A Christmas Carol Post ..but with great expectations and a touch of the Whos! 

Hurry, hurry, hurry! Yes, there are ONLY twelve more 24hr shopping days until we hit the  C-Day! Ah’ but then we slash the prices of everything you’ve just bought and move onto the Boxing Day Sale.. and then more off for the New Years Sales, followed by a sharp and painful rise in prices, as we romp into Valentines and surprisingly early Easter Egg sales.. don’t you just love Retail Therapy!

Oh boy, how much more can you and your bank accounts take? It’s a good job that it’s the weekend.. we need one to take a break from it all. 

I’m guessing that’s probably not the best start for a post from a Toy Shop but it does all become a little ‘mad’ at this time of year. Our Postman is pushing a trolley the size of Santa’s Sleigh, the courier company drivers are all looking rather shattered and driving over people’s gardens and verges, just to save time.  Our local heroin’s, Neha and Nina in the Ferry Road Post Office’  are overrun with Happy Shoppers returning the Ama-eBay-Vint-Place parcels, just as fast as they’ve arrived, which has doubled the length of the Christmas queue at the PO counters all over the country! It  would appear that ‘Peace and Goodwill to all Men’ (or ‘persons’) has gone right out of the window and ‘Work’em till they Drop’ has taken its place. Just change the clothes and the delivery apparatus and it would all be looking rather Dickensian out there. 

So, why not shop local and give someone a nice Poncho, as a useful gift.. https://www.surfladle.com/towels-and-ponchos

(Think I slipped that in there quite nicely..) 

The postman and I (almost the Royal ‘we’) are so glad that the rain has stopped, all be it for a short spell. It’s a fact that its generally not so good regarding the wind when the rains cease (today has been OK, 18-20kt Sou’West)  but there is only so much ‘watering’ one needs in their life. I am guessing those reservoirs that were down to their last few precious litres a couple of months back, are now desperately  flushing the H2O down their ‘plug holes’ (that’s honestly the official name for the overflow!  ). It’s quite amazing how nature always seems to balance things up in the UK. If we ever get a long dry spell, as we did during the early summer, she just wades in and makes sure it’s paid for in full, by an accompanying monsoon season.  I know it’s only been rain free for a couple of days but for those Christmas tree traders and for the guys who do the Chainsaw Art, up at Upper Beeding roundabout, they must think they are in Nirvana right now.  DRY after two weeks of a daily hose down. Did someone say we need the rain..? 

The shop sale and where we are with it. We had a very interested party, a kitesurfer from Hove, who I am sure would have made a great job of taking the Megastore onto its next chapter but sadly, that’s not looking as though it will happen now. So, we are going to re-market it in the New Year and keep our fingers crossed that we can find a buyer. It will be a sad day if Shoreham Beach does not have a Watersports shop. Sorry  it’s not better news.. Do drop us a line, if you are interested! 

Now, what’s occurring with the penultimate Weekend’s Weather, on this dark wintery eve (is that a chain I hear rattling.. or someone's exhaust falling off?). 

Saturday, woe is me. After a week of winds from the right direction and all be it ‘light’ in comparison to what we’ve had, Nor’West 4-5kt is not going to make many smile.. but there again, it may. Guru are forecasting a 17 second wave period, all be it with a slightly small 0.6m wave.. one and a half foot in old money. If you are really keen to go surfing, maybe head West, as you may find it slightly better over at East Wittering (surf-forecast.com. says probably not, as giving 0.7m.. every inch matters ) . Locally, SUP boarders and foils may get a bit of fun though.. early doors looks best on the charts but as High is at 5.34hrs on a 5.2m, I’m guessing there won’t be much in it, unless you want to take a waterproof head torch. Wind will switch to Sou’West during the late morning but only rising to 6-9kt.  No rain though and a top temp of 11°C. 

Sunday, normal service is resumed, as we kick off with a Guru forecast showing 16-20kt of Sou’West Wind,  which will liven’up to 17-24kt early afternoon (Met say 12-20kt all day). That should be Ok for Shoreham but watch the launching and landing if you are windsurfing, as it’s a Neap. I doubt if there will be much of a trench to ‘drop into’ but the side-shore rip may also be lurking (top tip.. watch a swimmer and see how quickly they drift away ). Once again, no rain currently shown and the Met say 12°C.. whoop!

High Tide is at 6.36hrs, again on a 5.2m (the afternoon tide on Sat and Sun is a 4.9m).

And that’s it for the 12th of the12ths ramble. I’m looking forward to a dry and pleasant stroll across the 'marsh' to the pub tonight, as last week was particularly hard going, what with the mud, strong winds blowing the loose bits off the trees and the rain coming from all possible angles… the things some people do for a Friday evening’s entertainment. 

Have a great weekend and most of all, just enjoy what you already have... as in what you've already bought, as the rest of the Christmas shopping will have to wait. 

Goodnight.. Pip