Our First Day in Whitstable

On Saturday morning we awoke to the sound of the waves on the seashore. I could have stayed in bed all day listening to it. There is something very relaxing and soothing about a calm sea.

We got up, got ourselves washed, dressed and breakfasted and ventured to the town via the seafront.

I liked the make do advertising board - no Saatchi and Saatchi involved here but effective just the same. Like the M.O.V. Mums Old Vinyl and how about Hip Hopping in your flip flops!

Clever advertising - how could you miss where the bar was!

Can you imagine sitting at the end of the jetty with a cool glass of beer just watching the sea and sky.

Further inland we saw this cart perched on top of a building!

More beer advertising!

Despite the breathtaking scenery not many people were about - they were all congregated in the Oyster Festival areas, which were heaving!

We walked into the town and passed these bicycles - I liked the flowery seat and the rattan basket. I have a thing about bicycles and like to photograph them. When I lived at home with my parents - many, many years ago I used to collect postcards with bikes on them - so this attraction is not a new one! Don't ask me to explain it and God knows what a psychologist would make of it!

We passed the Wheelers Oyster Bar.

We saw these wonderful bicycles outside a cycle shop. Love those knitted baskets and the tassled handlebars! There were many events taking place in the town.  I don't think I've ever seen so many Morris Dancers as I saw but for some unexplained reason I didn't take a photograph of any despite many of them  being superbly dressed! I can even envisage now a row of Morris Dancers standing patiently in a queue outside a fish and chip shop and I thought at the time that it would make a good photo - why I didn't take that snapshot I'll never know. It will be one of those photos that I should have taken but didn't!

We saw thousands of oyster shells.

More oyster shells.

The recycling station.

Having spent a long time in the town - not least looking for a hairdressers that could fit Our Daughter in for a haircut - her fringe seems to grow an inch a week! We finally found a hairdressers and at a fraction of the price of a haircut in Hampshire and it turned out to be a good cut - so the price had nothing to do with the stylist! As we were walking back to the house along the beach front we saw some Newfoundland Rescue Dogs going through their sea rescue paces.

These dogs entertained the crowds and demonstated their skills.

This dog was younger than the rest and not so experienced - he seemed hesitant about going into the water to retrieve things!

There were many dogs going through their paces. I loved their coloured lifejackets.

Our Daughter with her new haircut and one of the rescue dogs.

Drying off and dribbling at the same time.

Another dribbler!

Another bicycle!

Boats!

A bicycle, a fishing boat and some fun seaside goodies!

By this stage we had walked for what felt like miles, it was stiflingly hot and we decided to head back to our base for the week.

On the way back we saw this giant being made ready for the Parade that would take place in the town later that evening. We had anticipated that we would be back to see the Parade but we didn't manage it and although now I wish we had when you see the photos at the end of this post you will understand why!

More advertisements.

We arrived back at the house. Our Daughter enjoyed sitting on the rocking chair on the verandah!

And she enjoyed playing on the garden swing!

That fringe looks as if it's growing already!

We had our dinner and were thinking of going to the Parade when we saw this vision outside and just had to go and see the sun going down.

Which is exactly what we did do!

Until next time,

June.