I do like to be beside the seaside....

Strolling along the prom

Had a bit of a working weekend so not a great deal to say other than the Whitstable Book Fair was very pleasant, in the lovely setting of Whitstable Castle right by the sea. I could smell the fresh sea air drifting through the windows of the castle and felt rather jealous, for much of the day, of all the families sitting having picnics in the grounds of the castle and near the beach while I toiled away trying to sell books. The fair itself wasn't particularly lucrative although just about worth getting out of bed at 6-30 for. I did manage to snatch an hour afterwards before driving home to have a walk down to the harbour, past all the wonderfully colourful beach huts which the town is famous for. Having been brought up on the coast it does rather stay in your blood so, in a sense, it was nice to be "home." I wouldn't mind one of those huts right on the edge of the beach but they are a bit on the pricey side. I looked them up yesterday and they can be as much as £25,000. Yes that's right; for a wooden hut with no bedroom or toilet! As they say it's the location that counts. The harbour itself looks to have been developed into a bit of a yuppies paradise with smart quayside bars and restaurants selling freshly caught seafood. I didn't have time to stay to eat on Sunday but made a mental to come back with the family sometime soon. It was a hot day so I treated myself to a well deserved ice cream and sat on the pebbles watching the evening sun go down and the boats go by. Just for those few brief minutes it felt like being on holiday....

Whitstable Castle and grounds