8th January from the West Cliff Green, Bournemouth
Rain lashing down all night. By the morning the sky has a baleful yellow cast as though something portentous is about to happen. And so it continues. But by mid day it’s possible to dodge the showers for a walk. The magpies and crows, fed up with the weather keep up a constant background noise. Gulls wheel and sweep on the gale. But the walkers add a particular glow to the day.
From 8th January 2022
The rain has continued all day and it's only as evening falls that the icy torrents abate leaving just occasional squalls. The waves keep up their unbroken roar along the beach and the cutting wind is still hard and punchy. A hazy moon appears from time to time from between the scudding clouds giving just enough light to throw the long dark sleeve of the Purbeck Hills into relief between the smudgey clouds and the silvery sea. The sleeve is embroidered with the glinting golden lights of Studland and envelopes the Western end of Poole Bay with its protecting bulk. #Bournemouth #westcliff #winter #january
From 8th January 2021
A slicing cold mist edged late afternoon. The sea is creased and wrinkled like a badly ironed tablecloth. The rolling leaden sky is gashed over to the west with vivid patches that reflect on the bay in dull brassy puddles. Voices hang flat on the air so that it's difficult to tell where they are coming from, A guy passes at the other end of the green reciting dub poetry into his phone. The street lights come on and huddle against the oncoming dark. Time for tea.
From 8th January 2020
The evening closes in. A thin, mean fog twists its way around the lamp posts. The sea grumbles loudly like a tiger whose keeper is late with the steaks. The drizzle intensifies so that the whole night is damp and miserable. But when I hang my coat up it glistens with thousands of tiny rainbow raindrops.
From 8th January 2016
As the dawn lightens, a great bank of cloud covering the whole of the Eastern sky emerges out of the night. It is as though a bottle of blue black ink has been spilt on a still wet water colour. But then the brisk morning breeze begins its work and stars begin to appear. Suddenly the edge of the cloud rolls back and the disc of Saturn emerges from the night. It blazes like a distant searchlight before the dawn overtakes it. It is staggeringly beautiful and worth setting your alarm clock for.
