Friday 14th August - Not So Sure and Busiest So Far

The media are continually stressing; we should expect summers like this year’s to be the norm but I’m not so sure.  We don’t have to go back many years, three to be exact, when in 2023 we had an awful summer.  I quote the following snippets from my blogs:-

Thursday 20^th July 2023 - The weather has been cooler and we have also had rain and thunder.  Not the best of summer weather.

Friday 28^th July 2023 - The Yarn Art Group, who meet in The Belfry every Tuesday, have created knitted items, ranging from bunting to covers for the door pillars.  It’s adding a wonderful splash of brightness, to the village to what has been, so far, a pretty unimpressive summer. 

Tuesday 1^st August 2023 - July’s weather has been a disappointment and the forecast for the first ten days of August is pretty uninspiring.  My geraniums have not appreciated the rain.

BUT then when autumn approached, Saturday 2^nd September 2023 - After a pretty shabby summer, it looks as though the coming week is going to be glorious.  Today, has definitely got off to a good start with blue skies, sunshine and a gentle breeze. 

I think these are enough examples to show, we don’t have to think back too far to see not all recent summers have been scorchers.  It could be, next year we’ll experience another 2023.  If we do, I wonder what the media will have to say.

Both Peter and I have enjoyed the warm, sometimes hot, days.  Sunshine has been guaranteed pretty well everyday but we wish, we could have had some substantial rain, for the garden, and for the farmers and wildlife too. 

Yesterday, was the busiest so far this summer, here in Overstrand.  The car park was full and cars were abandoned in places which were both inconsiderate and unlawful.  If we had a village Policeman/woman or PCSO, some car owners would have returned to their vehicles to see they’d received a fine.  Despite the numbers of visitors, the beach wasn’t crowded; as can be seen in today’s photo – just look at those swathes of sand and inviting blue sea.  There was plenty of space for everyone, which is more than can be said of the beaches depicted in travel companies adverts, promoting destinations in the Mediterranean.  The rows of sunbeds are almost claustrophobic.