picking periwinkles by the pier

had a superb half hour with the kids & kim, on the little beach next to mumbles pier.

Mumbles

This reminded me of the times I used to go there with my great grandmother, or Ma, as she was known.

We would collect periwinkles & whelks, take them home to 41 Woodville road, & boil them up on top of the stove.

Ma would then produce a pin, and proceed to eat them, one by one, dipping them in a saucer of vinegar & pepper.

I could never face eating one myself.

Martin has reminded me of the pleasure of getting a whole one out of its shell, intact, and seeing thier spiral bodies

wikipedia - Periwinkle

wikipedia - Whelk




THE RADULA OF A WHELK. This rasping organ which is used rather like a flexible file is used to graze seaweed. For a mouthpart it constitutes a formidable tool. Viewing is greatly improved by the "blue" selenite slip. The whelk radula can be mounted after extraction and cleaning from the "mouth area" by dissection and immersion in a solution of sodium hyroxide, although this substance is very caustic, and very dangerous to the eyes in particular. It should only be done by those with experience in handling caustic materials in a safe place like a fume cupboard.

euchhh!!