My cousin Marion has achieved what nobody in my close family has yet managed – to stay married for forty years. AND she got married on April Fool’s Day – so how does that work?
To celebrate this event, I drove from South Wales up north, stopping over at a Travelodge near Lancaster as I generally can’t do the journey in one go any more. Now, I’m covering old ground here, a route I’ve done many, many times, so new new colouring in my my map of Great Britain’s coastline. But each time I drive from Dumfries to the Isle of Whithorn, my heart sings when I follow the Kirkcudbrightshire coast, cross over the River Cree and head south to that little village at the end of the road. I spent happy years here as a child and teenager, so rediscovering it always puts a smile on my face. 
The harbour we jumped off at full tide; the yearly regatta inching our way along a greasy pole with a pillow to fight an opponent; the Cairn which juts out into the sea where we hid – and more – among the rocks. The local pub 
halfway down the harbour, the bicycle rides to nearby beaches – and freewheeling down Rosie’s Bray before they built any houses nearby. Memories.
I stayed the night with the long-married couple and the following morning took to the coast road again to pick up relatives arriving by train at Stranraer. This road follows the beautiful Luce Bay which is bordered on the west by the Rhins peninsula and by the Machars on the east, with the Isle at its tip. You could forget about the outside world here, it’s so peaceful with seldom a car passing you on the road.
Back at the Isle the family gathered from other parts of Scotland , 
England and Wales, together with local friends, and came together in the newly built cafe with its wall of windows looking out over the harbour. A wonderful evening, celebrating a lovely couple and catching up with people not seen for years. 
Patamateria 