Redgate

Redgate Beach is one of the most beautiful in Torquay, but now officially out of bounds because it gets cut off by the tide.  In the old days there was a concrete walkway which enabled access, and old postcards from the 60s and 70s show the beach absolutely packed.  You can still get there if you're prepared to walk the sheep path down the cliff from Walls Hill, or to scramble around the rocks at low tide, but if you swim of course the beach is open all hours.  A gang of us arrived to find it looking stunning: fine sand, pink rock and most of all the sea stretching out in front, a wonderful juicy green.  We climbed down the rocks from Anstey's Cove next door, and were soon swimming in the protective curve of the cove, bathed in sunlight and sparkles one minute, then shrouded in grey the next, as the clouds came and went.  The sea was changing colour all the time, and although it wasn't completely clear we could still see rocks and seaweed - and Carole and Helen who did a bit of underwater diving.Jackie and I decided to swim to Long Quarry Point which forms one arm of the cove. We were hoping to go into a cave behind the pinnacle, which has a secret swimming pool. However as we approached, the sea started to get more choppy and there was too much swell to get into the cave.  I suppose that's one of the frustrations - and joys - of swimming in the sea.  You never quite know how a swim will turn out.

Fog at Anstey's Cove

Anstey's Cove is mysterious at the best of times, but when wreathed with fog it is positively eerie.  We climbed down over the rocks and got into the beautiful green water; Allan and I swam over to look at a cave which is hidden behind rocks on the other side of the bay.  I was in two minds about swimming over as it was some distance and the water felt very cold, but I was driven on by my desire to see the cave. We kept going, passing some divers' floats, though we didn't see the divers.  By the time we got there we felt too cold to risk exploring and had to be content with a tantalising glimpse of the cave with its inner pool.  I felt anxious swimming back, worried about keeping going against the cold; in the end we were fine but the worry hampered my enjoyment of the swim. A lesson learnt I think.

The calm after the storm

Devon has been soaked by an almighty deluge which has lasted pretty much the whole of the last week. Rivers have burst their banks, homes have been flooded, trees have come down, and the trains have stopped running.   It's been a pretty scary time.  Today the rain finally stopped.  We decided to swim at Anstey's Cove, always a gorgeous oasis of calm, sheltered as it is by the limestone cliff of Walls' Hill.  As we walked down we could see that far out at sea the water was brown, presumably from the run-off from the Jurassic Coast.  But in the cove the water was its usual lovely green, though not as clear as usual.  As we swam back to shore, we admired the pink pebbles, which looked like shiny humbugs as they were continually washed by the incoming tide.