37. Going 'Round the Back'

Herself, the pooch and I are back in Aldeburgh. There's lots to do here (not to mention we have to work every day) but there is one sure thing in every Aldeburgh day, and that's a trip round the back.

Right out of the front door, and up the town steps. Past the houses, across the road and onto the private, unpaved, miraculously potholey bit by the rather lovely Edwardian villa. Pause for some sniffing and maybe a pee. Round the corner onto the Cottage Hospital lane past the forbidding Victorian water tower, circled year round by rooks, and down the hill to the side of the tennis courts, pausing to sniff, pee and either admire the serve or not - depending on the serve. Along past the bowling green, pausing perhaps to ponder why none of my grandparents were bowlers and on to the top of the allotments. Slowly past the allotments (who's growing what, what's under that, what's going in there, etc.) The allotments are wonderful, and the school has one. Sometimes you see little scraps of no more than six or seven hard at work on their little patch. Joy.

Past the allotments to the back of the big houses. The one with the lovely duck pond has put up a high willow fence (spoilsports) but we can still peer through the gaps and wonder at the views from the top bedrooms and how pitifully easy it would be to write award-winning fiction if only I lived there. Right at the lane, and now we're really getting to it. The gritted path winds between reeded sludgy stream on one side, and wide open farmland on the other. On the horizon is the horizon. There is just me, the pooch, and some birds. The reeds rustle in the wind and my jacket swooshes as I walk, but otherwise there is nothing. The world goes quiet here, so this is the place I come to when the noise inside my head gets too loud. Follow the winding lane to the end, then up the wooden stairs to the river bank. This is the best of East Anglia, right here. The Alde flows into the sea a couple of miles downstream, but right now it's a wide stretch of river, dotted with boats. Away towards the estuary I can see the masts of Orford Ness, and behind me the rooftops of Aldeburgh look like a patchwork quilt. To either side there are fields and birds and the odd tree. The sky goes on forever here, so we'll have a pause to be thankful for this place and its 15 years of service to GCB's sanity.

Along the river bank, past the swans (any cygnets yet? Nope, too early for cygnets), and perhaps a little bit of singing. This is an excellent stretch for a little bit of singing and the wind is always too high for anybody to hear. The yacht club is to the right now, with the Martello Tower squatting just beyond it daring the marauders to try it, just bloody try it. Up another short flight of steps to the sea wall. Yes! We have everything on this walk. Left along the sea wall, wondering why oh why so many people park facing away from the beautiful view of the sea, away from the beautiful views of the river and the fields, and sit facing the rubbish bins. It is genuinely perplexing. One of these days I'm going to ask.

Past the water mill, checking for signs of occupancy or work so that the Aunt can be brought up to speed. Across the car park and back onto the sea wall. We're back in town now, so there are people in expensive jackets that have clearly never been worn, eating fish and chips delicately on the wall. Duck down one of the alleys to the high street and into the White Hart for half a pint of Adnams and a drink for the pooch, then home, for dinner.

We'll do it all again tomorrow. And we'll look forward to it.