Children's fun and the bigger picture

We went for a walk along the cliff top route which can be accessed behind the beach at Polzeath and forms part of the coastal path around Cornwall. Houses have been built up there with wonderful views down over the wide beach, which has some of the best surfing in this area as it faces straight out across the Atlantic Ocean.

Helena and I went off with our cameras late in the afternoon and soon were following our our distinct paths with our lenses. I was enjoying the view of surfers at the high tide, with a large swell coming in, and waves crashing against the exposed rocks of the cliffs. I'd found another battery for my Canon 50D, so using the last of that camera's power I could use the zoom lens again, although the light was much poorer under the cloudy conditions.

As we walked northwards to the last section of the beach which the tide had yet to cover, I spotted these children playing with spades, digging holes in the sand and waiting for the sea to wash their creations away. I liked the contrast of the hard rocks and the fracture in the cliff face, with delicate plants growing in abundance on the thin soils, all contrasted with the view into the distance. There the cliffs are much more exposed and there is little chance to get down to sea level, so it is a land for wildlife which humans can only approach by boat.

The island in the distance has resonance for me as I once took a boat cruise from Padstow harbour with Patrick W., a very old friend of mine. It was a few nautical miles to get out there and to circle around it. We had come to visit Cornwall, although I can't remember the reason, and decided on that day that we didn't want to join the rest of the nation in watching Charles and Diana's wedding ceremony. Instead we would go to sea in a little boat which was much more fun! I can still remember the feeling of the fun I had as a child when digging holes in the sand in a variety of beaches. I have loved being by the sea ever since, but then perhaps it was because I was born by the sea too.