18th November from the West Cliff Green, Bournemouth
The sun shines intensely through the branches of a Scots Pine making, for an instant, the illusion of a Christmas Tree. But it is still too early for such considerations. Despite a very light early morning sprinkling of frost, the sun is warm and, reflecting off the burnished, rippling bay, it becomes quite hot. It is a sort of Frisbee throwing, Tai-chi-ing, sort of morning and those enjoying the sunshine on the benches have their hoodies unzipped and coats thrown off. A thread of white smoke is clear against the dark Purbeck Hills where gorse is being burnt off. There is a pleasure in the still, quiet lull. But by mid day a haze of grey draws across the sun and the temperature drops quickly.
From 18th November 2020
It hasn’t been cold this autumn. We’ve had plenty of storms and gales but there has only been one morning when there was frost on the clifftop. Today a stiff breeze blows in across the bay and up the cliff but it is not at all chilly. The blackberries have been picked clean and most plants are lying low but there are still one or two flowers straggling along the fence. Some species of ragwort and fleabanes that I can’t tell apart. Yarrow heads push up bravely from the short grass. For me they are they the flower of this time of year. When you start looking they are everywhere but yarrow doesn’t form clumps or patches so you might miss the well spaced individuals. And of course, there is the gorse. Bright yellow the whole year through. The grey sea rolls imperturbably on.
