All Things Considered

Contain Yourselves

Spending a week in a static caravan has made me think that having a sea container for a holiday home would actually be quite possible. Back in April when it was hot and sunny, I remember driving around the the narrow Norfolk roads gazing at the beautiful countryside and having a vision of owning a re-vamped shipping container tucked in some idyllic meadow ready for weekend getaways. There would be no electricity, but there would be gas fired lights and fridge, clever storage and open views.

On holiday, I got thinking of the parallels between the static caravan we stayed in and sea shipping containers that have been converted for habitation I'd seen in an article a while back. These containers come in varying sizes up to 12m x 2.4m, stack like Lego and with clever use of internal space and window positioning can feel remarkable spacious. There's people out there already doing it - stacking these rudimentary metal structures next to and on top of each other and living in them. I came across a website, Fabprefab which really intrigued me. It shows examples of architect designed shipping container homes from all over the world - some in outstanding locations. Being solid, functional objects, sea containers are also relatively cheap to obtain - making them a fairly affordable choice. They could be the answer to key worker affordability or shipped to areas in need of emergency shelter or even, as in Africa, turned into shops and hair salons.

Urban Space Management have built several housing projects using sea containers, one of them being the much published Container City II in Trinity Wharf, East London. Brightly coloured containers are stacked at jaunty angles, some with balcony's and most with porthole windows.

Squat lobsters

On our our trip to the beautiful Applecross peninsula on the West coast of Scotland we finally got a chance to eat at the Kishorn Seafood Bar - close to the Loch Kishorn.

We watched the spectacular landscape pictured here disappear under a thick blanket of cloud as we sat down to a bowl of squat lobster tails freshly caught in the loch.

Related to hermit crabs they apparently aren’t in demand for export but I can’t think why as I think they were better than any prawn or langoustine I’ve tasted.

A cup of tea seemed  to go very well though there is a wine list. If you're ever anywhere in the north west of Scotland, this is a place that's well worth the detour.

Cornish Cove

On Friday, I caught up with Simon at St. Jude's Gallery as he was busy hanging prints for this month's exhibition, 'Impressed 2 - A Celebration of British Printmaking'. We have all been away in various parts of the British Isles over August and September but are all now back in Norfolk. Unlike Simon and Angie, we don't leave Norfolk very often but our long awaited two week holiday in Devon and Cornwall was just perfect. I'd never been to the South West before and have totally fallen in love with it, especially Cornwall.

The beaches, coves and enchanting fishing villages, like everyone had told me, were charming and very much enhanced by the perfect, cloudless blue skies. Having seen numerous postcards for sale of a stunning unknown beach to us, National Trust owned, Kynance Cove near the Lizard, we decided we must head there.

We arrived there late in the afternoon, just as both the tide and crowds were ebbing away. We had a cuppa at the award winning environmentally sound cafe, thought about the prospect of renting the cottage next door and marvelled at the quality and ecological design of the public facilities on this cliff top spot. The tiles on the cafe are half slate and half solar slate. The buildings walls have been insulated with wool and the new toilets have their own flush system. They call it 'biobubble', which I quote is 'a self-contained, fully biological and ultraviolet treatment system for treating sewage and café waste, to ensure high quality water standards for beach users'.

It's an amazing spot, the walk to the beach on the buggy/wheelchair path took us 15 minutes but one that is full of excitement and anticipation. When we arrived on the main beach, the tide had receded enough for us to wade around the headland to a be on a white sandy beach with turquoise waters and fabulous smugglers caves. It honestly felt like some where far more remote and tropical than Cornwall and if the perfect weather was always guaranteed, I think we would never leave Britain again.