A Summer Scene: Bexhill-on-Sea

 

The sun shines. The midsummer heat is moderated by the strong wind blowing in from the south west. It blows constantly, flapping the torn flags atop the lifeguard station. The people here all carefully socially distanced wear their summer clothes and bask in the English definition of summer. Two women walk into the teeth of the breeze. Their long blonde hair streams behind them as they bend to make progress along the shore path.

The sea a constantly shifting blue and green patchwork sparkles in the afternoon light. It crashes driven by the wind against the shingle shore. Away on the horizon sailing yachts make slow progress from right to left passing the Sovereign Light, its grey outline looking like an old railway semaphore against the cloudless blue sky.

Conversation and laughter drift across the browned grass. A terrier chases a ball and returns it to its family. It looks betrayed when its owner pretends to throw the ball, and it runs off anticipating its prize only to be disappointed for a moment as the ball has vanished. It bounces looking around for its toy until it is eventually thrown again. It retrieves the reward and returns to repeat again.

Cyclists weave between the strolling walkers frustrated at their lack of faster progress, whilst a group with freshly bought, fast melting ice creams, hold them at arm’s length like live hand grenades trying to avoid the drips that are running down the cones.

A young couple, with bronzed bodies walk hand in hand laughing. In the centre of the scene she trips and falls on her untied converse shoelace. They laugh harder, she is in hysterics on lying on the grass as her partner tries to help her up. He helps her to her feet and then lifts up her leg to tie her lace as she hops about enjoying his attention.

Being lunch time couples sit and enjoy their fish and chips from cardboard recyclable boxes. They keep the lids tightly closed between mouthfuls. Here is the domain of the herring gull. They float in the sky, circling, cruising looking for food. They land in the grass and try to look disinterested in the bounty they seek. They stalk the unwary diners, like ninjas in the darkest of nights.

A family throw a few chips at the gulls to get them to pose for a photograph. They arrive in numbers, calling for the senior gull to come and eat first, he arrives, larger and meaner than the rest to calm the cacophony. He eats his fill and his minions fight over the scraps. Presently the carnage ends and all that remains are small white feathers that flutter with the grass in the breeze.

A middle-aged couple walk past. They are very earnest, discussing some vital issue with great passion. The man with his flat cap and round horned rimmed glasses nods sagely as they walk, wearing a T-Shirt that proclaims the legend “Only elephants should wear ivory.” His leather shoes creak slightly.

Meanwhile the smile of the one I love encourages me.