1st September from the West Cliff Green

All is hurry and scurry. Men in hi-vis jackets are raking and hoeing and shovelling. Others are blowing leaves away from the paths. There is even a Council sweeping lorry and its attendant crew. Meanwhile the benches are beginning to fill up and men (always men) with big cameras are staking out places for their tripods. They all gaze towards the, as yet, empty sky above the bay. It is cloudy but the clouds seem high enough that there will be something to see. A big Chinook hurries along the beach so low it is out of sight beneath the watchers here on the cliff.

From 1st September 2021

A prickle of rain. A starchy breeze. A heavily creased sea with the Tide whipping the Surf so that's whiter than white. The beach is practically deserted except for Someone who stands fully clothed in the water apparently for the enjoyment of his friend who is taking many pictures. A wayfarer is asleep on one of the benches, hood pulled tight around his face. Members of the Waggy Tail Walking club sniff my ankles and decide I'm not worth biting.

From 1st September 2012

Officially Autumn doesn't begin until Michaelmas Day (29th September) but this will do. A misty morning with promise of hot sun later. Autumn is my favourite season. It is about new beginnings and new projects. I grew up on farms so Autumn is especially meaningful me with the gathering in of the harvest and putting the golden stubble to the plough. It is also about new homes and schools (Michaelmas was the traditional time for farmworkers to begin new jobs). In the theatre it was always the start of the new season. So today is the day to begin again.