New Year Outings

After my visit to Somerset at the beginning of December, there followed a period when I didn't get out at all. The onset of colder days, poorer weather and of course the family demands of the festive season all combined to reduce the opportunities available. In addition to this, one aspect of my TG social life firmly ran into a brick wall. I don't intend to write about this at the present time, but it did have a definite effect on my attitude to the social side of being a trans woman.

Before I knew where I was, it was the end of January 2013 and I realised that I hadn't stepped out of the house as Susan for over six weeks. So, it was time to do something about it.



Windswept in Rochester

Return to Rochester

In August 2012 I had passed through Rochester whilst in that part of Kent and had hoped to stop and visit the cathedral. However, being the height of the summer (and with weather to match) parking proved to be impossible. So now, in mid-winter I decided to try again.  This time  I was in luck, at least as far as parking was concerned as the number of tourists was what you'd expect in mid-winter. The trouble was the weather matched the time of year too.

Having parked the car and paid for a ticket I was just making my way towards the town centre when the heavens opened. So it was back to the car to change into my boots. Quite how these were going to help may not be immediately clear, but one thing you discover quickly when going out in a dress or a skirt is how much you are aware of rain on your legs.

So now booted, I headed off towards the town centre again and the historic cathedral. The first port of call was the cathedral refectory for a much needed coffee. Then it was on into the cathedral proper. Rochester is one of those places that has resisted imposing entrance fees. Of course those fees are there to help towards the upkeep of these ancient buildings and I often wonder if free admission encourages greater generosity when it comes to making a voluntary donation.



Down in the Crypt

The cathedral itself dates from the 7th century although the current building was started in the late 11th. The overall impression I got was how small it is in comparison with other medieval cathedrals I've been to. This is not in any way to detract from Rochester. It's size and proportions give it a warm feeling that is perhaps absent in larger buildings.

I enjoyed my visit and was treated well at all times. After leaving a had a short stroll along the high street before heading back to the car. My next stop was an out of town shopping centre at Sittingbourne, where I wanted to visit BHS & M&S. I didn't get what I wanted at M&S but the visit to BHS was successful. Afterwards I had a steady drive back across Kent in what had turned out to be a rare sunny day and for me the prefect first outing of the year.

Down to the Seaside

A week after my trip to Rochester I was out again. I try to get at least one femme day out each week, although circumstances (and weather) don't always make it possible. As is often the case at this time of the year I initially found it difficult to come up with a destination, which is a pity as I think on these occasions it's always a good idea to have a plan for the day when you leave the house. Another problem I had to contend with was a bad pain in my left knee which had started the night before. It was an old injury that had cropped up and if I'd had any sense I would have cancelled my day out. But I wasn't going to let that happen.

So eventually I decided on Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex. Shoreham is an ancient settlement at the mouth of the River Adur on the English Channel coast of West Sussex. The original settlement can be traced back to pre-roman times although the name is of Old English origins and the current layout and situation owe much to the Normans. The mouth of the River Adur has altered much over the centuries, largely due to Long Shore Drift.

This has resulted in a huge shingle bank about four miles in length just off the shore. The river now flows out through the haven created by this beach and enters the sea through a modern channel about mid-way along the beach. The eastern arm of this haven is a heavily industrialised port whilst the western arm is quieter and leads up river. One result of this geography is that the river as gradually silted up over the years which has resulted in the town being moved about one mile nearer to the sea. These two settlements became known as Old & New Shoreham, although nowadays they form one large town.

The two Shorehams  each have their own ancient parish churches although both are very old and one of the reasons for my trip was to visit them. But the town has some modern attractions too and one of these is one of the largest branches of Marks and Spencer in the area at a retail park on the edge of the town. So I could hardly visit the area without taking in a bit of shopping there. There were plenty of fabulous items in store but in the end all I bought was a pair of knickers (vital, but nice all the same).



New Shoreham Church

Then it was on into the town proper and after parking I made my way to the New Shoreham parish church. I'd just about reached it when I realised that my camera had been left in the car, so back I had to go. That sorted out, I returned to the church for a look around. The church you can see today is in fact the remaining half of what was originally a much larger building. The church used to have a large nave at the west end, but this fell into disuse in medieval times leaving the east end as the parish church. Why such a huge building was provided for a relatively small community is not clear, but some think the original intention was to establish a priory on the site. But this never happened.

Sadly for the modern casual visitor very little of the church is accessible as most of it is closed off behind railings and a gate. If you really wanted access to the whole building then there was a phone number to call, but otherwise you are restricted to a small area near to the entrance. No doubt this is a sign of the times we live in.



The Entrance to Shoreham Harbour

After the church  I had a wander through the town down to the waterfront, where I enjoyed just sitting in the sunshine for while. On the way back I took in a second-hand bookshop as well as some charity shops. Then it was back to the car and on to Old Shoreham. The church is located in what is now a quiet residential part of the town and thankfully there was full access to the building.

It's a smaller and indeed darker place but as is always the case there is an overwhelming sense of history in the stones, Parish churches may not have the splendour and size of a cathedral. but I always feel myself thinking about the countless generations that have used the building and stood in the same place as me.

The final port of call (terrible pun) was the entrance to Shoreham Harbour on Shoreham Beach. As I mentioned earlier, the harbour is formed from a huge shingle beach which has been cut in two by the river/harbour entrance. The western arm of this beach is called Shoreham Beach and is the site of a large residential area. Most of the housing is relatively recent and if you went back 100 years the place would have been very wild and undeveloped. Facing the sea on this western arm is Shoreham Fort, which dates from the period of concern about the French in the 1850's. Today the seaward defence wall remains and the site has an enthusiastic group of volunteers who care for it.

So, that was about it for my day out. All that remained was a steady drive back home. By this time my knee was really painful and was soon to result in a visit to the doctor. The worse part was that along with some pretty dodgy weather, it would keep me from going out for a few weeks.

More to come later, but thank you for reading this.

Susan XXX