23 August 2009 (Sunday) - The Isle of Sheppey

Simon phoned mid-week – did we have anything planned for Sunday? We didn’t, and various ideas were floated. Bike rides, Bewl water, Brenzett air museum. In the end we did something different. A quiet day out to the Isle of Sheppy.

We met up at Notcutts just outside Maidstone at 11am. A quick squzz round the model shop and then into the garden centre itself. I wouldn’t say it was a con, but… What a con !! They didn’t have anything you couldn’t have bought cheaper elsewhere. A chiminiere like I bought Tina for her birthday, only fifteen quid dearer. Solar powered lights like Hosey has in his garden, only double the price.

And then we went up to Whelan’s. I so love that place. It’s the number one place for garden ornaments, and it’s so cheap. I got myself a concrete rattlesnake for a tenner. We spent ages there, and concluded that we’d have to go back. And then, seeing as we were in rather unexplored territory we thought we’d explore.

First of all, we explored some dinner. We found a pub called the Ship on Shore. The landlord was a character, and the dinner was excellent. Only one ale on the hand pump and no bottled beers, so scoring-wise I couldn’t in all conscience give the place more than 6/10. But I’d certainly go back there.

And then we thought we’d do the beach. And seeing how we didn’t know the area we drove around, took pot luck and found Leysdown. A perfect beach – a field with steps leading down to the sea. I’m not a fan of sand, so I could sit about up the top, whilst those who like beach can go down to it. There was an ice cream van, a café and toilets. We frequented all of the facitities.

I got two photos for CrackWatch, and there was a nubile young lady there who had gone nuclear. In that she was suffering from fall out. Her right breast had completely dropped out of her bikini top, and she was utterly oblivious to it. Oh it was great – I did laugh. We paddled, and ‘er indoors ^TM got completely drenched by a freak wave. I laughed about that too. Grown men (not in our group, I hasten to add) were swimming in nothing but their pants. And then walking up the beach in nothing but their wet pants. It was brilliant. I nearly wet myself.

We flew kites (something I so rarely do these days). And when I was flying a kite one of the dogs of the normal people got upset. It was so funny – just like in the cartoons. The rat on a lead forgot that it was on a lead, and it flew at the kite. And of course, the lead went tight, but the rat on the lead was running with such force that when the lead went tight, although the animal’s neck was stopped, the rest of the body kept going underneath. The mutt did a complete mid air summersault, didn’t like it, and bit the dog next door in temper.

We walked along the sea front. I got a “lemon thing” (that’s what it was called) from the ice cream van, and we paddled some more. You can see the photos of the day here.

And all too soon it was time to come home again. Whenever I’ve been to the Isle of Sheppy before, it’s just been to Whelan’s and back again. The beach at Leysdown is only forty miles and fifty minutes away from home. OK, it was a bit “council estate”, but then, as I mentioned earlier in the week, that’s what the beach is. And the town of Leysdown itself looked wonderful. We only drove through it, but it seemed to be a super-big version of Dymchurch. Full of tourist-trap shops and market stalls. Leysdown is certainly on the list of places to go back to.

As I said, only forty miles away, and the place was wonderful. I’m left wondering how many other nearby gems I’m still to find.