Sunday 29 September 2013

LIFE ON THE EDGE


These are the White Cliffs of Dover, just a couple of miles up the coast from the town of Dover, at St Margarets Bay. This part of East Kent is where I grew up and we both love it dearly, though it is rather rough around the edges and a bit of an acquired taste. Some years ago we stayed in an eccentric house perched on the edge of the cliff pictured above. It is a "retired" gun emplacement, built in 1910 and once owned by Peter Ustinov. Its present chatelaine is the actress Miriam Margolyes and she lets it to holiday-makers (see here.) It is the closest house in the UK to France.
                                                                                 

The arrow shows the position of this unique holiday let. There is no garden fence between you and the cliff's edge, gulls hover at eye level and I swear the sea shakes the cliff as it crashes rhythmically below - over and over, never ceasing - the sky ever changing its colours and moods.
                                                 



The sun sets and the moon rises over the sea in front of the house.


Amazing!

It is an odd little building, an anonymous concrete box, slightly sunken into the cliff, but I instantly recognised it on a TV film the other night! In faded 1960s tints...



...there was the room where I also sat just a few years ago.


By great coincidence, within a day or two of the TV film, an email (in unmistakeable style) arrived from Ms Margolyes herself.


Experimental drilling is planned in nearby villages and residents are worried. Has my beloved East Kent become the "desolate North East" (Lord Howell commenting on suitable areas for fracking, a couple of months ago) of Southern England? Is beauty only relevant where residents are rich?
Perhaps I'd better sign the petition.
                          

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14 comments:

  1. Oh sigh, Nilly. This post made me sigh with amazement and pleasure at the views and situation of this funny little house...and then some sighs of a different sort when I read dear Ms Margoyle's email. I am no scientist, nor geologist but fracking sounds to be the idea of some desperate madman with no care or concern (or family) for the future; not even the immediate future. We have to find alternatives but this is like demolishing the foundations of your home to keep an enormous, gas-guzzling truck! I simply don't get it. Sign all the petitions you can find. I am. Axxx

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    1. Personally, I'm stocking up on woolly jumpers, leggings and multi-layers. must get a wood-burning stove too!

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  2. It looks like such a magical place, and lets hope all the anti fracking campaigning that is going on is successful.

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    1. It is exciting - if a little scary. Strictly not for a holiday with the grandchildren!

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  3. Ooh hope you made a big WISH on that pretty rainbow!
    Beautiful views and such a special place...
    Sign the petition Nilly!

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  4. What a beautiful place, wonderful sunrises and sunsets. Magical! x

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    1. I hope we get a chance to stay there again - I'm afraid that cliff's edge is getting closer as the chalk crumbles...

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  5. What an amazing place Nilly. So sad to hear the plans to ruin yest another area of our beautiful countryside. Let us hope that they do not succeed. Lizzie

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    1. So much beauty but so few places left to exploit - a great worry.

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  6. What an amazing place, although not sure I could sleep at night perched so close to the edge of those mighty cliffs. Sign your name ...

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    1. The waves against the cliff sounded unbelievable & I'm sure the whole place shook - still, I'd love to go back.

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  7. That looks an amazing little place to get away from it all and she allows dogs, but with no fence I'd be worried he'd disappear over the edge, or even the husband after a couple of drinks...

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    1. When I look on Google Earth I'd swear the cliff's edge is getting closer to the house! (We retired to the sitting room and enjoyed the views through Ms Margolyes' telescope once the wine was un-corked!)

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