Happy Birthday ScabHunter

[ScabHunter]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

Happy birthday SH and enjoy the Beach Hut

xxx

Thanks! I've just left there, literally five minutes ago. I'm typing this on the seat opposite. Great tip - many thanks.

SH

[5corpio]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

Happy B-Day matey, have a good day

[ScabHunter]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

Happy B-Day matey, have a good day

Thanks. Everything has gone well so far. The sun has gone now, as you'd expect this late in the year. It's still not cold for October, though

SH

[MrsD]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

Happy Birthday

I do love a bit of sea, it's pulled all the stops out for your birthday SH, what fabulous views

[ScabHunter]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

Thanks, Mrs D.

Less than half an hour left, before I need to leave for London. I couldn't have wished for a better day. Here is the sunset I'm looking at right now -



SH

[ScabHunter]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

I'm sitting on a train in Euston Station, waiting to depart for home. I've just had a couple of pints in my favourite real ale pub, so forgive me if this post is incoherent.

It has been a truly outstanding birthday. I'll update with a final post tomorrow, when I don't have to try to type on a crowded train. Good night, everyone, and many thanks to everyone who posted on my thread.

SH

[diddlydee]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

It's a bit late, but better late than never? Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I'm glad you had a wonderful day

[cymruambyth]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

Hi SH, glad to hear you had a lovely day, sorry I forgot to post yesterday.

[ScabHunter]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

It's a bit late, but better late than never? Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I'm glad you had a wonderful day

You just squeezed in with an hour and 13 minutes to spare! I would have seen the message if I'd checked my cell phone when I got back home. My fault I didn't.

Hi SH, glad to hear you had a lovely day, sorry I forgot to post yesterday.

Oooooohhhh, can I really forgive such a heinous crime?

As I'm an incredibly forgiving and understanding individual, I will grant you clemency, provided you carry out the following ritual -

1) Put on a white rugby shirt with a red rose on it
2) Stand in the middle of Cardiff City Centre on a crowded Saturday
3) Sing “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” as loudly as possible for at least five hours

Deal?

Of course, I will need to see video evidence that this has been carried out.

SH

[SA Gold]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

Sound like you had a great day, SH. Lovely photos too!

[ScabHunter]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

Sound like you had a great day, SH. Lovely photos too!

Thanks! Yes, it was really good.

Now I'm back in the calm of a non-birthday, I'll update the thread to include everything I couldn't get in before.

After the coach got into London, I took a pleasant walk through St James's Park and along the Embankment, rather than using a bus or tube to get round to Fenchurch Street. I like that walk by the Thames.

I had intended to get the train into Westcliff, but when I went to the ticket machine I saw that it was slightly cheaper to travel into Chalkwell. I've often wondered whether that might be a better choice, so I tried it. It is better. Chalkwell station is literally two minutes' walk from the start of the Esplanade, so it is even more convenient than Westcliff.

I had my birthday dinner at the Beach Hut, as recommended by Sapphy. Excellent recommendation. Not the cheapest place, although there were cheaper options than the one I chose. Views are as good as you get anywhere, and I was lucky enough to get seated right next to the windows.

Here's the bit I couldn't get in to yesterday's posts. After dinner, I walked back to the western end of the front at Chalkwell. I've often wondered whether there was any way to get to Leigh-on-Sea by walking along the front, instead of having to find a noisy and dirty main road. I made a spur-of-the-moment choice to follow the path, and just see where it went. The good news is that it went straight to Leigh-on-Sea, so I got to see a completely new place.

That was the time when the weather was at its absolute best. I had an ice-cream in Leigh-on-Sea, and at that point it felt like a summer's day. Leigh-on-Sea is a charming and aesthetic seaside town, and having it so close to Southend brings in the possibility of a two or three day trip at some future date.

The sunset was spectacular, as you can see on Page 1. That picture was taken right at the western end of the front, with the bridge to Chalkwell station right behind me. It was taken just before I had to get the 18:49 back to Fenchurch Street.

I am lucky, in that my favourite real ale pub is right next to the 205 bus route, which goes from Aldgate (near Fenchurch Street) to Euston. I got off a few stops early, and went in for a couple of pints. I still think of the Wenlock Arms as my local, even though I live 70 miles away! I knew if I left at 9pm, it would be comfortable to get back to Euston and get the train home.

POSTSCRIPT

There was one surprise waiting for me at the end of the day. When I got home, I saw that there was one letter sticking out of the box. From the address on the back, I immediately knew that it was from HaemorrLloyds.

I had applied for one of their credit cards the previous weekend, and got the acceptance screen. When I felt the letter, it was obvious that there was no card in it, so I assumed they must have changed their mind. Wrong! I opened it, and it told me that I'd been accepted for the card, given a £1,000 limit, and it even contained the PIN number. PIN numbers are always sent separately from cards, and this time it had arrived first. I still don't have the card, but they must seriously be intending to send it if they've given me a PIN number.

So, I even got a birthday present from a bank!

Thanks once again to everyone who posted on my thread, even the latecomers! It did lift my spirits enormously when I logged on and saw how many messages there were. I must say a special thank you to Sapphire for that tip about the restaurant, and also for mentioning Leigh-on-Sea in a previous post. Without that, I'm sure I wouldn't have made the improvised choice to go out there.

Thanks also to those responsible for developing cell phones. My late father used to say that cell phones were “the worst invention of all time”, but they did a great job for me yesterday. I was able to keep in touch with the forum, read and make posts, and take pictures and even share them almost in real time. It did add an element of sharing to the experience, which is welcome on a birthday.

I won't bore anyone with the details, as this post is too much of a Ben-Hur already, but that is now five excellent birthdays in a row that I've had. Long may the run continue!

SH

[SA Gold]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

Perfect end to a perfect day!

Edit: congrats on the card (the bank one that is!)

[cymruambyth]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

So absolution isn't granted

[daisy]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

Belated birthday wishes SH. Pleased to hear all about your wonderful day at the seaside, it's a place with loads of childhood memories for me :-)
Dibs x

[Phoenix]

Re: Happy Birthday ScabHunter

Belated Happy Birthday from me, SH.

Glad you had a good day.