A fairly new cafe on the Westclff promenade. It was the first lockdown before mask-wearing. There were some suspicious looks as people weren't really sure if they should be out or not.
Ocean Beach Restaurant - January 2019.
3 Shells Cafe - late one Summer evening after it had just closed and the lights still switched on.
Rossi's ice cream parlour - a quiet and warm Summer evening during lockdown. One diner was worried I was taking photo's of people breaking lockdown rules.
Old Leigh - the tide dropped and the boat rested on he seabed which kept everything still. It was a big evening for astronomy as the full moon was joined with Venus and Saturn.
Leigh-on-Sea Station. The trains roll in and out, empty. In the background the Winter sun sets over the Thames Estuary.
Trawler - Old Leigh. The rain and mist obscure the background on a very windy cold evening.
Shellfish Shop - Old Leigh. A quiet evening, everything else was shut.
Steps at Leigh-on-Sea Station. A popular place for runners to build their fitness.
Two-Tree Island Golf Range & Cafe. 30th Dec 2020.
Two-Tree Island Golf Range - Abandoned car with tree illuminated by the range spot-lights.
Coastguard hut at Chalkwell. In strict lockdown, this was taken on a bike ride in February 2021. It had rained for days, when the weather cleared the seafront was cold and still.
Lifeguard Station at Chalkwell. A lot of equipment which probably didn't get much use on a Winter evening with the tide out.
Surf Bistro, Chalkwell. I remembered the Summer and a veggie breakfast before windsurfing.
Westcliff Casino. A mild and windy evening on one of the last days of Winter. A big change from the previous week when the sea had frozen.
HMS Wilton with a train passing in the foreground.
During 2020 outdoor photography took a different turn for me. In the evenings there were fewer people around and became the most sensible time to get out and take photographs. At times, activities were so restricted that a cycle to the beach in freezing Winter weather was actually something to look forward to.
