Looking along the pier towards the shore.
I have just had a few days off work, and amazingly on Monday and Tuesday the sun shone!
Monday I dropped my daughter at the station as usual then I decided to walk along the pier before doing the shopping and getting back to those cobwebs that are still needing attention in my house!
The Turnstones
The ever present East wind was blowing but it was quite exhilarating walking along the pier. Not far along the pier stem were two older men, once of which was feeding the Turnstone birds which I have only ever seen on the pier. Lovely little birds, although there are two which both only have one foot! One of these is well known on the pier and has the name Stumpy. These little birds fly off in April, but Stumpy has decided that our pier is the best place to live so he stays here permanently. He was off somewhere else on the pier when I was taking photos!
Going down the steps to the lower level.
The centre well where we used to do our fishing!
The horrible grilles…
I went onto the lower deck, I don’t go down there very often now but it is popular with the fisherman, it used to be all wooden planks but due to the bad weather lifting the planks, a lot have been replaced with metal grilles that you can see the sea below through, a sensation that I really do not like! I walk on the wooden board wherever possible. As children we spent many an hour fishing with a hand line in the centre well, we never caught a thing but it kept us occupied, and there weren’t any metal grilles then either!!
Looking up at the cafe from the lower deck.
Looking towards the shore from the lower deck.
There has been a lot of flood defence work going on the promenade on both sides of the pier for the last few months, I am sure the work is very necessary but in my opinion (and everyone else you talk to!) all they have achieved is to totally ruin the seafront. Millions of tons of shingle was dredged from offshore and brought round the coast from Bournemouth, it looked very impressive until we had one of our famous North Easterly winds, and the whole lot of the imported shingle disappeared overnight…..the locals could have told the powers that be what would happen, but then the locals are never asked in cases like this!! We now have a straight 3’ high wall to the south of the pier, and a 3’ high wavy wall to the north, which will have seats incorporated into it eventually. I suppose we will get used to it, it cost enough. I still don’t understand that no-one has thought that if this wall stops some of the sea in bad weather, where is it going to go? Oh yes, it will go round the end of the wall…..and still flood the town!!! That’s progress I suppose!!
The wavy wall to the North of the Pier
Hmmmm
The straight wall to the South…
Moan over! I really enjoyed my walk, and went home and attacked some of those cobwebs I keep talking about. I hope signs of Spring are appearing wherever you are
Spring sunshine – bliss 
Oh Poppy what a informative post , local people 's word never seems to matter . They go ahead what ever the case may be. Common sense what's that to them plod on anyway.
ReplyDeleteYour walk was enjoyable thank you for sharing.
Hugs Sheila x
It was a beautiful couple of days, wasn't it ? Different to what we've been forecast for this week. Snow. AGAIN :o( I hope it doesn't come to that - much as I LOVE the snow, I want to see the sun. We've had a really grotty year of rain, rain & more rain, haven't we ?
ReplyDeleteThank you for Shaun sitting last week - I hope he didn't bore you with his incessant chatting (!!!) Cya on Wednesday :o)
A lovely part of Deal, the pier, the seafront and I couldn't say, but there was the Turnstone. That was a brilliant post.
ReplyDeleteLovely images -- I would love to take a walk with you! xo
ReplyDeletethat wavy seawall is interesting. :) sure hope it helps w/ erosion and damage.
ReplyDeletei like the perspective of the pier shot, the under the dock, and the sea shore line, too.