A walk beside to Thames Estuary

I always have a soft spot for Southend and its environs. I went to school in Westcliff, worked in Southend, Leigh and Westcliff at different times, and I lived only a few miles from those places. Now I live in London and I have done so for more that fifty years, but I always delight in a visit to Southend and its surrounding areas. They are full of memories. This photo was taken just a few weeks ago.

The Blue Pool

The Blue Pool was green today,
Not blue at all
But as green as grass.
By reason of the atmosphere
The notice said
As we went in.
Strange it seemed
That the Blue Pool
Should be green,
And that we should stand
On the sandy bank,
Admiring the weedy green water,
Famed for its blueness.
The sun it shone
And the sky was blue,
But still was the water
Greenly shining
And greenly still.

An ancient cactus

This is a cactus that I have had for over forty years. It started a a tiny piece given me by a friend. For the last three years it has started to flower which, naturally, pleases me greatly. I was astonished when the first beautiful red flower appeared.

The Way Into the Wild Wood.

I think there may be elves and hobgoblins in there! There are certainly foxes.

Places I am pleased to have visited

Lindisfarne

Bamburgh

Edinburgh

Cornwall, specially Padstow, the home of some of my forefathers.

Bede's World

Durham

Yorkshire

The Lake District

The Isle of Sheppey

Paris

The former Jugoslavia

Bamberg in Germany

Ireland

Wales

Hadrian's Wall

And many other lovely places which I shall add as I think of them.

I'm glad I was born in Essex!!!

Trees, trees and yet more trees

A few days ago I said that I was not going to put any more trees in this blog for the time being but today I have put in another one!!

The Anglo Saxon Chronicles

I have started to re read The Anglo Saxon Chronicles as I said I would a few days ago. I wish that I could read the Chronicles in Old English but I am afraid I shall never be able to master that.

A Favourite Oak Tree

This ancient oak is one of my favourite trees. It must be four or five hundred years old and it in Mill Hill Park. If only trees could speak. There is so much that they could say about the centuries they have lived through. This one still flourishes and I hope it will go on for many years yet.

Sea Fever by John Masefield, one of my favourite poems

Sea Fever

I must go down to the sea again,

to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship

and a star to steer her by.

And the wheel's kick, and the wind's song

and the white sail's shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea's face,

and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the sea again,

for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call

which may not be denied.

And all I ask is a windy day

with white clouds flying,

And flung spray and blown spume,

and the seagulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again,

to a vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way, and the whale's way,

where the wind's like a whetted knife.

And all I ask is a merry yarn

from a laughing fellow rover,

And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream

when the long trick's over.

John Masefield.

I can't get this to publish in it's three correctly divided verses.

I like Easter, a lovely and happy Spring festival. I know that the weather is often not all that it might be, but Winter is over and the Summer is nearly here.

One of the things that fascinates me about Easter is that the name of the old Pagan goddess of the far distant past, Eostre, still has her name remembered in the Christian festival.

An Easter Daffodil