4th September from the West Cliff Green, Bournemouth

The green jagged waves are polished silver by the bright, grey sky. The surf races in from a long way off shore making a white lace edging to the whole bay. The wind is strong but the air is still warm and it still feels like summer.

Gradually the Green fills up with visitors. An ice cream van, litter pickers, everything for the delight of the passer by. The sun shines through a veil of white and casts a strange light over everything. The shadows are muted. Big clouds roll away to the West and East which might well mean sufdden downpours which don’t materialise.

And after everything is over, the clouds roll back, there is blue sky and we have the Green and the bay and the heaven above to ourselves again.

From 4th September 2021

Still billowing grey clouds and no sun but out of the wind the warmth comes up from the path and grass. The waves smooth and reassure the beach. A juvenile robin, still covered in spots, flies up onto the rail in front of me and cocks his head on one side as if trying to make sense of the mad world he finds himself in.