and drove into East Dean as Dad had never been to the village - passed by it on the main road but never been in. It's a lovely little, olde worlde, typical flint Sussex village which has changed very little over the years. Going back on the same coast road we arrived on gave us stunning views over the Cuckmere Haven estuary. Unfortunately there's nowhere on the road to stop to take photos of this amazing view - :0(

View of Eastbourne from Beachy Head Road


Belle Tout Lighthouse and views west to Seaford Head/Cuckmere Haven


Seven Sisters from Birling Gap towards Cuckmere Haven and beyond.
Just look at that sea! Like glass and yes, it was that colour as was the sky!


East Dean panorama (3 photos stitched together)



View Beachy Head trip in a larger map

Dad's reaction to his trip out? "We'll have to do it again sometime. Perhaps we can go to Tonbridge ...?" Tonbridge is just over county boundaries and is in Kent. It is where he was born and raised ...

On my way home from Dad's I took the opportunity to take more photographs but this time closer to home! Been after this one for a while - Roedean School - although it's still not from the angle I'd like. Opportunity for that one hasn't arisen yet due to busy coast road and roadworks *LOL*

Then I spotted this solitary yacht, making it's way to Brighton Marina I assumed, as it was nearly there.

And the weather today? It's grey, cold and miserable again. In fact it's raining but at least it waited for me to do the Post Office and bank run ☺


Thanks for dropping by .....

I just luuurrrve ...

... this photo stitching software. OK, the panorama's aren't perfect as there is some 'ghosting' but then I'm taking the photo's standing in one spot and turning my body. Not the best way to try to take a series. Need to sort out a tripod to get it as near perfect as possible. Probably need a better camera as well but I like my little Casio point and shoot - lol!

I took the photo's for the panorama below - 5 in total - from the top end of the path/roadway (called Old Parish Lane, Woodingdean for anyone who's into Google Maps as much as I am) leading to the school I attended at primary level (4 to 11 years of age) and which my youngest school-age grand-daughter now goes to. I was on my way to her sports day yesterday. It is also just over the road from where fellow imag-e-nationer, Joyce, lives. Unfortunately Old Parish Lane (which is 90% farm track and goes between Ovingdean and Woodingdean - and the bushes at top of this photo are bordering it) is also well known in the Brighton area as the lane in which band-leader Ken Lyon's son was murdered back in 1967. His killer/s has never been found. (Click here for an article from the local paper's archives or here for a more recent article in The Guardian)

To the left, in the dip between fields and housing, is the main road from Rottingdean to Falmer and the bypass. The houses make up the southern part of the village estates and I live right down near where the smoke is in middle of picture. The sea is obvious, in the distance, which is roughly 3 miles from where I live and you can see why we (that is the whole village) get lovely aroma's occasionally - being surrounded by farmland ...... lol!

From this vantage point you can see 3 other villages/towns. Saltdean, to the left and, in a larger view, a crane can be seen. This is where Butlins used to have an hotel - called The Ocean Hotel - but it closed down a few years ago and is now luxury flats. In the middle is Rottingdean, a quaint, old smuggling village - very olde worlde - (big white building is flats right on the sea) and is also famous for it's windmill which can be seen right on the brow of the hill. It overlooks the village and can be seen for some distance. To the right is Ovingdean and St Dunstan's, holiday home and rehab centre for blind ex-Service men and women. It's where I started Archery and where I met my hubby - and no, he's not blind but perhaps he should have been - LOL!! I used to be a voluntary escort for a while here. A few hundred yards along the coast road from St Dunstan's is Roedean School, the very famous private girls school (would probably be in view if it wasn't for the bushes on the right - lol!).

Here's a Google Map to show where I took photo's from and showing the places mentioned. OK, so I'm being an anorak now but I just love maps and I think I'm finding an interest in another 'craft' - lol!!

View Larger Map

If anyone, after clicking on the photo to enlarge, would like an even larger copy (if you're as sad as me you might do - lol!) just leave a comment and ask for one but I'll need some contact details....

Thanks for dropping by .....

Just added ...

... a map of my home area to the side bar with a few places of interest - to me, if not to anyone else - lol!! Wonder how many more will spring up now, hehe!!

Thanks for dropping by .....

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!!!

I've been playing in my very basic graphics prog (a scrapbooking one I've not used for scrapbooking yet - lol!!) and made myself a new blog header. I decided that I wanted something different to using a craft background paper - which is what I had - and something more related to the general ramblings this blog is turning out to be but, also relevant to me. I found a stunning photograph via Google Maps (click to see my area) which was just what I wanted and this is the original, found on Panoramio, photographed by 'superglue'.

It's a photo of the ruins of the West Pier, Brighton & Hove's 2nd pier (and the setting for the 1969 film 'Oh, What a Lovely War), until it's demise. There's been a lot of debate about restoring this pier to it's former glory but I feel it's gone too far now for restoration. Many people are calling for it to be removed completely but I think the ruins are amazing. Silhouetted against a fiery sunset the effect is stunningly beautiful and very surreal. Below the surface it's teaming with sealife as it has now become something of a reef. Personally I think it should be left and leave nature to take it's course, as it has done already over the years.

Anyway, the blog header is now a picture from my home town and I hope you enjoy the view - lol!

I have more changes in mind and I'll post about those when I've time to play .....