Martin's Mag.

We met Wendy and Graham and family and friends in the Cotswolds. We walked through the woods from Cranham Common.

Eric Cantona. Yes, I know it was a trawler, not a tractor. Doesn’t make any more sense though.

This photo taken cycling back on south side of the Avon from The Nova Scotia pub in Bristol after celebrating partial lifting of lockdown rules.

During the recent covid restrictions we’ve learnt not to go to anywhere at the weekend that might be considered a beauty spot. Particularly if the weather’s ok. They’re packed out! Instead, we’ve developed our Saturday Walk, which we do around Portishead. After living here for twelve years we have actually discovered some new areas. Here is a heron, fishing in a stream which runs through the town and eventually enters the sea near the marina.

Stuff gets washed up on the North Somerset coast, here, for example is a bail of hay which I like to think came from Hay on Wye. Not so unlikely as a few months ago a pub table, complete with attached benches, arrived and has been identified as coming all the way from The Boat Inn near Monmouth on the River Wye.

Lots of blossom here on Walton Common, but too soon to break the shorts out as our balmy Easter has taken a sudden turn back into Winter.

It was a very good Friday. We walked, with Miles, Flo and the dogs, from All Saints’ church in Clevedon, along the ridge through Court Woods, to Norton Wood and then to the iron age fort at Cadbury camp and back. A good seven miles or so and made even better by spectacular, warm, weather. Afterwards, a barbecue in the garden, Miles was in charge of a huge trout from Chew Valley Lake.

Rob and Sophie’s company, Graft, contributed to Network Rail’s initiative, called Project Sprint, which aims to improve the condition and appearance of railway lines across the south west of England. We had a walk around the Easton area of Bristol where we saw their work on a viaduct in Fox Park. Then, via Staplton Road railway station, to the famous Bristol Sweet Mart in nearby St Mark’s Road for lunch. More here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-56454680.

A popular area for woodland walks in North Bristol. The house is usually home to a museum, now closed due to covid. Nephew Rob is currently working on temporary decorative boards (the first installed in upper windows), on behalf of Bristol City Council.

Daffodils near Kingsweston House in Shirehampton.

A paddling pool was built on this beach to the south of Portishead in the 1920s, and since the 1970s there have been attempts to restore it to its former glory. Currently, the tide seems to deposit huge amounts of mud in the pool, but it’s thought that with sluices and other attention it could become more wholesome. Below my picture is one of better days, I think the 1950s, copyright North Somerset Times.

The picture below, from roughly the same position as the one above, shows the new (well, founded 1955) sailing club headquarters, with the launch slip in the foreground. The shelter, further down the beach in the original, has long gone, although some old concrete bases remain.