Club 15 July 2020 – report
Just four of us turned up at Diana Middleditch’s apartment in Highcliffe for Club 15’s July event. First on the agenda was lunch so we walked to a grassy field by the seafront to have our picnics. To start with there was a fresh breeze with some threatening clouds but it remained dry and soon warmed up. There was a fine view and Diana tried to point out the Isle of Wight Bear – a shape created by the chalk cliffs lit by the sun when viewed across the water from our position. But the sun wasn’t shining and we didn’t believe her. Diana also pointed out a lighthouse, way off in the distance and apparently on the Isle of Wight. However, it was actually on the mainland, connected by the long shingle spit leading out to Hurst Castle and leaving only a relatively narrow neck of water (invisible to us) for shipping to pass through.
After lunch we enjoyed a walk westwards along the top of the cliffs, passing through the grounds of Highcliffe Castle. Heather & Douglas took the opportunity to meet up with an old acquaintance while the rest of us carried on past the beach huts, taking in the sights on the beach and sampling the local ice cream. We returned along the beach, re-connecting with Heather and Douglas at the Cliffhanger café in Highcliffe, and soon afterwards called it a day. We enjoyed the fresh air in a different part of the country and it was good to meet up with Diana again, and catch up with her news and future plans.
Robert
