Southport

A month later on 15 March we visited Southport in the motorhome and stayed on the club site. This was, I think, our fourth visit, the second on the CC site whilst the others had been more during the season. The weather was cold but clear. We enjoyed one day in Liverpool at the Walker and wandering round the shopping centre.

 Nice bokeh I thought, though not with the Petzval.

We walked all the way along the pier just to see the end. It was deserted.

And hardly surprising when you reach the delights of the amusement arcade. I use the word lightly.

After that fun, we walked round the town and ended up in this arcade: had afternoon tea with the largest piece of chocolate cake I have ever been served. This arcade too was pretty deserted apart from the staff. However there was a gent's outfitters called Lapel and it had a sort-of pea coat and a three-quarter length coat, in both of which I was interested. Having failed to purchase the John Lewis mellalieu cloth pea coat, because they only had 1 XS in stock anywhere, you can imagine I was pretty keen to secure an alternative. And so I did.

I the evening when Chris was toiling over dinner I went out with all my equipment to photograph the sunset over the beach. Well, the setting came on rather quicker than I expected. Hardly was I ready with tripod, electronic release, polaroid filter and massive Lee bellows lens hood than the bally thing started to disappear. However I did see one of nature's rare optical phenomena - the fabled 'green flash' effect just as the sun drops below the horizon. It lasted less than a second I'd say. It's unpredictable and uncommon. Obviously I didn't get a photo - there are plenty of google images.