Wot I did on Sunday

Second page of new term's News Book:

On Sunday morning we walked from the caravan to the Point at East Mersea and took the foot-ferry over to Brightlingsea. Once again, the chaps at the Met Office had got it completely wrong, bless them: there was no torrential rain and no thunder. Just another hot, sunny day.

Brightlingsea has existed since the Bronze Age and was the site of a Roman fort. It’s a Cinque Port - the only one not on the Kent or Sussex coast – and for many years harboured a large fleet of fishing boats, many of them built in the town. Plenty of the old fishing smacks and bawleys have been lovingly restored and are berthed in the harbour, including this one.

While picking up some provisions for lunch, we noticed some posters advertising a little military history show over at the Martello Tower at Point Clear. So we summoned the ferry again, which took us across the marina and dropped us yards from the tower.

Where we found a jolly little crowd of people dressed in naval and military uniforms from every period. Napoleonic hussars chatting with WWII Home Guardsmen. I had no idea there was an Aviation Museum in the Martello Tower. Complete Boy Heaven for boys such as mine. We left him there for half an hour while we chatted to the nice ladies on the cake stall and relaxed in the shade with books and drinks. Then we walked down to the sea wall, where a display of Napoleonic canon firing and musket shooting provided some noisy entertainment.

While the water was still high enough, the offspring enjoyed another swim – here they are with (you’ve guessed it) the Muddy Island in the background.


Called up the ferry again, nipped back to Brightlingsea and then home to the island again. The day’s few light drops of rain fell upon us as we strolled back to the caravan, but otherwise the weather was deliciously summery all weekend – apologies to all my Devonian chums but we really do seem to have had the best of it over this side of the country this year.