At about 1pm we figured we should go and hunt down some lunch. The Riverside Restaurant in West Bay seemed like a good idea so we lowered our heads to the wind, climbed into the car and set off, oars at the ready.

The food, of course, was divine, apart from the crème brulee which, unfortunately had a plum mixed in with the custard and the sugar top was a thin piece of toffee. Still, the brill was brill and the smoked salmon was delish.

Afterwards we popped into St John's church, there being no wedding on. Mirinda did notice that the flowers in the vestibule must have been left over from the wedding on Saturday as the colour scheme matched the bridesmaids.

Not a very old church, St John's was completed in 1939. It's a typical seaside church with little sailing ships decorating the walls. To quote the booklet which says it better than I ever could: "…St John's has a quietness, a beauty, and a charm of its own. Its design is simple, yet graceful, and it gives the impression of light and harmony."

We then decided it would be a very good idea to compare Seaton in Devon with Seatown in Dorset. These two seaside spots are separated by a county border, Lyme Regis and the letter 'w'. It seemed a very good idea. Incidentally, as we drove towards Seaton, the clouds vanished and the sun beamed through.

Seaton, Devon
Seaton doesn't look the kind of place we'd stay in. It resembles the sort of place that attracts pensioners and people in wheelchairs. In fact the ramp to the beach warns wheelchair users that the big gates come down at 9pm and there's no escape afterwards.

The town itself, which seems quite big, has a lovely pedestrianised road leading from the top of the town down to the beach. Unfortunately a whacking great truck was busy filling it up as we tried to walk down and then a big 4WD parked on a footpath. So much for that great idea! The stores we managed to see through the traffic were all a bit unappealing as were the locals standing outside the famous George Inn.

Down at the beach, the views of the cliffs are excellent, as you'd expect long this coast. The long stretch of beach huts was very colourful. The sea was rough and crashing. All very lovely. A lot of couples were wandering along the promenade, obviously having sat out the storm earlier.

There's an interesting electric tramway which runs from Seaton to Colyton about every 15 minutes. Unfortunately the land it runs along has been purchased by Tesco so, presumably, the car park will one day belong to them and eventually the tram will have to move. Still, it would be a nice day out if you were stuck in Seaton and wanted to get away.

Mirinda describes it as "a bit of a dump."

Seatown, Dorset
Seatown couldn't be more different if it was turned into an elephant. The narrow sunken lane, topped with hedges gives no clue as to your destination. At the bottom of a steep hill is a car park and then it all opens up. There is no shopping, no busy streets, just a pub and a turning circle and a toilet block. It's enough.

The seas were still crashing and spraying in the late afternoon sun as a fair sprinkling of people wandered about, or sat in the beer garden enjoying the dying rays of what was turning into a lovely early evening. The views along the coast are of tall, towering cliffs, rising up from wide expanses of shingle beach.

Mirinda describes it as "beautiful, sparkly."

Really, there is no comparison.