The Lugger - # 83/2011

Let's stay for a while longer on the South Coast admiring the quirks of the English Channel (or, as the French call it, La Manche = The Sleeve - why on earth The Sleeve?).

Here's a lovely traditional lugger sailing safely and well in stiff breeze, just as the old craftsmen who invented the design meant her to do.

The Coastguard's cottage - # 79/2011

I've taken you back to Seaford Head and the Cuckmere Haven where a few days ago we saw the bad weather closing in on the Seven Sisters white chalk cliffs.

I couldn't resist capturing this image of the old coastguard cottage with its red door and blue window frame set against the super-grey English Channel.  It's hard to belive that if you keep on going south for about 900 miles you'll reach the sunny scenery of Menton DP. Ah, well; you can't have everything.

South Coast dreaming - # 77/2011

For those of you who don't know, this is a classic "South Coast" view akin to the iconic "White Cliffs of Dover".  This scene shows the coast guard cottages at Cuckmere Haven (where the Cuckmere flows off the South Downs into the English Channel) and the famous "Seven Sisters" chalk cliffs stretching towards Beachy Head light house and Eastbourne, Hastings and onwards towards Dover after the interruption of Dungeoness and Romney Marsh .


The scene is much photographed, in sunshine, evening light, frosty early mornings etc.  My scene shows it as bad weather suddenly sweeps in having traveled rapidly up the English Channel from the South West. A strong "Souwester" is blowing - loved (and feared) by generations of British and Dutch sailors as this wind blew them hard and very fast up the Channel on the final leg of their long sea voyages towards home.  The "day tripper" photographer has to take what he gets.  When I started out to walk the cliff tops, the sun was bright. Suddenly this rough weather fell upon me within minutes!!


In the 1940s you could stand here and watch dramatic aerial battles between squadrons of German and British aircraft locked in mortal combat, swooping upon each other at 340 mph, creating the legends of the White Cliffs as they fought.