To the east of Herne Bay is Beltinge village. Beyond the village is Bishopstone Glen, a clay cliff face with splendid exposed landforms, the result of the instability of the area. The glen is popular as a geography resource, used by local school and college geography students. It is also home to one of the largest colonies of sand martens in the region. Ness and I would often take our girls to Bishopstone at weekends when they were younger, to search for fossils and sharks teeth.

It can be viewed in relative safety from the promenade. There is a path along the top but some access has been closed off due to slippage. The path leads to Reculver, the most easterly point of Herne Bay, via open rolling fields. The route can also be reached via Bishopstone Lane, which has a small car park at the end, a short walk away. Again, in our youth, Ness and I would walk to the Coastguard building at the cliff side end of Bishopstone Lane (now, sadly gone) and while away the evenings.

Below Bishopstone glen is the Rand, a little strip of shingle going out to sea, similar to Whitstable's Street Stones, albeit much shorter, covered in barnacles and winkles. You can walk along here at low tide for maybe quarter of a mile, although the going underfoot is rather unsteady. Best to wear wellies, though - you have been warned.

Recently, the city council rebuilt the "One Hundred Steps" at Bishopstone Glen. In my lifetime, I remember these being first wooden steps, which were replaced with a concrete set. Mother Nature put paid to both versions and now we have a galvanised steel set, painted black. Whilst looking quite substantial, I wonder:

• How long it will be before vandals get to them or
• how long before the sea claims them and
• if they do get destroyed, whether the council will give up trying to replace them.