Lyme Regis

From Sidmouth we drove along the coast road to Lyme Regis, a place we know well. When the children were small we would pack a picnic and spend the day here on the beach to the east of the town, clambering over the wooden groynes until we had a space all to ourselves.

Lyme Regis, mid 1970's, the Duchess sails her boat.

We always kept a close eye on the tide so that we could get back into town without having to swim!

Lyme Regis is on the 'Jurassic' coast, a World Heritage Site. The town is famous for fossils found in the cliffs and on the beaches and decorative lampposts along the seafront remind you of the fact.

Here's my photo for Friday Skywatch

This town has a different feel from sedate Sidmouth, it's more of a family affair, busy throughout the summer but, I am told, very quiet in the winter.

We parked near to Sherborne Lane 

and walked up the steep little street

looking at the pretty houses

with their equally charming gardens.

We knocked on our friends' front door but nobody was home.

That will teach us not to forward plan!

It was 'thrang wi' folk' on the seafront!

Everyone was having a lovely time.

The houses on the seafront are a delightful jumble of styles.

Look at the fabulous lead pipework.

Ammonites crop up all over the place.

The harbour wall, known as 'The Cobb', has two literary claims to fame, the first being in 'Persuasion', my favourite Jane Austen novel, when Louisa decides to jump from the narrow steps leading from the higher level of the wall into the arms of Captain Wentworth.

Of course she comes to grief. What a silly girl!

Then John Fowles, who lived in Lyme, wrote 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' which was made into a popular film starring Meryl Streep. She is seen in the opening sequence of the film standing at the far end of the Cobb with her black cloak blowing in the wind. (Rather her than me - the Cobb wall slopes at an angle down to the sea and even in calm weather it gives me a disconcerting sailor's roll to walk on it!)

It was a delightful trip down memory lane and we repeated some of the things that we have done many times before such as watching the fishing trips going out of the harbour and browsing - and buying - in the secondhand bookshop.

And the sun shone all day long!