These Feet Are Made For Walking
“Parking the vehicle up in the tiny car park, I walked with Liz, down to a bench that we had spied on our way into the village. Strategically located under the window of a gastro pub and cocktail bar, we sat down on the bench and unlaced our shoes, replacing them with walking boots.
Our mission was to explore St Margaret’s Hope, and try to understand the people who used to live here, and their way of life.
Boots on, we dropped our shoes back into the car and walked down towards the sea front, purchasing an ice cream from the local mini market, on our way.
A steep hill took us down to an overlook of the bay and Scapa Flow beyond. The water sparkled and the cold frosty air shimmered as the herring gulls soared above. An elderly woman stood in her garden alongside us, hanging her washing out in the line. Cheerfully she acknowledged us, whilst pegging pillow cases neatly into place.
Beneath us, stretching out into the bay, were numerous boat slipways. The tide was coming in and appeared to be swallowing each slipway and boat ramp, hungrily. I had never seen so many in one harbour in my life, and I was born and raised into a fishing community in the South of England.
Slinging our rucksacks back onto our backs we marched down the ‘High Street’ and onto the quayside, remarking in every little detail as we went.
A dog started barking in another pub at the bottom of hill, and it suddenly appeared in front of us, full of spit and venom…….lol. It was a tiny Jack Russell, and as soon as I squatted down on the pavement to talk to it, the animal came sauntering over to us happily…. A complete change of mood.
On we went, following the road out to the ferry and modern fish dock.
Big and new, the structures were quiet and no one was around……”
A little slice of another tour research trip that Liz and I took, several years ago, in preparation for our Orkney and Shetland tour.
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