Stormy Southwold

We were all packed up and left the Wagon Store by 9.00. It was a great base for our stay in Southwold and we left a thank-you message for Sue and Eric. It wasn’t until we drove down to the harbour to get a crab from Samantha K to take home that we realised how stormy the sea was. We were surprised to still see hardy bathers …

Anyway, Chris was in his element taking photos, and talking to strangers (hello Clare!) but eventually we had to get on the road.

We did make one stop, for a coffee at the Maltings in Snape as being so close, we felt we ought to look round. Once used to malt barley for the brewing of beer, the Maltings became redundant in the 1960’s and Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears converted the largest malthouse into a concert hall. This gave a permanent home to the famous Aldeburgh Festival of classical music which is held each June and later additional buildings were converted into a centre to educate and support young musicians. Today there is a collection of shops, galleries and restaurants which we wandered round. We saw an underwhelming exhibit by Maggi Hamling, and some rather swanky shops selling goods that wouldn’t have been out of place in Liberty’s or Fortnums and had coffee and some delicious cake.