My Motovespa GT160 photographed during the VVC Swanage weekend in May 2014
I returned to work yesterday after two weeks off; hence the News Page for August looking a little bare. Just over a week was spent camping with the family in Moreton, Dorset, close by to Wareham and not too far from one of my favourite English seaside towns, Swanage. The rest was spent at home in West Herts in the company of some pretty decent summer weather for the UK.
I have the Veteran Vespa Club to thank for my fondness of Swanage, which appeared on my radar when I visited the south coast town for the first time with the VVC in 2014; it has remained a favourite place and we have visited as a family during numerous summers ever since. The Victorian resort has its smattering of ‘seaside tut’ but it doesn’t blight the town, like some and the wide sandy beach is great for kids and bigger ones, the restored Victorian pier is lovely and the parks allow some respite away from the beach and not forgetting the steam railway than runs between Swanage and Norden.
“That’s the way to do it..” - traditional Punch & Judy still performed on Swanage beach
Restored Victorian pier
Swanage station
Close by to Swanage we have discovered some really interesting places, such as the Square & Compass pub at Worth Matravers, their menu of local ciders and perrys with meat or veggie pasty best sampled after a walk down to the coast at Winspit, the cliff top walk to Old Harry’s Rocks, the tidal pool at Dancing Ledge and Priests Way - the coastal walk linking Swanage to Worth Matravers via Langton Matravers.
Sunrise walk up the hills and along the cliffs to..
… Old Harry’s Rocks
Now managed by the National Trust, the cliffs at Dancing Ledge were quarried a few centuries back. Boats would moor at the ledge, unload the horses and carts before blasting the rock cliffs for stone which was used locally and transported to places like London to pave its posh squares…
Approximately 100 years ago a local headmaster asked the blasters to blast a pool out of the ledge for his schoolchildren (the cart tracks and iron rings along with giant amonites still visible on the ledge); the resulting chasm filling and refreshing with each incoming tide - an amazing place to swim all to yourself, if you arrive early morning/early evening to avoid the other visitors..
Square & Compass pub at Worth Matravers
Away from Swanage, we spent a sunny afternoon in Weymouth, plus a day visit to lovely Lyme Regis and some fossil hunting on the beach..
Eating ice cream watching the lowering sun in Weymouth’s colourful old harbour..
Back to work and reality! I’d missed riding the Vespa the last couple of weeks; yesterday I was back in the saddle.. after a wash and polish.
Summer evening scooter wash & wax
Until next time..
Dawn on Swanage beach…. aaah!
Well that was our summer break, what about yours..? If you have any travels, stories to tell or share on the VVC News Page, please email me at vespamore@hotmail.co.uk
Words and photos - Paul Hart.