A Lancing Perspective—Then and Now

 

Title: Changing Seasons, Changing Shores

While the rain has kept me indoors this week, I’ve been digging through my digital archives. It is fascinating how a single folder of photographs can act as a bridge between who we were then and who we are now.

The Shifting Shore I came across some older photos of our coastline, back when the beach was defined by those sculptural, salt-worn timber groynes [see images of eroded groynes]. They were beautiful, heavily weathered pieces of history that served as perches for coastal birds like the Shag—the smaller, more refined cousin of the Cormorant. Seeing these today reminds me of how much the "atmosphere" of our beach has changed since the major engineering works of 2005 replaced the timber with granite rock armour.

A Memory in the Snow It isn't just the coastline that shifts; our seasons have a way of catching us by surprise, too. While this March has been mild enough to get me thinking about "infill" plants like Violas for the garden, I found this reminder from March 2nd, 2018 [see image of dog in snow]. Amber certainly remembers that day! It’s a stark contrast to the green, budding life in my garden panorama from this morning.

Reflecting on the Record Looking back at these files—some from my years with the Adur Nature Notes and the Lancing Nature Gallery—I realise that recording these small, daily observations is more important than ever. Whether it’s a rare Dotted Bee-fly on the Ring or a simple moment in the garden, these snippets are the "living history" of our town.

Does anyone else have photos of the "old" beach, or perhaps a favourite memory of a Lancing snowfall that took us all by surprise? I’d love to hear your stories—let’s keep the "Round Up" growing!