winter sky

 

This is the path back through the farm from the Shipwright Arms, our favourite pub and our escape, our bolt-hole, and one of the places that makes Faversham so peculiarly special. In the summer we sit on the seawall with our pints and watch the boats and the birds - the swifts darting over the marsh and the occasional kestrel and kite hunting from far above. In the winter we shed our muddy boots in the entryway and curl up on the sofa in front of the log fire, afternoons slipping away with good company (and knitting of course), and a slippery, cold walk home in the late afternoon darkness. 

The Shipwrights had to close for months in the spring, but was able to open up for takeaways in late spring. This was perfect, as the pub is in the middle of nowhere (you have to walk an hour along the sea wall to get to it - there is a road - the one in the picture - but very limited parking). We could get takeaways and sit up on the sea wall, happily distanced and safe. Social distanced seating was introduced inside in late summer and it was a quiet safe place where you could be somewhere else. The last lockdown ended that, and now Kent is to be placed in the highest tier of restrictions when that ends which means all pubs can only do takeaways. It is dire news for our small pubs, who depend on Christmas trade to see them through the winter. 

So takeaways it is - in the hopes of keeping the Shipwright going until the Spring when hopefully some of these pressures will ease up with the introduction of vaccines and warmer weather. I cycled up at lunchtime today for some weekend pints - it was far colder than I thought it would be - my eyes were streaming in the wind and my hands were numb with the cold. But the sky was beautiful - a swan took off across the marsh as I took these pictures and the light on its wings was breath-taking.

I ordered a pair of sheepskin gloves when I got home.