Aldeburgh

Last visited when Amy & I first saw The Young Uns in concert.  

Today Jacinta, Amy and I made a very late start but still really enjoyed our three hours in Aldeburgh, finishing with Fish & Chips on the seafront.  Miles of shingle make up the beaches in this part of Suffolk so the crowds are smaller and somehow more civilised .... hardly crowds at all.

When we first arrived we parked at the North end of the beach where this sculpture is sited.  As we came off the beach there was a blonde mermaid (decently clad all in white) adorning the other side (the subject of a photo-shoot) .... my idea to snatch a covert blip of her was vetoed :-)

Thankfully J was feeling a bit better this afternoon so the outing was enjoyed by all.

From wiki: On Aldeburgh's beach, a short distance north of the town centre, stands a sculpture, The Scallop, dedicated to Benjamin Britten who used to walk along the beach in the afternoons. Created from stainless steel by Suffolk-based artist Maggi Hambling, it stands 15 feet (4.6 m) high, and was unveiled in November 2003.  The piece is made up of two interlocking scallop shells, each broken, the upright shell being pierced with the words: "I hear those voices that will not be drowned", which are taken from Britten's opera Peter Grimes. The sculpture is meant to be enjoyed both visually and tactilely, and people are encouraged to sit on it and watch the sea. Approached along the road from the Thorpeness direction it has a totally different silhouette appearing to be a knight on a rearing charger.
The sculpture is controversial in the local area, with some local residents considering it spoiling the beach. It has been vandalised with graffiti and paint on 13 occasions.  There have been petitions for its removal and for its retention.