28th October from the West Cliff Green, Bournemouth
The sun is hot and its rays are focussed up off the ruffled water of the bay making it as warm as a summer’s day. Only the strong wind makes the day bearable. The waves crash onto the shore before pausing, and then crawling away for another go. The blue sky is streaked with contrails and long white clouds. On the cliff face, hidden in the gorse bushes, the goats keep in touch with their strange bleating. A small aeroplane drones overhead. A rib slices across the green waves. A robin and a wagtail keep company on the short grass. They fly up together and move from place to place almost as if they were playing together. Robins are not usually known for their sociability. Fir and pine trees keep hold of their cones for several years and the massive Monterey Pines keep their large, lop sided cones for up to twenty years or more. These huge trees thrive in our temperate climate so, despite their enormous size and deeply ridged bark that makes them appear ancient, they are probably no older than the smaller Scots Pines around them. The cones tend to come down in crowns of four or five at a time. And the trees themselves sometimes split and come crashing apart. So for all sorts of reasons it is advisable not to park your car under a Monterey.
From 28th October 2021
The heavyweight wind thumps and buffets as if practising in the ring for the big fight. It spars with the aerials on the roof of the flats making them howl. The big rollers make a roar as though anticipating the fight. A big cloud of maybe a hundred gulls hang like smoke rising from all the cigars of the punters. The sky is tattered and torn like the canvas of an old boxing booth and we can see occasional glimpses of a more tranquil world of pale blue-green and gold. #Bournemouth #WestCliff #Autumn #October #weather
From 28th October 2013
It's the sweet chestnuts that seem to have borne the brunt of the storm on the west cliff. Not surpising really. They have been clinging on to their thick green foliage. Add to that the weight of a bumper crop of prickly fruit and the deluge of rain, branches are bound to give way in the storm. But sweet chestnut is a remarkable regenerator. I know a whole avenue of the trees that have struck out from a row of bare chestnut fence posts so we shouldn't notice the difference by next summer.
