A couple of weekends ago when I was walking the dogs, I noticed just how unusually calm the ocean was. Living so close to the sea, you occasionally take it for granted and blithely wander about in your own small universe; on other days it grabs your attention and won’t let go. Generally speaking that would be on a weekend like the one just gone, when the waves crash, the surf tumbles, the sound is in your head…. but once in a while it is the total stillness that settles an uncanny, supernatural feeling on you. This was one of those days.

The horizon had vanished; in places the sun glinting on the water made it look as though there were rivers falling off the end of the world. The reflections and light played tricks on the eyes, making colours blend and edges blur. Even the presence of a tiny sailing boat couldn’t make the picture maintain a reality.

It was magical.