This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
We, the British, are lucky enough to live on an island and so we have a beautiful coastline. This year is the Year of the Coast and the National Trust is celebrating everything that makes our seaside special. They have created an online ad (see below) and have also commissioned renowned artist, Dr John Cooper Clarke, to create a new poem, the Nation’s Ode to the Coast, to celebrate the sea.
They are asking all of us to help finish this poem by sharing what the coast means to us using #lovethecoast. So come on – help the National Trust to keep maintaining the 775 miles of coastline that they are responsible for, so that we can all still enjoy our coastal walks and the majestic beauty of our wonderful country.
The poem so far:
Nation’s Ode to the Coast by Dr John Cooper Clarke
A big fat sky and a thousand shrieks
The tide arrives and the timber creaks
A world away from the working week
Ou est la vie nautique?
That’s where the sea comes in…
Dishevelled shells and shovelled sands,
Architecture all unplanned
A spade n bucket wonderland
A golden space, a Frisbee and
The kids and dogs can run and run
And not run in to anyone
Way out! Real gone!
That’s where the sea comes in
Impervious to human speech, idle time and tidal reach
Some memories you can’t impeach
That’s where the sea comes in
A nice cuppa splosh and a round of toast
A cursory glance at the morning post
A pointless walk along the coast
That’s what floats my boat the most
That’s where the sea comes in….
That’s where the sea comes in
I love the Cornish coast and in particular the Lizard on the south coast, Kynance Cove, the Helford River, and of course Lizard point which is the most southerly place in the United Kingdom. Let us know your favourite parts of the British coastline.