Southend Pier

Hooray! I have always wanted to see Southend pier! It’s one of those places you hear about, and the world’s longest pleasure pier. Tony Robinson was on tv a while ago, replacing a girder, and it occurred to me that we would be nearby when visiting my sister, so we came!!
It was a good still day and as luck would have it the tide was in so ideal conditions. It’s 1.3 miles to the end, nice easy walking on cedar boards. Or you could take the little train but we walked.
At the end you can get up a level for a great view, and there’s an RNLI post.
We saw Mediterranean gulls, turnstones and a wandering gannet.
Then a stroll back for some excellent fish and chips!
The women’s Tour of Britain was ending in Southend later, but we set off for home and the waiting dogs.
Rather an appropriate poem for today:

Nobody heard him, the dead man,
But still he lay moaning:
I was much further out than you thought
And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he’s dead
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
They said.

Oh no, no, no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead man lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.

Stevie Smith