Swanage Regatta and Carnival Week aerobatic

Wednesday 29th July 2015

I realise this is not nature related in any way but it's an observation that I really want to record.

We have just come back from spending a lovely relaxing week in Swanage.  We have been visiting Swanage regularly for over 20 years and have heard about Carnival Week but never experienced it.   Carnival week started last Saturday and we couldn't believe the amount of activities going on every day all day from late morning until late in the evening, catering for every interest for adults and children, it was truly amazing.  The Carnival Committee have to be congratulated for organising a tremendous week and for hopefully raising lots of money for local charities (according to the programme last year £195,000 was taken and about £22,000 was donated to charities). The Carnival Programme was full of every activity to take part in or to watch so we had already planned those things we didn't want to miss.  

On Saturday we watched the Aerostars Aerobatic Display team above the bay, then later in the evening watched a stunning firework display (there were two more during the week), both events were well worth watching.

Truly lovely.

Sunday was the day of the main Carnival Parade.  It was a wet and miserable day but the forecast was of improving weather by about 3pm, the time of the parade.  The committee made the decision to delay the start by an hour and it turned out to be a good move as the sky began clearing at 3 and by 4 it was drying up and brighter.  The parade was really good and these photos don't do it justice,  There were masses of people lining the route but we managed to find a quieter spot along the front.  Here are some photos of a few of the bands and floats, there were many more and the whole procession took about an hour to pass by.

I can't help thinking that this just wouldn't have looked as good in the rain!

We took part in an adult treasure hunt that used rhyming cryptic clues to lead us through the centre of Swanage and into areas that we haven't been to before,. We also started another competition around the shops of Swanage but there were just too many people on the same mission and I lost the will to live so we decided to give it a miss (especially as over 80 shops were taking part!)   All week there were live bands playing during the afternoon and evening and we managed to get to one on Tuesday afternoon at Prince Albert Gardens where we sat high up on the hill overlooking Swanage Bay on a sunny warm afternoon listening to a jazz group for a lazy couple of hours, it was just perfect.  We left Wednesday so missed out on the rest of the week which was a shame but next year we are planning to make sure we are around for the whole week (the wheelbarrow race looked great fun last night from snippets I have seen on Facebook!

Ballard Down, Swanage & Wild Flowers Everywhere

Friday 17th July 2015

It was a mainly overcast but warm  afternoon with a welcome breeze so fairly ideal conditions for a walk UP to Ballard Down.  We parked at Ulwell and immediately climbed steeply uphill to the obelisk at the top where there are fantastic views overlooking Swanage, it was well worth the effort.  We walked out to the cliffs, admiring the views of Poole Harbour on one side and Swanage Bay on the other.

The view of Swanage from the obelisk.

The obelisk.

Poole Harbour and 

Swanage Bay.

We had a close encounter with a low swooping skylark who landed and stayed put just long enough for a photo.  Normally we see them singing and hovering high up in the sky, this is the first time I have seen one close up, it was good to see.

There were a few hardy individuals on the beach, despite the lack of sunshine.

The much less steep footpath back down  went through a field of cows, I was less than happy about this but the cows didn't seem at all bothered or particularly interested in us.

The views were amazing so we sat on a bench and just watched for a while, bliss.  I haven't been on this walk before and it's one we will definitely return to.  There were masses of wild flowers on the footpath down here are a few.

The caterpillars of the cinnabar moth mainly eat ragwort, there was the odd one here and there but in the past we have seen masses teeming over each plant.

An old metal kissing gate back at the car park.

And back into Swanage.

The Smell of Summer - Privet

Wednesday 15th July 2015

I remember mentioning this in a post last year but this year I will explain why to me privet is the smell of summer.  Privet is in flower at the moment and has been for two or three weeks now. The distinctive smell wafts in the car window every time I pass large bushes of it and I love it.  It's probably not to everyone's taste but to me it evokes memories of long hot summers when I was a child out playing, as our next door neighbours had an enormous hedge of privet at the bottom of their garden.  We now have privet in our garden and we haven't pruned it for a while to enable the flowers to go for it!   Privet couldn't be called colourful or flouncy, in fact quite plain and green but in the summer it's magic (I think it is anyway) so I am sharing the love of privet!  

Next time you see it, take a deep breath, breathe in the scent and think of summer!

For a bit more info on privet, take a look here