Boxing Day dip at Sunny Sands, Folkestone

We didn’t know about this event when we arrived at The Warren this morning to enjoy a walk along Folkestone Harbour and the Leas. What a difference in weather too. Sunny!!

It was a great spectacle, with experienced cold water swimmers in budgie smugglers, mankinis, a dinosaur, yellow submarine, Santas, sombreros and all manner of other guises and a huge crowd to watch.

Many ran straight in and straight out, some luxuriated in the 7c waters for many minutes. All very colourful and fun to watch. And it sorted a blip for today.

The rest of the walk was very enjoyable too, out along the harbour arm, up through the old quarter, a coffee at the Market Place and on up along the Leas to Sandgate then back along the seafront to (extra) the harbour and the Warren to pick up the car. A good 7.5 mile stroll.

Spoke to eldest grandchild this evening. She left school in the summer and is studying animal management at college. She seems to be doing well, enjoying the course and looking forward to another year.

She’s doing work experience in a local pet shop and her Christmas present this year was a lizard she has named Rocket. She has a vivarium and heat lamp and takes great care to look after the creature. I’ve already forgotten the type of lizard but I do remember it grows to around 12” in length.

Thank you for you comments over the past few days. Like everyone, we’ve been busy. We only got around to opening our presents to each other this evening. I gave Susan a necklace, the 2024 almanac and some chocolate gingers.

She gave me a banjo ukulele, a new cap (much against her better judgement as I’m always losing them) and some Hotel Chocolate liqueur chocolates.