Jean-Jacques Rousseau

On our visit to the Heugh Battery I picked up a leaflet for a circular walk around the headland of Hartlepool. The trail is made up of a series of 17 information points located around the Ancient Borough of Hartlepool. After our museum visit we set off on the trail, starting and ending at point 5 on the map.

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Hartlepool Headland is formed on a peninsular of magnesium limestone that reaches into the North Sea. This geological make-up has created a coastline of mixed treasures from golden sandy beaches to teeming rockpools. Much of the areas history and appeal is retold through the Story Boards.*

*information from the walking trail leaflet

Lyme Regis boasts breathtaking scenery and a special mystique, making it a sparkling resort for all seasons. Its historic Cobb and harbour are iconic features, set against moody blue cliffs yielding fossilised evidence of life on earth millions of years ago.

An ancient town featured in the Domesday Book, Lyme Regis is home to a number of historical landmarks and educational attractions. The picturesque and tranquil Lyme Regis is a great place to discover a lot you didn’t know about the UK’s heritage.

Mr C and I were up bright and early and before almost everyone else. We sat reading in the room that has been named The Library until everyone else was up and about. After a late breakfast of scotch pancakes, bacon, sausage and maple syrup, we said our goodbyes and set off towards Chichester. Taking a leisurely drive,  we stopped off in Rye for a cup of tea.

It was quite a jaunt from the car park to the town and when we arrived Mr C walked past all the tea shops to see if he could find one overlooking the water. He failed in his search and so settled for one that I was uncertain about. I didn’t say anything because after the long walk I was ready for a refreshing cold drink. We sat and waited for someone to come and take our order. We were still waiting 10 minutes later, as were several other people. Mr C asked if I thought we should leave to which I agreed.

I directed him to another tea shop which had caught my eye as we walked past. This was a far better choice and we were served immediately. The food looked delicious but we had only just had breakfast so we didn’t indulge.

Once back at the car we continued on our journey towards Chichester, detouring along the coast in order to find a suitable seafront place for lunch. We spotted a nice tea shop in Eastbourne and decided to stop there. However, we had a change of plan when Mr C suggested having fish for lunch. I looked at the menu and thought the idea was fun. Mr C chose battered fish whilst I elected to have fish bites with sea salt, herbs and tartar sauce. The man who served us said, semi jokingly, not to let the seagulls get it.

We made our way to the seafront and sat on a bench next to the gardens which were seagull free. I was just finishing my last piece of fish when I felt a tug on the piece of fish I was holding causing me to exclaim! I found myself eye to eye with a seagull that had swooped down silently with precision from behind me. As my hold on the tasty morsel was greater than his, he let go and sat a couple of feet away from me eyeing me up. I removed the end of the fish that he had grabbed and finished the rest as several of his mates lined up with him eying me up. Mr C threw the remaining morsel of fish in their direction causing the seagulls to dive for it.

Following this adventure we took a walk along the promenade where Mr C indulged in a Mr Whippy ice cream before we took a stroll along the pier. Whilst we were on the pier I noticed other seagulls trying to grab ice creams from unsuspecting people (unsuccessfully) by using the same silent dive-from-behind technique.

After returning to our car we continued along the coast road through Brighton, which was disappointing because a lot of the buildings were covered in scaffolding. The drive was taking a little longer than we liked so we headed inland to speed up the journey. Just as we were arriving near Chichester we received a call from the B&B wondering where we were as the paperwork they had been given advised that we would be arriving at 3pm when in fact we had notified that we would be arriving between 4-5pm.

The B&B is tucked away behind the Cathedral and it took a couple of circuits of Chichester to find it. On arrival we checked in and were shown to our room which was a delight with armchairs in the bay window overlooking the garden. Unfortunately the Cathedral was under wraps because of roof restorations. After we had unpacked and freshened up, we headed into town to find a suitable place to dine. It being Sunday many dining places weren’t open, limiting our options.

As we were considering a menu that was mostly burgers and steak, a man offered a couple of suggestions; Carluccios and Brasserie Blanc. He then gave us directions on how to get to them. We opted for Brasserie Blanc due to its varied menu options. After we had finished dining it was too soon to return to the B&B so we stopped off at a pub. At 10.30 the barman called last orders and promptly turned the lights on and the music off. It is a good job we hadn’t taken him up on his call for last orders, we wouldn’t have enjoyed it!! Instead of returning the glasses to the bar as we would normally do we left them on the table and decided not to return on another night.

