Low Tide	00:34 (1.10m)
High Tide	06:50 (2.30m)
Low Tide	13:17 (0.90m)
High Tide	20:02 (2.30m)

Sea temperature: 16.5 and falling...

Sea conditions: Deep rollers, with a shelf - slightly treacherous 

Weather: Sunny but with an unmentionable chill in the air

Joined by: Liz Robertson - actress/singer and owner of Clever Soot and Misty

Topics of conversation:

The Pirate battles the wind yesterday

Relief that we could swim today - yesterday was so rough and windy that only DK contemplated it, in fact he did get in but was swished up-tide immediately so got out again as can be seen in this clip. Today we had to move up the beach as the waves in our usual spot were too high.

Yesterday's shoot - Liz had braved the wind and torrential rain yesterday afternoon to perform on the beach for DK - and she thinks we are mad to swim in the sea everyday...! Hopefully the resulting video will be online shortly so that I can a) see it and b) link to it here. It sounds rather as if the weather was perfect for the song.

The Pirate's wife's role as props designer for the village panto and the red shoes in particular. When working on The Wizard of Oz she needed to create the image of the witch under the house, red shoes and all so decided to use a mannequin's leg. Unfortunately only male legs could be sourced and so shoes could have been a problem but no, apparently size 12 red stilettos are not that hard to find in Suffolk and were soon attached to the legs. Not only did they feature in the show but The Pirate's wife saw fit to 'store' them under their son's bed, he was taken by surprised and has claimed he was scared for life as a result. Not only did they have an impact on him but later the whole mannequin was being transported, covered in a blanket in the back of the car when they were picking Grandma up from church. Inevitably the mannequin's arse was revealed whilst making room for an additional passenger, just as the LOTV's were leaving church. History doesn't relate their reaction.

Too rough yesterday

Soot's litter - I'd never heard of a black lab having a mixed litter before but she is very special as she produced a tri-colour brood, black, chocolate and yellow, Clever Soot!

I shouted at The Pirate, I know it was wrong but he really has been banned from his morose mumblings about winter's approach and I had to stop him before he began to tug at his beard and wail about the days getting shorter, the water temperature dropping and the air cooling as we spoke. Admittedly the water temperature is dropping, but it is still warm for the time of year and warmer than the Thames, according to the news reports of David Walliams turning blue in the river yesterday - where the temperature was down to 15 degrees. We all scoffed at that of course and DK and the Pirate claimed 3.5 as the lowest recorded temperature for swimming last year. I didn't make it through the year as I had an operation in September, which stopped me from being able to experience the temperatures lowering gradually and I didn't get back in till October and then January. This year I will do my utmost to make it through with the boys.