A place by the sea

A stunning crisp and sunny day greets me as I head out along parts of the South Coast I probably haven't seen since I was a small boy, if indeed at all. First up is Poole.

Driving around Sandbanks - the really posh bit of the south coast and apparently some of the most expensive real estate on the planet - I can see why Harry Redknapp didn't take the Newcastle job. The north east is lovely, but on a beautiful sunny day the views across Poole Harbour are difficult to beat. Bizarrely, whilst driving around Poole Bay on such a crispy, clear and sunny winter's morning I'm somewhat reminded of Vancouver...

After a pootle around Poole - really strangely Poole High Street has a level crossing slap in the middle of it - and coffee and cake at the lovely LopLop Gallery Cafe, I head further around the coast. Unfortunately I can't go to the ghost village of Tyneham - well it is in the middle of a military firing range - but end up in Swanage.

There is something bittersweet about visiting coastal towns out of season. The delight of having the place almost to yourself on such a beautiful day is tempered by the thought that the place has seen better times. Swanage is a beautiful location and must have been amazing to have seen in its heyday when the train unloaded all the holidaymakers. It still retains a charm, but given you can fly across Europe for cheaper than a return train fare from London to Gatwick, it's fair to say that it's unlikely Swanage - like many once great seaside resorts - will see the glory days again.