Friday, August 29, 2014

For the first time in 61 and a half years

I was born in Mumbles and have lived for most of my life in Swansea but never once had I walked out to the lighthouse. Never until yesterday.
Once a manned station where families lived - and at times a troop of soldiers - it's now on automatic and is maintained by Trinity House. It can be accessed only when the tide is out and, although it's not far, you have to keep an eye out for the tide coming in. 
'You must have gone out there when you were a child,' Husband said.
'No, we wouldn't go there because of the rats.'
'What made you think there were rats there?'
'Auntie Gay told me.' 
Like she told me, when I was scared to go on the pier, that it was strong enough to carry the Queen Mary. Although it wasn't the strength of it that concerned me as much as being able to see the sea through the planks.
Not looking quite so strong these days but now the new lifeboat station has been built at the end I'm assuming there will be some rebuilding going on. You usually have to pay to go on the pier but currently it's free, probably because of the danger you put yourself in walking on some very dubious looking planks.
Then, as we were walking that way and it was past lunchtime,
we had to stop at Verdi's for an ice cream - my second in two days!






3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm almost there licking my fingers ... but you wouldn't have pushed me to the lighthouse first. Well done!

Katney said...

Of course you had to stop at Verdi's. I would definitely stop with you. Since himself has been off dairy for a couple of years now, I rarely get ordinary ice cream, much less the kind you get at Verdi's.

Hmmmm. I might just head to town for some ice cream. He is out and wouldn't even know. (and wouldn't mind if he did know because I baked him some cookies.) I deserve it, right?

Liz Hinds said...

No, Shirl, I'm sure there used to be a causeway to the lighthouse as bits remain but it's long gone.

Definitely, Katney.