Sara Maitland

A day on the beach offers freedom, beauty and childlike fun, whatever your age

- Lynn Hatzius

On the evening of my mother's funeral, the weather was glorious and we decided to go for a picnic on our favourite beach. Regular readers will know I have an enormous family, plus - on this occasion - my ancient aunt, my mother's best friend, On the evening of my mother's funeral, the weather was who had come from the USA, and her son, who had delivered a moving eulogy in the church.

Because we live on the Galloway coast, we are all used to the extremes of the tide. At high tide on this particular beach, you can dive safely off the cliffs into deep water and, at low tide, even quite small people can paddle out across the sand to an island about a half mile off the shore. We had a lovely evening.