If you told me you were drowning

I took this from about half a mile away.

I miss the pier.

In the old days you could wander down to the harbour, climb the lighthouse and sit on the wall beside it and watch the waves crash at your feet.

The Sunday afternoons I sat there with my Da - he would be checking out the fishermen and I would be watching the sea.

I’ve always loved the sea.

There was a wee pontoon which stuck out about 20’ft before the lighthouse and that was a good place to stand too - to watch the boaties sailing in and out.

I preferred the wild sea - and it’s mysteries.

When the PO ferry started running to Larne from Troon They stopped access to the main pier. They erected fences and stopped all public access down to the beautiful bit of the harbour.

The Navy stopped coming in when they made the pier Roll on Roll Off friendly- it wasn’t deep or clear enough for the mine sweepers to come in.

PO stopped coming in - and then restarted but built on the east wall - and no one was allowed down there either.

And still the main pier remains closed. Mostly because the wood mills store the incoming timber there.

I have spent hours on that wall; I can still feel it’s rough stones under my fingers and scratching my legs as I swung them over. I miss the smell and I miss the taste of salt off my face when I finally decided to clamber down