SPLENDID ISOLATION

After torrential overnight rain and more during the day, causing local floods, the sun came out.  I made the most of it and went back to the same beach as yesterday but even later, and got a parking space easily.  There were less people on the beach and the wind had changed direction so the cooked burger smells were fainter.

I was intrigued when I walked past these two children - they couldn't have been older than four.  They were engrossed in a game that involved looking at each other and on a signal (unknown to me) they held out their arms and fluttered their hands.  They did this countless times.  I walked on past them and looked back - they were surrounded by empty sand and I couldn't see any signs of any parents watching out for them.  You might make them out in the top right picture - you can see how far away they were from other people! The boy's red top makes them just visible!

Then the little girl gave her white cardigan to the boy and she wandered off down the beach towards the sea!  You might just see her in the bottom left photo, just below the tideline on the far left. Her dress was sand-coloured so she is barely visible! Then the little boy got up and wandered away in the opposite direction as an adult came towards him.

The little girl was standing with her feet in the sea - I felt I couldn't leave until I saw her claimed by a parent!  Finally a possible parent appeared and met her near the sea - she seemed by then to be in tears but at no point had either of the children behaved as if they were lost.  All's well that ends well - I hope!