I wouldn’t normally dream of coming to Blackpool on a Bank Holiday Monday. Perhaps Sir Hugh’s recent mouth watering post on ‘fish and chips’ has subliminally decided for me.
There is very little traffic on the motorway, and I am able to park easily at Lytham which means I can start my ride in the opposite direction compared to my choosing the more usual plentiful parking at Fleetwood. I don’t actually reach Fleetwood today, content to turn around at Cleveleys to give a round trip of 30 miles.
There is always a breeze on the coast, and today it was north-westerly, meaning I cycled into it for the first part. No matter how gentle the wind is if you are facing it on a bike you are slowed down. Maybe I should shave my legs and beard to reduce wind resistance. The advantage was on the return leg when I sailed along at a much faster pace.
I didn’t expect really to feast on fish and chips today as I knew the cafés would be closed along with everything else. The Golden Mile – no blaring pop music, no loud bingo calls, no flashing lights to entice you into some dive or other, no ‘Kiss me quick’ hats. No ice cream and definitely no fish and chips. Not a queue in sight. The promenade was virtually empty of people, making cycling a lot less hazardous. Although it is amazing how much space a couple with dogs on long leads can occupy on a wide shared way. I remember a phrase my parents used if they came across an empty or quiet situation where bustle was normally expected. “Someone must have died”
Of course this Bank Holiday wasn’t on my calendar in the first place. Someone must have died.
As I returned to Lytham more people were promenading and visiting the beach (the tide has been out all day) Families enjoying the late summer sunshine. Even the occasional ice cream appeared. You can’t watch TV all day.
[I stop to pick some Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) stems, not to eat though all parts of the plant are edible, but to collect some seeds. I would dearly love to have this bright yellow late flowering plant popping up in my borders as others die away. Once or more likely if, I have germinated some they should self perpetuate. Easy gardening.]
Tomorrow all will be back to normal, and we can start worrying about the state of our Great Britain under a new King and Parliament.
***
Iconic Lytham Windmill.
Empty promenade.
Silent tower.
Black Combe across the water.
Our own flypast.
Oenothera biennis.
I’ve lots of self seeded evening primrose in my garden! You’re welcome to them!
May take you up on that. Thanks. Will get in touch to arrange.
A good day for visiting Blackpool! I remember Charles and Diana’s wedding and thinking it would be a good day to get up Rivington. It wasn’t. Everyone had had the same idea. There must have been fewer Royalists in those days.
We had a very quiet day in Derbyshire on Diana’s funeral.
Just catching up again as I’ve been pc-less for almost two weeks. Blackpool must have seemed very strange without the usual hustle and bustle. I went to Manchester on another street art hunt and it was very quiet in the Northern Quarter.
Hope you are back up to stream computer wise. It is frightening how we have slowly become dependent on the internet.
A good day to be out and about – were the trains running?
The trains were running as normal bar the odd cancellation due to shortage of drivers but it’s been like that for months. As of this morning I now have a new-to-me computer and it’s working fine so I should be able to get back to regular blogging soon.
Nice to be in Blackpool when it’s not too busy. We travelled back from the caravan on Monday, though I did see bits of the funeral before and after. Tebay motorway service station was heaving when we bobbed in to grab something to eat.
Tebay services is always busy. People do their grocery shopping there.
A media free day for me. I think Jean Luc Godard had passed away.
Lytham brings back memories. Allong with Cleveleys. Two places we were took for the seaside when I was a child, avoiding Blackpool and it’s expensive temptations!
P.s having tremendous trouble posting comments on your blog. WordPress playing up
The films of Godard were a great influence on me in the 60s. National Film Gallery on the South Bank and those cosy Classic cinemas scattered around London.
One Royal occasion I recall is Princess Anne’s wedding. I was in the lower 6th at the time and our Maths teacher, who used to organise trips to walk in the Lakes and North Wales arranged a walk up Helvelyn. Several of us (including the teacher, I suspect) were Republicans so relished the opportunity to avoid the madness. This time I didn’t go out but kept the telly and radio turned off all day.