Cleethorpes In Bloom!

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We often get quite complacent about ordinary places. Having grown up in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, I never really think about blogging wherever I go to see my family there. This time, with a new camera in hand, I thought I would give it a bit of praise.

One thing which was certainly not praiseworthy was the weather! It was freezing cold and we frequently cowered away from the rain. Early may should be sunny and warm, but we had leaden skies, four degrees, threats of frost and driving horizontal rain! Not nice!!

Even so, we try to get a bit of exercise as often as we can. We have our usual routes for a stroll. One of those is the seafront where we brace ourselves against the Easterly coastal breeze (or gale depending on the day) as we walk around the boating lake and up towards the Fitties. There are usually a lot of dog walkers, bike riders, and families enjoying the beach. This time was no exception and most people are pretty friendly. That takes you past the Greenwich Meridien which many people don't realise runs through the area. It is well marked with a metal line and signposts pointing to various places, but not to Vietnam. In the other direction we often stroll down towards Cleethorpes Pier pausing to pay our respects at the iconic Leaking Boot statue (now a garden of memorial for the Princess of Wales) and tribute to Lincolnshire's airmen. It's a shame to see how some things have gone to the dogs but it is always nice to see that the Cleethorpes In Bloom team have made a valiant effort once again.

Our other walk is around Weelsby Woods, just a few minutes from my Mum's house. Again dog walkers and children are usually everywhere but it's a big enough area to escape from them. Two things of not there are the lions which guard the gate and have been there since time immemorial, and the wooden bear carrying an artillery shell which serves as a memorial to those Polish soldiers who were based in the very same woods during the Second World War. It's amazing what you see when you open your eyes!

This time at my mum's house we had the added bonus of being on hamstrer duty! Our niece and nephew, Hannah and Daniel, called round to drop him off and we were so lucky that they (eventually) sat still enough to have a picture taken with us!

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