Category Archives: Uncategorized

Today is VE Day. 75 years since the end of war in Europe. It’s 3 days since we lost Dad. Tuesday was queasily unpleasant. The carer had left the day before. Her time was well over due and there was nothing more for her to do. He wasn’t eating. Drugs were being administered by aContinue reading “Suffolk Coast Path Sizewell to Minsmere May 8th”

How much can the world change in so short a time? A new vocabulary has suddenly emerged: pandemic, lockdown, restrictions, Coronavirus, Covid-19. This is something which is affecting all of us and will do for many years to come. It is historic. A once in a hundred year event. Having become used to the ideaContinue reading “Suffolk Coast Path. Thorpeness to Sizewell April 22nd”

The days seem to melt into each other. I can’t remember the date. And 2020 isn’t done yet with having more surprises up its sleeve. We are in the 4th week of lockdown against a previously unkown disease: Coronavirus or Covid-19 a new and deadlier form of SARS. Yesterday Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (Boris JohnsonContinue reading “Suffolk April 17th 2020”

It’s only been 2 weeks since I was last in Suffolk but it feels like ages. The change in Dad is clear. He sleeps a lot and half coughs, half chokes now with the secretions in his mouth. Last time I was home when I said hello there was a delay of a few secondsContinue reading “Suffolk Coast Path Aldeburgh to Thorpeness March 6th”

It’s now been 3 weeks since Dad got a UTI, 3 weeks since I was called home expecting the end. Now we don’t know what to think. My sister and brother and I had braced ourselves, made some sort of mental preparation (as much as you can) but we’re still waiting. Obviously nobody wishes itContinue reading “Suffolk Coast Path – Snape to Hazelwood Common February 8th”

Back in Suffolk for the whole week. It still feels touch and go with him. The doctor came to visit and told us it could be another week or could be more. He can’t be sure. I try to sit with him and tell him things and he looks at me but there doesn’t seemContinue reading “Suffolk Coast Path -Chillesford to Iken January 17th”

A cold and colourless day in East Suffolk, the wind rushing across the fields whipping the grass and the bare branches of the trees. The lane lined with cottages that I walked down a couple of weeks ago is silent. There is no sign of life apart from a digger carving up a garden. NowContinue reading “Suffolk Coast Path – Butley to Chillesford January 13th”

A cold day as I park the car on a sandy track leading to Boyton. The sun is low in the West and too weak to warm me. I think of Dad rubbing his hands to try and get them warm back at home. The tumour is slowly shutting his body down. I pass oneContinue reading “Suffolk Coast Path – Boyton 23rd December”

There’s a stark beauty to the Suffolk coastline. In fact many might question that it’s even beauty. In certain places on certain days it is the lack of definition – the emptiness – that is profoundly moving. Maybe it’s just my state of mind. Dad would have walked along here, I’m sure. He loved walkingContinue reading “Suffolk Coast Path – Hollesley to Boyton November 23rd 2019”

I thought I wasn’t doing to write about this but it’s unavoidable. My father is dying. We found out at the end of August and he has been given 3 months so we’ll be lucky if he is with us at Christmas. It’s glioblastoma, a stage 4 cancer, or in layman’s terms a brain tumour.Continue reading “Suffolk Coast Path – Hollesley November 8th”

Walked on Friday evening from close to Bawdsey Manor up to the first of a chain of 4 Martello Towers that sit squat like giant bollards along this section of Suffolk Coast. I could tell it was going to happen before I even started. Parking up in a field, there was a ribbon of greyishContinue reading “Suffolk Coast Path – Bawdsey September 28th”