Yesterday started with stunning weather, and we took advantage of it by going along to Camber for lunch and a walk on the beach with the dogs. During the summer months Camber is a no-go area, thick with trippers and clogged with traffic. But once the autumn has come, the crowds and most of the cars have disappeared and dogs are allowed on the beach.
The lunch bit wasn't great: Camber is something of a gastronomic desert, with nothing between the chi-chi motel of the Gallivant, some way before the beach, and some desolate places further in. We stopped off at the Dunes Bar, where the presence of dogs meant we had to stay on the terrace, which was in shade and invaded by an icy wind. Our scampi and chips may once have had some contact with a natural origin, but that was way in the past, much processing having intervened. Inside the pub there was a football match on a large screen and two people exchanging desultory wisdom from opposite ends of a long bar. "Could do better" would be an understatement.
But the beach was another matter. When the tide goes out there is a huge expanse of sand, perfect for dogwalking and horse-riding. Since it was half-term for the schools, there were lots of parents and grandparents herding small children. But the space is so enormous that there's room for everyone. The dogs scampered around happily, making a lot of new four-legged friends. The sky is always dramatic here, with views to the east along to Dungeness. You can see the weather coming in from the southwest: it turned while we were there, and we got back to the car just before rain and wind set in for good. But even their arrival was a thing of beauty.
Antony Mair
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