Work and Sheppey

I have now been back at work for two weeks and it has flown by. I am doing a half term in the nursery of the local school I worked at last year. I may do until Christmas but not beyond. It is still supply, and I agreed to do it as the school have not yet got a permanent teacher, and the teacher I worked with last year has left.  I have a massive to do list, and am tired, but have enjoyed it so far too. Only six, possibly twelve more weeks to go! On the last weekend of the holiday, we visited Sheppey, as I wanted to take Andy to the place I went to with my Mum in the holidays. (Minster Leas) We had quite a bad breakfast at the place I had a good lunch before, then went for a long walk along the beach. It was interesting as the landscape is quite different to the place we usually go. The cliffs seem to be just soil and are collapsing. There must have been a rubbish dump there, as there is all this pastel china on the beach which I think comes from 1950s bathrooms. The beach becomes sandy as you go further along. There is lots of metal rusting away, as well as whole trees washed up. We could see someone camping in the distance on quite an isolated stretch. 

These are forts  were built during WWII to defend London and Thames settlements. There were some more nearer to shore but they are gone. These were used to house pirate radio stations in the sixties. They used to have bridges between them. I love the way they look from so far away. Apparently they are about six miles off the coast. 

Look at this rock! A grumpy old man rock. He is very heavy and joined lots of fellow rocks on their way back here. I can't help myself. I wish I knew what kind of rock it is. They are all very geometric. The best one I found is a perfect pentagon.

On the way down the beach. It was a really hot day. I didn't have much water left. Ever unprepared!

I know this is plastic rubbish, but the colour combination in this little scene is lovely. 

Zoom lens of the campsite. 

Football trying and failing to blend in with the rocks. 

Looking back the way we came. 

View back to the grassy cliffs.

An office chair that has seen better days. 

Distant yacht. 

Blurry container ship. I really need to remember to take my mini tripod with me sometimes. 

I couldn't make out how this ship was constructed. Are those cranes? It looks like a structure that should be on land.

Ship and windmill.

Beach huts back at base. They are all perfect and new looking and I think are fairly pricey. I have always thought it would be lovely to have one but would not be happy with the lack of toilet situation. Ha-weirdly when I just looked there was an article in The Kent Messenger, dated today about this very thing. The huts were rented, and the council have said that renters can buy one for £9000, plus £300 ground rent a year,  or a rental cost rising from £650 a year to £950 a year and the tenants would have to pay for three years. 

Finally we sat down on a wall to have a cold drink, before going home. I watched and tried to photograph these cute little birds. They were very busy, running up and down catching food.

They are called Ruddy Turnstones. Cute!