CHRIS BENNETT reflects on the beautiful autumn holidays.
VISITORS to this stunning coast, of which there are currently many, must marvel at the ruggedness of the shoreline, especially those areas where the dunes abut the black volcanic boulders, the product of millions of years of pounding, thunderous seas, and eternal battle between rock and water which seems to be destined for an infinite stalemate.
Perhaps one of the aspects of the sea that most appeals to me is its sound: the rocks on the sea's edge below my cottage glisten in the sun with an insular arrogance; seemingly uncountable centuries have failed to dim their brutish, sullen presence.
Grinds, bumps, crashes and bangs affright the air, tearing the quiet asunder; I hear all manner of things in this magnificent jumble: buses crashing, houses falling, the noise sometimes defies belief. Sometimes, in my cottage, I can hear the pulse of the lower register of the sound, booming like an old memory. It must be thrilling to those new to it. The sound of the sea is my companion, my muse.
The past two weeks have been particularly stentorian. However, in contrast to the rocky shore and shining beaches we have some less pleasant sights, of which one is particularly awful, largely because it is amid beautiful surroundings. .
The drive from the Southbroom robot into Ramsgate (turn inland at the robot), a drive that is pleasing and pretty along the old main road, crosses the Bizana River, a boulder-strewn stream that becomes the majestic lagoon at the golden spit of beach in Southbroom.
As you cross the modern bridge you will see, on the left, the old steel lattice girder bridge, used now for pipes; an interesting relic of quieter days of horse drawn traffic and spindly motor cars.
The river bend at this junction is pastoral and quiet, but it is marred by an eyesore of a building on the right that seems to have been out of commission for ever. It is tatty, ugly and crumbling, and it spoils what otherwise would be a lovely place and, indeed, would make probably make a very pleasant park.
All it would take is a coat of paint while someone, somewhere, decides what on earth to do with it. It is an affront, especially to visitors who must think that South Coasters don’t care. But they do. Don’t they?
A little further on is the eccentric Pistols Bar, with its endearing menagerie of domesticated animals. The donkey and the pig are also entertaining, or at least they were when I last visited, which is admittedly a while ago. On the verandah of this pub you can sit with a cold beer and admire the idyllic beauty of the Bizana river, a good way to spend some time with friends.
This Easter weekend saw the arrival of the two wheeled hordes, welcome visitors who enliven our rather staid little world with much bravado, devilish speed and noise, noise, noise.
Many visitors will enjoy an extended break this year, which is very nice but I can’t help wondering who is running the show.
I plan to go to the Cape soon and managed to book a flight in mid-May which avoided all holidays. My calculations produced some interesting figures. If you add together the days of the months of April and July they come to 61. Forty of those days are school holidays, public holidays or both.
I wonder how much this costs the country.
CB
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