I had always promised myself that I would live by the sea one day. With retirement being too far away, I compromised by moving a short cycle ride from Southsea beach. There is a small price to pay as I still travel 100 miles a day return journey teaching art in a school!
Where I once woke up to the sound of the sparrow's song and the coo of rooftop pigeons, I now experience the squawk of greedy oversized seagulls. My car seems more covered by bird excrement than ever before, but this is a small price for my lifestyle change. Fresh-cut village grass has been traded in for the smell of the sea, with parts of the seafront letting off the occasional waft of fish and chips.