Two car loads of members visited Hayling Island today leaving at about 2.30pm with the weather looking slightly unreliable.
However when we reached our first stop by the bridge to the Island near Langstone Mill, the weather was set fair. The mill is nearly unique (when working, now a pivate residence) in that it was both a windmill and a watermill, but according to John Goodfellow there is another in Norfolk. Anyway, it made a good subject for some very nice landscape pictures.
Behind it was a waterway with a swan family and ducks 'a plenty’. They were being fed large amounts of bread by a young girl; but I read in some nature publication that it really does not do them much good, in fact the contrary, (probably gives them wind? which would assist take off if they thought about it). There were also Egrets, but they were a little too far away.
We stayed there for about an hour before moving over the bridge and taking a right turn to an area with a lagoon and more birds and boats and a fountain, but not a lot else.
By then we were ready for tea, so we drove onwards to the Southern coast where we found a tearoom with the necessary.
After this break we found some stuff to photograph, Black-headed gulls, starlings and other bits and pieces, before moving westwards to a Funfair where we stopped to find some rather more interesting subjects. I have never seen a more rusty structure calling itself a roller-coaster. You would have had to pay me a very considerable sum to take a ride and the public seemed to agree as it had very few takers. There were some rewarding subjects for everyone. We had to tear Di Walker away from the gaming machines, which she said she was photographing!?
Just before 7pm we travelled a bit further west to the Ferryboat Inn were Chris had booked tables for our grub. Fish and Chips was favourite on my table the takers saying 'when at the seaside…’ We all enjoyed our food very much. Chris was dealing with a family crisis on his mobile. He had been looking after next-doors dog and had put it back in its house before he left with us. However, Carol could not get the key to work so she could let said hound out before the neighbours returned. She had several attempts under instruction from Chris before the crisis was finally resolved.
After grub, we set up our tripods to take the far off shoreline (at least a mile away) and a few boats. I am always amazed at the ability of digital cameras to take quite clear pictures in very poor light.
And then it was time to return to Storrington having had a very nice relaxed afternoon with our cameras and friends.
Chris had obviously worked hard to research the visit, for which thanks, and he is hoping to organise more of these outside events in the future. Power to his elbow as I think this is a very good way to get to know each other better.