Essex swim - ride report
And Wednesday 31 August was a wonderful long day out in fantastic 
weather. Train to Manningtree. Coffee in Harwich. South to Point Clear 
for the samphire picking. We stopped at roadside stalls for wild 
damsons, plums, pears, courgettes, runner beans, tomatoes, beetroot. 
Blackberries everywhere. Ferry over to Mersea Island. We stopped to help 
a grounded weekend sailor, the ferry was just about to go home but ran 
the special trip for us. On arrival we swam on that shingle beach, one 
of the best sea swims I've ever had suddenly we were surrounded by a 
hundred various gulls dipping into a big shoal of tiny silvery 
anchovies. Then over the causeway back onto the mainland. Around 6.30pm 
we found foodey The Whalebone pub in Fingringhoe. Table outside with 
great views over a little valley as hundreds of rooks chattered home. 
Cloudy cider, cheesy chips, ceasar calad (and fresh anchovies) and cold 
chardonnay. Lovely meal before the last bit to Colchester waiting train. 
Snooze. 50 miles.

Barry Mason