Standing close to the edge of the cliff, peering over into the abyss below, I fleetingly wondered (as everyone does in this position) if I’d survive the fall. I quickly decided I wouldn’t and, with no intention of finding out for sure, stepped well away from the edge, undefined as it was by the flattened long grass that obscured the actual contours of the cliff edge. I, for one, wasn’t taking any chances!
Below me, seals nonchalantly swum in the shallows of the low tide; while flying past at head height, sea birds went about their business - just making a hell of a lot of noise about it! Earlier we’d followed some of the paths, worn down by hundreds of thousands of feet over the years, weaving their way along the cliff tops. The view out to sea and further down the coast was spectacular. The rock formations, sculpted by millions of years of waves reaching the shoreline, featured entrances to caves, from which you could easily imagine the Famous Five emerging with lashings of lemonade and about to stumble by chance on the nefarious activities of a local gang of smugglers. In reality, a few intrepid day-trippers had navigated the tricky steps down to the bay and were paddling, rock-pooling with nets, or rowing not too far out in an inflatable boat.
After an indifferent summer, it was a rare hot day - perfect for a trip to the coast for Dave and I, where we could enjoy some sea air. In our case, it was to East Yorkshire, first stop Flamborough Head, which is the most easterly point of mainland England and dominated by its famous lighthouse. If you ever get the chance to visit, then do. Just a few miles out of Bridlington, with its vast expanse of golden beaches, and the resorts of Filey and Scarborough further up the coast, here you can walk as far as you care to, with outstanding views as far as the eye can see.
Working non-stop all summer, while latterly stuck at home and, if I’m honest, going a bit stir crazy, a day off and getting away from it all was more a necessity than a choice. We’re simple creatures. A drive out, a bit of breakfast on the way, a few hours spent at the coast, a decent amount of walking, fish and chips for tea, then heading back home as the sun starts to go down. Simple pleasures, but important to maintain one’s mental health. All work and no play, etc... R & R, rest and recreation, they call it in the armed forces.
Having had our fish and chips in a restaurant in Filey (and delicious they were, too) we wandered around Filey for a bit, looking over the bay to the former site of Butlin’s, where I had enjoyed family holidays when I was young. It wasn’t my first visit back to the town since then, but it didn’t feel any less nostalgic, for a simpler, kinder and more innocent time. Hard to shake off all that’s going on in the world right now, and our own country especially, and days like today are important to get things into some kind of perspective.
Hard to escape work altogether, though. Earlier, the phone had rung. It was a lady who had seen me performing in Preston at an Armed Forces Day celebration. She had enjoyed that evening so much, could she book me for her Mum's birthday in September? Yes, she could, and she did. Once again, it underlined the old adage in my profession - work gets work.
In the car, we had been listening to the Olympics commentary on the radio. The evening session was well under way as we headed home. Rarely coming back the same way we go on days out like this, on the A64 towards York, we happened to spot the brown tourist signs to Eden Camp, a World War Two living history museum… who have booked me for an event in October. Well, it seemed like a good opportunity to go and have a look at where I’ll be. We knew it wouldn’t be open now but it was still daylight and we could at least get a picture in our mind. Having done so, I can’t wait to perform here now. Watch this space, as they say!
Back in the car, and as we headed closer to Leeds, Andy Murray and Dan Evans were making hard work of winning their second round doubles match against the Belgian pairing of Vliegen and Gille. As the deciding tie-break was unfolding, in the Olympic pool, Great Britain’s 4 x 200m freestyle relay team were simultaneously going for gold. The Radio Five commentary kept switching between the two events. Instead of being chaotic, as it could easily have been, the excitement was intense, with the commentators imperious in describing the action. I’m sure our car was rocking as we cheered on the Brits in both sports. What a day. What a buzz. What an outcome!
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