Wallasea Island

We left Brightlingsea this morning around 8am to head for Wallasea Island. Wallasea island is a very special place for us, again the connection being scooters. It sits on the River Crouch and is surrounded by small creeks. It's a place we would probably never of found if it hadn't been for a scared petrol attendant and a police escort! Way back in the depths of time - probably around 1997. Myself, Martyn and our Friend Tim set off for Southend Scooter rally. I can only hope we had set off around teatime on the Friday as we found ourselves on the outskirts of Southend in a petrol station around midnight. We hadn't booked a B&B we had just taken some camping gear with the intention of finding a campsite. Considering the time neither option looked good! Tim suggested sleeping around the back of the petrol station but one look on the attendants face told us it wouldn't be our wisest move. Then we noticed him on the phone, looking at us in terror - oh no he's calling the police! I have no idea why - Three people on scooters wearing pilot jackets, combat boots and Dr Martins - what's to be scared of? Martyn thought quickly and decided to try and be as nice as possible to the attendant and ask if there was a campsite nearby. Just as he did so the police turned up! He asked our intentions and advised us that he would escort us to the nearest campsite. So off we went, with a a police escort, out of town, into the darkness of the Essex countryside. It was so dark and the corners were heavy going, we did wonder if we would ever been seen again! Once we stopped he pointed into the darkness beyond a gate. "Camp up there and pay in the morning - I'll be ringing them to check you have done!" Glad to be still alive we put up the tent - a three man tent with three in it and all the riding gear - very cosy! We shared the four cans of beer we had brought with us and tried to get some sleep. The noises in the night were very unnerving, strange squawk's and rustling noises, we wondered were on earth we could be. We woke early and stuck our heads out of the tent and were met by an amazing scene. There we were, in the middle of a field with a creek running through it. There were swans, moorhens, grebe. All manner of wildlife - we had been escorted to Wallasea Island. We packed up and paid. We were told that the policeman had rung up just to check....!
That was the start a new yearly routine. We began to take our main holiday at the end of August starting with the Isle of Wight scooter rally and ending with Mersea Island. Brighton was one of the stop off points in between and Wallasea became the other. We introduced our 'Uncle Tubbs' to the place, we met him at Brighton and he decided to join us there, a great night in the local pub cemented our friendship. The following year on the Isle of Wight we met Jeannie and Dunfy, they also decided to follow us there and another long standing friendship began. I can't forget our friends from the early days though - mainly Tim and Paddy - we had some great times at Wallasea, it really is a very special place and I am so pleased to be here with my home.
The trip across from Brightlingsea was great, although we did touch the bottom leaving the harbour and nearly ground again about 5 miles out. Can you believe the sea is so shallow so far out? I am an avid depth watcher, to the extent of being a pain to be honest, so I was glad to be out at sea or so I thought!!
We sit overlooking Burnham Upon Crouch on the same pontoon as the houseboats. There are a lot of houseboats here too. It's great to see some variety after mainly seeing sailing Yachts. We feel as though we are among friends again. Tomorrow we will cross the Thames and enter the Medway, I shall let you know how that goes!