Day 56 (14th August 2022)

 Up fairly early in the hope of beating the crowds on what maybe the last day of the current sunny heatwave. I needed to drive past some of the Germinal CCXXIV places to get to my first stop, but when I saw quite a few spaces in the carpark of one of them, I decided to pull in and rearrange my schedule on the spot. Stop #123

CUCKMERE HAVEN

Now the pic is probably not quite what anyone was expecting if you know the Cuckmere river, but strictly speaking haven in this context refers to the river mouth, so I'm told. I first visited the Cuckmere in the 70s as part of a geography field trip. In the 1800s the mouth of the river was sealed and a straight canal-like alternative river was dredged to stop flooding. This leaves the current bends stagnant so that generations of school children can get to learn all about ox-bow lakes and truncated levees and whatnot.

The good thing about standing at the sea end was that it was a short paddle across the river to get a good view of stop #124

THE SEVEN SISTERS

Just after I put my boots back on, I was approached by a sleepy young man asking if I was a local. I told him I used to live not far from here many years ago. He was after a coffee and pointed to the old coastguard building. I said I didn't know but suggested maybe a swim would be a better wake-up boost than coffee. He and his friends had slept on the beach, and we got talking about beautiful beaches. He said this was the best one he'd found in England. I asked him where he was from, and it turns out he's Greek. I told him my favourite beach is on Tinos and he promised he would visit it one day!

As for those Seven Sisters. They are stunning and so much more beautiful than those white cliffs of Dover.

Back on the road to my next stop which is at one end of the town my sister went to school in for a few years. Although I've driven through this town hundreds of times, I can count on one hand the number of times I've stopped and got out here, and I've never visited stop #125

SEAFORD HEAD

The council have had to make every effort to stop people accessing the beach under Seaford Head because thousands of tons of chalk regularly fall off and squish people to death.

I went for a swim just round the corner as it was heating up fast.

Seeing as most of the country was heading to the seaside by now, I decided to head inland for stop #126

THE SMALLEST CHURCH IN SUSSEX

I had a bit of a disaster prior to this pic stop. I went zooming past the place I should have stopped, and in doing a u-turn realised with a gasp that where I now was would make an utterly perfect stop #127

THE SUSSEX DOWNS

Now do me a favour and zoom in on the background! That's why I gasped.

It is "The Long Man of Wilmington" which you usually see when driving on the A27 between Brighton and Eastbourne. (The Sussex Downs is one of the places on the back of one of the copies of the 7" Carrion single I have)

So, back to The Smallest Church In Sussex story - when I arrived there to take the pic (having said hello to a couple sitting in the churchyard) I realised I didn't have my whiteboard. I returned to the Alphard and after a frantic search, it dawned on me that I must have left it in the field up the road.

I initially set off on foot, but (a) it was hot and (b) a lot further than I thought so turned around and drove back instead. My heart sank when I saw it laying face down in the middle of the road, but as luck would have it, only one corner was damaged.

I returned well sweaty back to Lullington Church, and after the pic malarkey, 

I got chatting to the couple who I hope I have remembered correctly are called Maxine and Hans from Brighton. We had a great conversation about music and our favourite bands, as well as all those issues that most of us should care about if we care about anything. I suggested they listen to "Canvey Island" by Sea Power and as I recited those first lines 'H5N1 killed a wild swan, it was a kind of omen of everything to come' I came up in a huge rash of goosebumps.

I really enjoyed hanging out with them for what felt a lot longer than half an hour or so. They gave me a great recommendation for my next visit which was the church in Berwick that has been made famous for the patronage and paintings from members of the Bloomsbury Group. What an amazing place!

Of course, one good church leads to another, although this next place is no longer a church despite it's name -  Michelham Priory

Another place that I have driven past hundreds of times. Although there is no trace of the church, the Tudor grand design house built on the site is a beaut.

It was so peaceful there that I almost ground to a halt and had to jump-start myself back into action and get back on the Germinal CCXXIV gravy train. The most direct way to the next stop would have taken me down some tiny country lanes so I opted for the A22 Hailsham bypass which goes past this awful Nursing Home I once accompanied a patient to from Hellingly Hospital when I was a student psychiatric nurse. I still feel bad for him 32 years later and yelled out his name as I do everytime I go past in remembrance of him.

When I arrived at my next stop it was getting quite late in the afternoon yet the carparks were rammed!

I parked on a verge and made my way to stop #128

BIRLING GAP

Birling Gap was a regular haunt of Melvyn and I in the mid 80s - one of the owners of The Birling Gap Hotel pub was a really sweet old gay guy although his name has vanished from my memory. Also vanished is half of the terrace of houses and a hell of a lot of cliff.

Had another swim, then a walk up the Eastern cliff towards stop #129

BELLE TOUT

Scarey cliff edge pic. So in my lifetime, the pretty hefty lighthouse behind me was moved 17 metres back away from the cliff edge. It looks less than that now. One day I would love to stay here, as it has been divided up into holiday lets.

Finally dragged myself back to my sister & brother-in-laws for a much needed shower and meal and catchup of the days events. And some gin!

Allons-y 

Douglas Germinal CCXXIV Brain over and out