16th April from the West Cliff Green, Bournemouth

The voices of the pigeons are loud in the land. Little fishing boats dot the flat, silver plate that is the bay. The sea reflects the rippling, corrugated grey of the sky. A vague mist smudges the outline of the Purbeck hills and the Isle of Wight. Small birds sing from every tree and bush. Chief among them today is the see-sawing of the Great Tit and the churr of the Green finch. The air is clean and fresh. A small, steady rain patters down a few drops at a time not really making its mind up whether it’s going to wind up to create a full blown shower or stop altogether. Gulls fly to and fro. Some of them look as though they’re on urgent business and swoop along the cliff top with purpose. The idlers who just circle on the updraughts are not here today. A circle of a dozen people on the beach are doing some species of keep fit exercises. A dog chases a flourescent ball over the grass as though that is all he has to worry about. Which, I suppose is true.

From 16th April 2022

Easter Saturday. We are deep into this long spring. The sun shines brightly from a blue sky streaked with thin high clouds. A grey mist hangs across the bay and there is a snapping chilly breeze. Not much swell to speak of but the little waves are agitated and make a big noise. The beach is busy but not crowded. On the West Cliff, even those trees which wait to the last minute to come into leaf are showing pale green. And many plants that will flower on through the summer are growing strong leafy clumps: Mallow, Bristly ox-tongue and Betony amone dozens of others. #Bournemouth #westcliffgreen #april #spring

From 16th April 2021

An intense blue sky; cloudless apart from a tiny band of puffy grey cumulus on the distant horizon. The sun glares off the small, orderly waves which fold neatly onto the pale, even sand. But there is a brisk cold wind from the North-east. A morning for a winter coat.  #Bournemouth #WestCliff #spring