Childhood Memories.

We had come back from Bristol a day early to look at a caravan. It was nice to have an excuse to go over to the west coast so after visiting the dealer at Workington we carried on to Whitehaven where we had lunch, wandered around the marina and I reminisced about my youth.

In my childhood this area was dockland, large ships arrived from Casablanca to deliver to a local chemical firm. Steam trains ran on rails along the harbour carrying coal from a nearby mine. We walked in amongst the trains to get to the beach without fear, we knew they were coming, the blew their whistles. Our walk took us along the edge of the harbour. No safety rails then, just a deep drop into the murky water or smelly mud. We knew not to go too close. Our parents weren't worried, they played there,  just the same when they were young. 

As a child I'd never seen a swan, they certainly wouldn't have been in the harbour.

A peaceful scene today in the modern Whitehaven marina, only some fractious young gulls caused a disturbance.