Because the forecast for Saturday was so hot we knew we had to get out for the day. We had originally considered going to Somerset for the weekend to explore buying a Post Office, but when I read online that the Parish in which it sits has a population of 500, Himself went right off the idea.
So we picked a place at random. Almost at random - it had to be within easy reach of London, and by preference, South of London, so we wouldn't spend all day sitting in traffic.
I selected Dungeness. For years, it has called out to me. I was an avid reader of the books of Monica Edwards. Ostensibly Pony Books, but that wasn't really the point. Tales of Smugglers. One book set amidst Pestilence and Plague - hence, when the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak began, I was already ahead of the game, because I had read all about the previous one in a Monica Edwards book.
And, of course, there was Derek Jarman. I won't pretend to be a big fan, but I always found him fascinating. And, who more than anyone, put Dungeness on the map.
And finally, the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch (Light, Steam) Railway.
Of course, it took for ever to get out of London. Congestion on the Arterial through Eltham. Resurfacing where the A20 meets the M20 at Swanley.
On the M20 we saw a frightening sight. Some poor chap in a car of 1980s vintage had broken down. Right on the junction - cars sweeping off to the left, cars zooming past to the right. He was waving frantically. Poor bloke must have been shitting himself. I suspect it may have been an electrical failure - if it had been me I would have had all lights on and flashing - he didn't even have an indicator. I've checked the BBC Kent website, and there's nothing, so, hopefully, he got out alright. About twenty minutes later I thought, should I have called 999?
When we arrived, it was lunchtime, after which we wandered on the beach, took some photos, drove down to New Romney, and caught the train in a return journey to Dungeness. The photos are here.
It was a pleasant day out, and, as always, in such situations, fascinating to people-watch. We did not encounter one obnoxious person, and Chavs were barely in evidence. I am increasingly fascinated by the Division of Choice in society. Such a trip doesn't has to be expensive. Admittedly, Dungeness is a little difficult to reach by public transport, but the countryside and coast are full of places to visit for a day trip. I found it depressing to think of all those kids stuck, bored, in some dismal backstreet pub in London or Leysdown whilst their uninterested parents booze away hundreds of pounds.
We saw people with children of all ages, giving them a change of scene, stimulating their brains, giving them some exercise and fresh air. Is it a class difference? Is it economic? I don't know. Maybe the major class divider in this country is between those who are actively bringing up their children, and those who think the world owes them a living. Of course, the barren, such as I, just stand on the sidelines and watch. But I suspect that, on the whole, the kids who were at Dungeness - or out, anywhere - on Saturday are the ones that will do okay in the future, whereas those for whom every weekend, and day of the school holidays is spent in the pub, or watching crap telly indoors, are the ones who will just repeat the cycle.
Interestingly, the journey back took exactly an hour and forty minutes, just as the AA said it would, with no traffic delays.
