Me, my doll (Louise) and my mother on a beach - probably  Bournmouth - c.1946

1940's; a beach. I spent a lot of my childhood (when not being educated or otherwise transformed into an adult) on beaches. We moved to Southsea, which had a gravel beach like those in Suffolk. And I used to walk along the sea wall there just as I do here. And we went on holiday to various beaches in Devon and Cornwall, where we ran around in the sea and appreciated the sun (which always shone of course.)

I have done holiday stuff in sunshine this week. Two days on the beach and two days with boats. I sailed the dinghy for about an hour yesterday in modest wind. It feels safe to launch and play here without safety cover, a thing I would not have done on the North sea. I even managed to launch and recover without help through taking things very slowly.  I suppose I am getting used to the ramp although I do not launch and recover with much panache (yet). It has the advantage of a shorter distance to get the boat out of the water.