My wife Kath and I spent a few days, up to and including the New Year, with our friends Jon and Maggie in Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast. It’s not the best known part of England – East Anglia generally has been neglected in many ways – but it is rather beautiful, in its understated way. We went walking on each of the three full days we had there, probably about 8-10 miles each day. Walking off a bit of the Christmas excess hopefully! In my last blog, “The Beauty of Small Things“, I published a few of the close-up photos I took. This time just some wider scenes, but with a homage to a favourite place included. Read on to find out…

29 January

We walked from Aldeburgh, through the Black Heath woods and past the Snape Warren, to Snape Maltings, which is famous for its cultural gatherings: music, drama, art.  Whether the surname of some of the baddies in “Harry Potter” was inspired by the place I have no idea. I particularly loved the scenes of the mudflats bordering the Alde river estuary, with all the straw-coloured reeds. I have a memory that they are bright green in the summer, from a visit a long time ago. Whatever: there’s a real serenity about the place, as you gaze over the reeds, swaying in the breeze.

We walked back along the same route in reverse, which gives you new perspectives of the same thing. And the sun began to set. The woods blocked the view to the west for much of the time, but I managed a few shots. The first isn’t so much sunset as just an interesting sky. It swirled above us.

30 January

Today, a circular walk, in which the Sizewell nuclear power station was never far away. The aliens have landed!

Minsmere nature reserve. Featured on a BBC Springwatch in the past, apparently.

The ruins in this one are the original site of Leiston Abbey.

Not sure how reassuring this public notice is!

Where the warm water from the power station flows into the sea, the fish gather. So, therefore, do the fishermen and the seagulls.

31 January

We began with a trip to Henham Park, not far from Southwold. The home of Latitude. Something of a spiritual home for me and Jon. It wasn’t open to the public, but there were no barriers and no-one around, so we ventured in for a bit, and bored our wives with lots of this is where the BBC tent tent is, this is where the new food village is, over there in the Woods is where the Sunrise Arena is, etc, etc. If you wish, compare and contrast with the festival, when there are 30,000 people there. My blog on Latitude 2018 has some scenery shots at the end. It was a dustbowl in July 2018; now it is recovered and green, ready for the next assault!

Southwold is the home of Adams beer and, intermittently, George Orwell. It’s a classic English seaside town too.

This is an old docks area on the estuary of the River Blyth. Black and white suits it, I think.

Back to Latitude. On the bridge, which each year is our re-entry into dreamland for four days.