Stairway to Hell

On the way back from work I took a short diversion to Shakespeare's Beach on the Dover seafront – just a few miles from home. The way to the beach is a bit of a puzzle in itself if you don't know the area... in an out of the way neighbourhood quite a way from the shore you pass through a tunnel, then climb steps to get to the top of a hill where the cliff walk starts. After that, there is a winding walkway that zigzags back down to sea level, with a bridge across railway tracks and finally metal steps down to the sands.

I was struck by the slightly overenthusiastic proliferation of razor wire, metal fences and spikes that festooned the crossing here. I'm not sure whether these were to fend off prospective jumpers or train hijackers... but anyone having a go on that bridge is in for a world of pain!