There was a lull in the conversation, a comfortable period of silence between the three of us, each thinking our own writerly thoughts, coffee having been drunk, birthday cake shared and presents opened. We were in a café on the seafront, a favourite place to meet because it has splendid coffee, snacks, meals and particularly breakfast, the staff are lovely and efficient, and there’s always something to look at and watch. The Bay Café is in what was the old open-air swimming pool which stretched out over the beach; it is no longer a pool, sadly, but from time to time is used as a venue for events. The café does not look out over the sea, but over the promenade, so sitting by the window we watched people, holiday-makers and locals stroll past.
It was pleasantly busy, at one point nearly every table was taken, and then there were lulls as people left and before others arrived. We spent a pleasant morning there and it was interesting to watch the ebb and flo of different customers. On the table next to us a family arrived with two very small boys, one about nine months old, the other maybe nearly two. I was struck by how happy and well-behaved these two little ones were. Interested in all that was happening around them, staring with that direct focus of very young children, their blues eyes wide with wonder. They were jolly little fellows and their parents were jolly people too. They departed and three older people arrived, two who were possibly residents of a nearby care home (there are many in Weston) and two who were carers. They seemed to be having a nice time too, breakfast for two of them, fish and chips for a carer, and fish fingers for the other lady.
Behind us there was a bustle and chatter of lots of people – were they in a meeting, were they a group or club, were they workers who’d come in for refreshments? I don’t know, they were behind me! Two people came and sat on the table next to us; one had a t-shirt on announcing that it was his birthday and a mock front-page of a newspaper bringing the same news. Happy birthday, Stuart! He enjoyed, his beans, sausages and chips, tucking in energetically. A big party of people came in, more care-home residents out for a walk with their carers and needing coffee – sadly there were too many of them to find tables, so they all trooped out again to find somewhere else.
Eventually it was time to go, one of us wandering into town to look round a bookshop and then catch a film, the other two of us heading home, a lift very kindly given even though I’d anticipated walking – it did look as though it might rain! We will definitely see each other next Tuesday, writing group in the morning, a celebration lunch, and then quiz night at the Dolphin! It’s a plan!
Lois Elsden 