Having been in Poole for a few days now we are getting to know the place quite well. Did you know that this town has produced some of the most beautiful women in the world? Yes, not a lot of people know that! How else would you explain the fact that two of the five British Miss Worlds have hailed from here? It’s also renowned for attracting the rich and famous … we’re here after all! On Panorama Road the property price-per-square-foot has exceeded that of waterside streets in Miami and Monte Carlo.
Resisting schoolboy humour
We don’t want to start any arguments but today we are trying to circumnavigate the largest natural harbour in the world, Poole harbour. Other places have tried to claim this title e.g. Sydney harbour. But that claim is usually made by Aussies and we all know what they are like when it comes to bragging! Poole harbour has an area of fourteen square miles and a coastline that extends more than one hundred miles. It also has a single access to the sea … the very definition of a ‘harbour’. Rest assured, if you heard it on allaboutthescones, it’s correct! The harbour is fed by four rivers, the main ones being the River Frome and the River Piddle. The Piddle is actually quite a bit bigger than you might expect!
The High Street, Swanage
Fossils
Circumnavigation involves quite a long drive (not by Australian standards obviously) but it cannot be done without ending up here in Swanage. This is the first town at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site. But with no time to go scavenging for fossils we ended up here at Gee Whites scavenging for scones. It’s an odd sort of place. They have a roof terrace but it wasn’t open. In fact, there did not appear to be any inside seating at all. So outside it had to be … at the mercy of the seagulls. We ordered tea and a fruit scone at a sort of kiosk window. When we asked if the scone came with jam and cream “That’s a cream tea if you want that” was the reply “Okay, can we have a cream tea then?” We triumphantly transported our ‘cream tea’ to a table by the water’s edge.
View from our seat … some folks fishing for crabs
This was not at all unpleasant. Although overcast it was warm and nice to sit and watch all the activity that typically goes on in all such seaside places. Rather oddly the jam and cream came packaged together in a little plastic tub. Perhaps that should have given us an early warning on the scone. It was a disappointment and worst of all it had a soggy bottom and we all know that soggy bottoms are never desirable. Inevitably perhaps, It became fodder for some of the man-eating seagulls that surrounded our table. One gull swallowed what was left in one gulp. We were impressed by its swallowing skills but mostly by its ability to fly off afterwards. It seemed to thoroughly enjoy it so maybe we’re just getting too fussy?
Another cruise
In spite of this scone setback we were happy to be in Swanage, a place we never ever expected to visit. It had taken us a good hour or so to drive round to here but to complete the circumnavigation we had to take the Sandbanks Chain Ferry across the 242 foot harbour entrance. Another four minute cruise for Pat, I know, I spoil her! First time on a chain ferry and it meant that we were home in no time at all … brill!
Unexpected consequences
Finland has applied for NATO membership after many years of steadfast and proud neutrality. The 830 mile border with Russia will achieve the exact opposite of what Mad Vlad intended and couldn’t have been achieved without his crazy invasion of Ukraine. Funny the way things turn out sometimes!
Our time in the soft south is coming to an end. Shortly we will be heading back to the wild and woolly north.
Come on now….. would you like some facts? Regardless, here they are! Sydney Harbour has an area of 21 sq miles, depth at low water varies from 30ft to 155ft – 150 miles of foreshores, volume equivalent to 500 gigalitres, 586 species of fish, 20 swimmable beaches. Of course it also has the famous Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
Need any more details??!!
Okay these stats are impressive but does it have only one entrance from the sea. If it has more than one it’s not a harbour
Of course it does! “The Heads”. You need to google it! Better still, come and have a look😀
Okay enough of this Aussie bragging. You need to come and see Poole harbour for yourselves – average depth 49cms – I’m sure you’ll think it’s ‘cute’.
Another corner of the world added to your list, pity about the scones. I do hope that it was pinched by the big white bird and not offered. Up here there is an on the spot fine of £80 for feeding them. Anyway with your grand tour of the harbour I expected to have more bird varieties mentioned than plain old Seagulls, or has Pat retired from that hobby?
