Tintree

Footprints on the sand are nothing new, but I always wonder who made them. Both of these are children’s footprints, but the beach was almost deserted, no children around. Are they together? Or did they just happen to pass this same spot at different times? Which one was first?

We shall never know.

I have lots of monochrome negatives. Most are 35mm but amongst then are a few 2×2 from the days of the box Brownies. This one I found the other day. It was taken on a Sunday in June when I was either eleven or twelve. I’m the one in the striped top – it was red and white and made of nylon and I hated it but mother liked it. We are all sat on the beach at Hayling Island (east of Portsmouth, Hampshire)  The lad with the ‘kiss me quick’ hat is my cousin and my brother is just visible in the background. Father is taking the photo.
What is weird is that I can remember lots of silly details about this day. The hats were a result of my cousin throwing a tantrum because he had no money. Mother felt sorry for him so we all got one – just to be fair. It was windy but not cold and I think it was mandatory then to have a windbreak for everyone to hide behind. This is a habit that seems to have died out now. Perhaps windbreak construction is a lost art? After this photo, and a couple of others had been taken it was sandwich time. In those days sandwiches had real sand in them. My cousin got the ham ones, and my brother a ham and a cheese one. I got a cheese and a salmon one. I hated pink salmon and gave it to the dog (you can just see it between my cousins knees). That got me a telling off, but the dog was happy.

A day out over 47 years ago and I remember the sandwiches and sitting on the sand looking at my father taking a picture. This picture. Priceless.

This image has been knocking around in my bits folder for ages. Its not particularly stunning, but it has a very specific feeling attached to it. Excitement. We were on our way to Florence via Paris on Eurostar, and as we emerged from the Channel Tunnel it started to rain. France is not very interesting around this area – it looks identical to the UK in fact – but it was not the UK and that’s the exciting part. We both peered out of the window trying to see something ‘French’. After 10 mins we decided that the cows looked Frenchish, because wet British cows were different somehow.

It was hot, somewhere in the high 90′s. We found this building that looked like it was once a chapel, except it was totally empty. It was cool inside though, so we spent a quiet 30mins just sat in silence. It was wonderful.