Shades of grey

 Fifty shades of grey, the not so white Isle of Wight early this morning.......

 plenty of live steam action at Swanage station......

 once a hugely busy working port for Portland Stone, now home to many new waterside developments......

 but there are constant references to its proximity to the sea.......

 let's hope there are more mackerel in these waters than those around Mount's Bay at the moment.....

 always popular with the visitors......

 and a plethora of multi-coloured footwear set the summery scene.....

 the local Italian restaurant is well into its seafood menu.......

 as is the music scene.......

 and the ever popular Fish Plaice, wonder if they supply Wordsworth House........

 its also time for the well supported Swanage Lifeboat Week, a myriad of events all in aid of the gallant lads and lasses who man the local lifeboat.......

 only fait to give the local meat man a mention to show that TtG is not wholly biased......

 the local art reflects the interest in all things nautical.....

 and don't get caught out and forget that the Swanage Bay fresh fish shop is closed at 3pm and 2pm on a Wednesday

 even the Cornish mussels compete with the Devonian Lyme Bay crab.......

Swanage in the sun

Even the seaweed in Swanage is different........

and many of the owners of these boats will be round the corner of Durlston Head at Weymouth looking for Ben Ainslie to come away with another gold for Team GB.......

the old pier has not quite disappeared yet......

Old Harry rocks provide a dramatic backdrop.......

as the classic steamer Balmoral makes her way to the pier at Swanage.......

amazing how so many fish boxes from Newlyn boats end up around the coast - this Icelandic Pers box is one of 1000 that were once aboard the trawler Dumnonia (lost east side of the Shetlands as the Annandale).......

there are Union Jacks in abundance........

Swanage is big in the diving world, here another pupil gets her first session for the PADI course.......

what's in a name, the town is home to many elderly residents who enjoy a quintessentially English seaside life of sun, sea sand and 7Sandbanks.........

must be something going on nearby.......

good to see Swanage Bay Fish still giving locals and visitors supplies of local fish.

Gone for gold

Most popular posts box in Penzance looks resplendent in the afternoon sun......

How annoying is it when someone points out a bit you missed?!.......

Some big French yachts take shelter in PZ dock........

it's a pretty blustery day at the pool.......

and time for the Sea Spray to get the other half of her hull scrubbed off.......

the best mackerel in the west.......

wondering what the collective noun for fish buyers is........

as the morning's fish auction draws to a close........

stacked and ready to go.......

a good haul of those hand line mackerel......

the last landing for the local beamer Chloe T which will soon be fishing from its new home of Brixham......

another bottom scrub sits on the quay.........

no prizes for guessing what this boat catches for a living, they are cast in steel on the bow.......

notes of congratulation in many of the Newlyn shops, home to team GB's first Olympic gold medal......

with special cheese on offer........

and a hugely impressive sign created for the window of the World Famous Jelbert's Ice Cream.......

they're coming to take him away haha........

nearly ready to open that bar......

more gold shining in the afternoon sun.

First Olympic gold Post Box in the UK - in Penzance!

The UK's first golden POst Box is being created outside the Dock Inn pub by Penzance Harbour in honour of rower Helen Glover's outstanding Olympic achievement yesterday - team GB's first gold medal and the first ever medal for women's rowing events.

The Post Office has also promised to put celebratory stamps on sale at the town's main post office toady - less than 24 hors after the medal was won - another first!

Get your Gold Olympic 99 at Jelbert's Ice Cream in Newlyn!

Grab one of those now world famous Olympic Gold 99s at Jelbert's in Newlyn and you too can be a top athlete like Helen Glover!