One of the best anchorages on the East Coast is off Osea Island on the River Blackwater in Essex where the CQR of my friend’s little gaffer, Almita, touched bottom this weekend past. We had gone there to watch the Blackwater Barge Match and the night before the race I took my crew – Richard, my nine-year-old son, and his pal Thomas O’Kane ashore for a stroll before dinner.

The shingle beach was deserted and the boys explored a rill from a jungle-like copse from which ran fresh water. Their imaginations fired they explored further until they stumbled across Osea’s only house: a grand mansion lurking in the woods.

They came running back as the lowering sun disappeared behind cloud to tell me a ‘ghostly face’ had appeared at an upper storey window.

It was only two days later I discovered that popular singer Amy Winehouse has been resident at the home in order to recuperate from her hectic lifestyle.This is what she’d have seen from her window. Get well soon Amy, we’re big fans.