July 27th

The sky changes as the day progresses. At first as lumpy as a cobbled pub courtyard, then filmy and ragged as Miss Havisham’s wedding dress and, by the evening, a true mackerel sky. In between, tiny cracks and rivulets of blue before the sun bursts through for the last hour of the day. A strong breeze continues but it is humidly warm and many people are taking advantage of the beach and the little waves. Jetskis chainsaw back and forth across the bay and perform little figures around the end of the pier. But the Green continues rainless. A few deciduous trees have leaves browning at the edges but where they remain green they have a dull, dusty appearance. Even the leaves of the rhododendrons have lost their lustre and hang limp and flaccid. Gulls bleat as they shuffle about on the rooftops waiting for someone to appear with titbits. The crows are well into their moult and are unusually brown and scruffy. The pigeons care for nothing except busily pecking at the dry grass. The sweet pea pods are fattening up. People meeting on the clifftop benches talk in soft whispers. #Bournemouth #Westcliffgreen #July #Summer #Drought

From July 27th 2021

A chilly wind, lumpy grey sky and a raggedy rubbly sea. Occasional patters of rain. The Purbeck hills are shrouded in mist but a stripe of brilliant silver runs across the bay where the sun is making a last effort to light the day.