R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983)

Spicy:
1. Having the flavor, aroma, or quality of spice.
2. Piquant; zesty: a spicy tomato sauce.
3. Producing or abounding in spices.
4. High-spirited; lively.
5. Slightly scandalous; risqué: a spicy Hollywood romance.

Definition 4: High-spirited; lively.

Whilst trying to enjoy a little bit of calm in amongst the hustle and bustle of the week this seagull was a little too lively for me!

It was lunch time so before looking round the garden I nipped to the nearest baker and bought a blueberry muffin, which looked a lot more appetising than the rather gooey looking sandwiches. I then made my way back to the garden and sat on a bench to eat it The bag the muffin had been in made a bid for freedom and whilst I was trying to rescue it a small piece of blueberry muffin dropped on the floor next to my feet.

A few minutes later I was assailed by a rather large seagull who was weighing up the options of doing a duck and dive at the crumb. I had visions of my feet being skewered by his beak and he refused to be shooed away!

For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out Whistlestop PhotoHunt.

In September 1992, archaeologists from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust working alongside contractors on a new road link between Dover and Folkestone discovered the remains of a large wooden prehistoric boat thought to be some 3,000 years old, belonging to a period known to archaeologists as the Bronze Age.

It was a find of both national and international significance which will shed new light on early seafaring and woodworking skills in Northern Europe.

An interesting article on the finding and salvaging of the boat can be seen on the Current Archaeology website.

Buddha (563 BCE – 483 BCE)

Some definitions of free: Not bound – at liberty – not under arbitrary government – not strict or bound by rules – not literal – unimpeded – unconstrained.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull when he discovers the technique of flying:

How much more there is now to living! Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s reason to life! We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly!

Jonathan sighs:

“Why is it,” Jonathan puzzled, “that the hardest thing in the world is to convince a bird that he is free, and that he can prove it for himself if he’d just spend a little time practicing? Why should that be so hard?” *

For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.

*Quotes  from Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

The origins of the habitation of Bridlington are unknown but can be traced back to ancient times. The nearby Dane’s Dyke on Flamborough Head, a 2.5-mile (4 km) long man made dyke dates back to the Bronze Age.^[4] Some writers believe that Bridlington was the site of a Roman station. A Roman road can be traced into the town and Roman coins have been found in the town.^[5]

The earliest written evidence of Bridlington is located in the Domesday Book. It records that “Bretlinton” was the head of the Huntow Hundred and was held by Earl Morcar before it passed into the hands of William the Conqueror by the forfeiture.^[5] The survey also records the effect of the Harrying of the North as the annual value of the land had decreased from £32 in the time of Edward the Confessor to eight shillings at the time of the survey and comprised:

“two villeins, and one socman with one and a half Carucate. The rest is waste.”^[5]

The land was given to Gilbert de Gant, nephew of King Stephen, in 1027.^[5] His eldest son, Walter de Gant, later founded an Augustinian priory on the land in 1133 which was confirmed by King Henry I in a Charter.^[6] Several succeeding kings confirmed and extended Walter de Gaunt’s gift: King Stephen granting in addition the right to have a port; King John granted the prior permission to hold a weekly market and an annual fair in 1200. Henry VI granted permission for three annual fairs on the Nativity of Mary, and Deposition of and the Translation of Saint John of Bridlington in 1446.^[5] In 1415 Henry V visited the priory to give thanks for victory at the Battle of Agincourt.^[7] The town began to be developed around the site of the priory as it grew in importance and size.

After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the manor remained with the crown until 1624 when Charles I granted it to Sir John Ramsey, who had recently been created the Earl of Holderness.^[5] In 1633, Sir George Ramsey sold the manor to 13 inhabitants of the town on behalf of all the tenants of the manor. In May 1636, a deed was drawn up empowering the 13 men as Lords Feoffees or trust holders of the Manor of Bridlington.

In 1643 Queen Henrietta Maria landed at Bridlington with troops to support the Royalist cause in the English Civil War before going on to York, which then became her headquarters.

Even more detail can be found on Genuki, or you could just enjoy the photographs