Muggers, doggers, buggers and joggers...

I went for a ride on my bike when I got in from work tonight. I didn't want to get to the pool too early because it tends to be a bit full and manic between 5:00pm and 7:00pm. By the time I arrived (after a little browse through Ikea), people seemed to be getting out and for the best part of my swim,  I had a lane to myself.

It was such a beautiful evening this evening that, after my swim, I cycled the long way home via Pont Y Werin then out to Cardiff Bay Barrage and then back into the Bay via the footbridge by the Norwegian Church.

I was surprised by the number of people I passed on my way around. It seemed that half the population of Cardiff had decided to visit the barrage at about 8:00pm tonight. And after a muggy, sticky and unpleasant overcast day, the sky was clear, the sea was like a mill pond and the air was fresh and comfortably warm. Who could blame them?

There were the expected joggers but in numbers so great they were jostling for position, dodgy looking couples sat in parked cars out by the barrage on the Penarth side, a few obviously gay couples walking dogs and some shady types I wouldn't want to bump into on my own in the failing light.

I took the picture on the right tonight at about 8:00pm and, as you can see, everything was very still. On the right is Penarth Head with just a glimpse of the barrage locks before the sweep of the barrage itself. The land that you can see on the horizon are the islands of Flatholm and Steepholm in the Bristol Channel. It was from Lavernock Point to Flatholm (6km) that the first radio signal over open sea was sent on 13 May 1897 by Guglielmo Marconi.

The transmitted message was, "Are you ready?" to which the muggers, doggers, buggers and joggers all replied...