I needed an escape from the Estuary Wilds' punishing heat. Hey! How about a shortish bike ride over to Brightlingsea where I could cool off in some of the sea air breeze? Job’s a good ‘un.
The ride over to Brightlingsea was so-so. Some dickhead family in an open top sped past me going up Tenpenny Hill. The rather fat female in the passenger seat shouted out an obscenity at me.
I don’t think she counted for the fact that I was riding electric. The stupid family got snarled up in the busy Brightlingsea traffic. My electric bicycle had soon caught up with them.
Awkward.
I asked the rather rotund lady why she felt the need to shout out an obscenity at me, especially so having two young girls in the back of their crappy car. She pretended that she hadn’t said anything. My on-board camera begs to differ.
I was dithering but I think I will probably give her the benefit and not dob her into Essex Police. I don’t think shouting out PEADO very loudly at a cyclist is an offence.
Oh well.
Soon I was in Brightlingsea. The circus was also in town. A big top had been set up down by the seafront. It looked bloody hot in there as the scorchio conditions burnt through the big tent.
In cafe news: the cafe by the beach is still not built. I’m not entirely sure what the story is here. Construction started pre-covid, it then stalled. I suspect funding has run dry.
I took up a seat on a bench close by to Batemann’s Tower. A couple of smacks looked stranded out in the water, waiting for the tide to come in and rescue them.
I looked over across to Mersea Island and pondered life. I was bored after a couple of minutes. I turned to a Forest Focus podcast instead.
Half an hour later and I was pretty much done. I walked along the promenade. The wind had picked up, which was good news for the dinghies that were launching for a race by the sailing club.
The bicycle ride back to base was uneventful. I still find it astonishing that in 2026 dickhead motorists find it amusing to shout out at cyclists. Maybe I should start to answer back.
