The area of beach the other side of the café was in an equally bad way. Most people had gone by this point, but a hardcore few pushed on, mindful that the tide would soon be turning. Sam had stayed at the café, ostensibly to help Sophie, but really because it was too difficult for him to carry on.

‘Walking on sand is bloody hard work,’ he had told me, as he thumped the bottom of his prosthetic leg in frustration. ‘But it’ll be easier when I get my new one fitted.’

‘You’ll outrun us all then,’ I told him.

It didn’t even cross my mind that I would most likely be long gone before he had it.

‘Well, I don’t know about that,’ he smiled, ‘but it will be nice to be able to keep up.’

There was a storage shed next to the bins behind the café and we lugged all the rubbish in there, sorting it as best we could, ready for it be collected the next week. The local councillor Hope had been in touch with hadn’t been able to make the inaugural clean, but she had pledged to post the photographs Hope had taken on the council website and social media accounts to raise awareness, as well as promising everything would be correctly disposed of. She had also said she would come along to the next event and bring a local journalist with her.

‘Not bad for one day’s work,’ said Hope, standing back to look at the unsavoury array of what had been gathered. ‘I’m hoping it won’t take anywhere near as long next time.’

‘And I’m hoping there won’t be anywhere near as much stuff,’ Sophie tutted.

I looked back along the beach towards the rockpools.

‘Oh damn,’ I said.

‘What?’ Sam asked.

‘No one got that barrel out, did they?’

It was the biggest piece of litter I’d seen anywhere along the stretch of beach, and because I knew I couldn’t deal with it on my own, I’d completely forgotten about it.

‘Too late now,’ said Hope, looking at her watch. ‘Maybe we could have a go at it tomorrow.’

‘Yes,’ I agreed, ‘it’s probably going to need digging out.’

‘Oh, come on,’ said Sam, rallying himself as well as us. ‘Let’s give it a go now. There’s still time if we hurry.’

Hope drove us back along the seawall as far as the groyne where the barrel was wedged and then carried on to the pub to say Sam would be back soon to take over from the lad who had been holding the fort. Sam had tried to call, but there wasn’t a strong enough mobile signal so he opted to let Hope rush back so he could stay and help me.