Hooken

‘Ocean air is good self-care’, said Michelle this morning. Wise words indeed, which were re-confirmed after a few hours of bumbling around on the cliffs between Seaton and Branscombe.

I remember Branscombe well from childhood visits as it is one of the coastal spots closest to where my grandparents lived in Honiton. We used to come and climb the steep hill above the beach as it never attracted the hordes who visited some seaside towns like Sidmouth. Branscombe made the news in 2007 when a container ship was beached there and items (some very high value ones such as motorbikes) were salvaged by members of the public. Dan the talkative taxi driver who drove me from Axminster to Seaton last week said the beaching attracted ‘all the local rogues’ and added that after the beaching Axminster had been flooded by cheap cigarettes that were damp and hard to smoke, also presumably ‘salvaged’ and flogged.

Today there were no motorbikes in the pebbles, but very blustery winds and hills as precipitous as I remember. And treacherously muddy. When I wasn’t sliding about, the views and memories were both wonderful. Approaching Branscombe from Beer Head and looking down on the Hooken Landslip Area, I was taken aback by the spectacular cliff views (and nearly knocked off my feet by the wind). It’s not hard to see why the Jurassic Coast was the first wholly natural UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in the UK (most are designated wholly or partly for their cultural values). The lower coastal path is enjoyable and atmospheric and goes through the vegetation that has blanketed the old landslip.

I coaxed Michelle (who was studiously working whilst I took the day off) to meet me in Beer as I walked back, so we could have a coffee on a bench. She is a great exploring companion for many reasons, but one plus is that when she goes into a shop she will return with mince pies to eat alongside a coffee.

After tiring myself out on the cliffs, I returned to the flat and relaxed, revisiting some old Keane tracks when I was reminded about this Lily Allen cover for a John Lewis Christmas advert some years back. I went all mid-2000s for a few hours and it was glorious.