On the chain ferry, surely not your first, I just know your old enough to have ventured across the Renfrew and Erskin ferry’s sadly no longer.
I believe there might even be one on Windermere.
Anyway the sunshine will have returned up here by the time you get back, safe journey.
D&E
We wish we had had more time to do some birdwatching and maybe see a Dartford Warbler but time was against us. Seagulls were all we saw … some of them very close up! No, we’re pretty sure that that was our first chain ferry. With Kirsty and family being down there now it will probably be the first of many visits.
Sounds like a great part of the world- sadly not one I know. Would love to visit it one day but will avoid scones in the Branksome Beach cafe!
Hope you 2 are doing well.
I seem to have dropped off the regular scones mailing list and would very much like to be reinstated if that is okay with you.
Sending my love as always
JoyXXX
Joy, Branksome Beach was the only top scone we got when we were away .. do have one if you find yourself there. Particularly good after a swim. You haven’t been removed but I’ll check when I’ve got time. X
Comments are closed.
by Bill and Pat Paterson and is about finding good scones throughout the world, with a little bit of politics
Although overcast it was warm and nice to sit and watch all the activity that typically goes on in all such seaside places. Rather oddly the jam and cream came packaged together in a little plastic tub. Perhaps that should have given us an early warning on the scone. It was a disappointment and worst of all it had a soggy bottom and we all know that soggy bottoms are never desirable. Inevitably perhaps, It became fodder for some of the man-eating seagulls that surrounded our table. One gull swallowed what was left in one gulp. We were impressed by its swallowing skills but mostly by its ability to fly off afterwards. It seemed to thoroughly enjoy it so maybe we’re just getting too fussy?
Although overcast it was warm and nice to sit and watch all the activity that typically goes on in all such seaside places. Rather oddly the jam and cream came packaged together in a little plastic tub. Perhaps that should have given us an early warning on the scone. It was a disappointment and worst of all it had a soggy bottom and we all know that soggy bottoms are never desirable. Inevitably perhaps, It became fodder for some of the man-eating seagulls that surrounded our table. One gull swallowed what was left in one gulp. We were impressed by its swallowing skills but mostly by its ability to fly off afterwards. It seemed to thoroughly enjoy it so maybe we’re just getting too fussy?
Come on now….. would you like some facts? Regardless, here they are! Sydney Harbour has an area of 21 sq miles, depth at low water varies from 30ft to 155ft – 150 miles of foreshores, volume equivalent to 500 gigalitres, 586 species of fish, 20 swimmable beaches. Of course it also has the famous Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
Need any more details??!!
Okay these stats are impressive but does it have only one entrance from the sea. If it has more than one it’s not a harbour
Of course it does! “The Heads”. You need to google it! Better still, come and have a look😀
Okay enough of this Aussie bragging. You need to come and see Poole harbour for yourselves – average depth 49cms – I’m sure you’ll think it’s ‘cute’.
Another corner of the world added to your list, pity about the scones. I do hope that it was pinched by the big white bird and not offered. Up here there is an on the spot fine of £80 for feeding them. Anyway with your grand tour of the harbour I expected to have more bird varieties mentioned than plain old Seagulls, or has Pat retired from that hobby?
On the chain ferry, surely not your first, I just know your old enough to have ventured across the Renfrew and Erskin ferry’s sadly no longer.
I believe there might even be one on Windermere.
Anyway the sunshine will have returned up here by the time you get back, safe journey.
D&E
We wish we had had more time to do some birdwatching and maybe see a Dartford Warbler but time was against us. Seagulls were all we saw … some of them very close up! No, we’re pretty sure that that was our first chain ferry. With Kirsty and family being down there now it will probably be the first of many visits.
Sounds like a great part of the world- sadly not one I know. Would love to visit it one day but will avoid scones in the Branksome Beach cafe!
Hope you 2 are doing well.
I seem to have dropped off the regular scones mailing list and would very much like to be reinstated if that is okay with you.
Sending my love as always
JoyXXX
Joy, Branksome Beach was the only top scone we got when we were away .. do have one if you find yourself there. Particularly good after a swim. You haven’t been removed but I’ll check when I’ve got time. X