The images are from a recent walk around Southwold, Coveheithe, Walberswick, Sizewell, Dunwich, Thorpeness and Aldeburgh with three friends and their dogs. If you are wondering at the absence of Dog, he is off games just now, having a stone removed from his foot – apparently he’s officially pawly!
Walking with friends, who’ve been friends for decades in some cases, around the beautifully sunny Suffolk countryside has brought some varied reminiscences as well as some new thoughts to the surface:
How often have the police stopped me suspecting an offence has been committed?
Once on my bike near Marks and Spencer on Oxford Street for almost jumping the lights. Does that make me law abiding, lucky or just a white male?
Going on a speed awareness course to avoid three points on my driving licence in Ealing West London brings home like nothing else how multicultural, multiethnic, multigendered we are.
The only demographic not represented when I attended were people below 25 who, statistically get nothing from such a course due to their inherent inability to sit still for more than a minute.
Some people actually like Radiohead.
Some people don’t enjoy trail mix.
Once over sixty the male of the species pees more with less accuracy.
Willi Rushton was a comic genius who’s legacy has been misplaced.
Not the nine o’clock news was probably not as good as we remember it
Though this remains a favourite
Easily the most embarrassing moments as a teen back in the 70s came when any nudity occurred on the TV during a programme watched by the whole family.
In my home, dad would cough and fiddle with the fire while mum would scurry across the room ‘to see what’s on the other side’.
One classic moment this recalled occurred when dad, dozing as was his wont awoke to be confronted by a nude male on TV declaiming, ‘we must master fate.’ Sleep confused, he turned to mum and in a horror filled, disbelieving whisper he said, ‘surely not, Barbs, not on the BBC?’
The country we would least want to visit is Saudi.
There’s more sugar in apple juice than in apples. At least one of our number staunchly maintained he’d seen that proved on BBC 4 so it must be true.
Anyone doing more than 9 GCSEs is showing off. Note the maximum any of us managed – though of course we did O levels so they are tougher- was nine.
We knew we’d done nine but we were buggered if we could remember which nine.
If any of us should worry about unintended consequences, pity the primary school teacher in Sussex who set off a smoke alarm when lighting the candles on a child’s birthday cake. Since this was a school alarm the fire brigade had to send out two tenders immediately.
Unfortunately the nearest two were already attending a nearby fire so the reserve tenders were dispatched.
Unfortunately these formed part of the fire crews at Gatwick airport.
With the two tenders gone Gatwick no longer had enough fire engines to permit, under CAA regulations planes to take off or land. So a birthday cake shut one of the world’s busiest airports.
One colleague described my sense of humour as scatalogical. We all had to look it up.
Eating cake, drinking tea and watching the sun set are still pleasures to be savoured especially in good company..
Phew… time for a rest
A total stream of consciousness there peppered with great shots!
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Scatalogical indeed. I’m here in defence of the birthday cake who maintains he did not close down the airport. The blame, the crime, lie squarely at the feet of the woman who lit the candles. The birthday cake expects an apology and full retraction.
Hugs
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Yes a much maligned piece of sponge thanks David
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Geoff, that was quite a range of thoughts. LOL. The photos were lovely too. Although I’m sorry to hear about the pup’s paw. Thanks for a fun stroll. Hugs.
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Thanks Teagan. We have a lot of fun
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Great pics, looks like someone capitalised on the barmy bank holiday weather. I especially love the ‘two tone’ golden retriever, half cream, half muddy black. And a suspiciously dry looking choc Labrador. Must have been an optical illusion no Labrador I knew ever turned down a chance to get in the water….
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True he was wet under it all though he’s getting on and prefers shallow sea water to steeped banked dykes!
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Aha…knew there had to be a reasonable explanation!!
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Sounds like you had a good chinwag on your walk! Hope Dog is recovering well.
PS I have 10 (though to be fair, only 9 taken at once. I tortured myself with Latin O level along with my A levels.) And I can remember what they all were. *Official Show Off*
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Ha! How could you. I have 10 but one is a French o level that I received when I failed my A level as a sort of consolation
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Nah, totally doesn’t count!
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Wow, I only have a few friends I’ve known for over twenty years. Hope Dog is better soon.
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On the mend but still limping…
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Looks like you had a wonderful time.. BTW I guess your family didn’t watch Captain Pughwash together then 💜🌹💜😱😱
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That is an urban myth! Though the idea of Roger the cabin boy is delicious..
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Lol 😀💜 and of course Master Bates 🌹
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Interesting thoughts, Geoff. 🙂 🙂 I suspect my husband and his mates would have very similar ones.
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I believe you are the only man I know of who not only has a largish and long surviving list of friends but who also regularly meets up with them and talks and reminisces with them about matters that can be publicly shared. As they know you better than I, I’m sure they are right – though I would have said your humour tended more to farce than scat…….. Is that an observatory we see in two photos? Or an alien moon? Hope the pawly Milo is better soon ❤
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It’s a nuclear power station. All very Quatermass
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We don’t have those here 🙂
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Lovely stream of consciousness and superb photos.
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Thanks Jan
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My pleasure.
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Thanks for all those stories you combined here. Such an inspiration. I was bursting instantly when I read about that “peeing” line… lol… and then the clip… haha! Thanks for sharing these beautiful pictures… I am glad I am over 25 and enjoy such beauty with all my heart.
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It is a wonderful place…
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I believe you completely!
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I’m intrigued by the metal shell(?) on the beach. I definitely would take a pic of that, too.
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It’s caused some controversy http://seaspice.co.uk/aldeburgh/ but it is fascinating. Thanks for commenting
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Thanks for the link – I like it and think it should stay. 🙂
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I agree. But then I love art that stuns and provokes.
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No one could have worse aim than a four year old boy! Great pictures today.
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True. But then that just proves the circle of life hypothesis and that we’re now on our way back to soft food and dribbles…
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Too right!
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Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : Vindolanda Roman Fort | restlessjo
While I’m a fan of your walking posts, this one levels up the creative structure and includes, walking thoughts with shots. I enjoyed it!
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Thanks Charli. I wish I’d had s notebook as there were other surreal flights of fancy … and those were just my map reading.
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Ha! I see a future book — Navigation of the Wandering Writer’s Mind!
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Not one to delve into too deeply, I think…
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