For the three mornings we were in Cornwall, I got up to go for a walk on the beach. On the final morning, I walked with Gráinne and Amanda. When we turned to go back, I looked at our incoming footprints.

The set furthest away from the ocean belonged to Amanda.

‘Your footprints are quite deep,’ I commented, surprised because Amanda is a smallish person.

‘I’m wearing boots,’ she explained.

Gráinne’s footprints were slimmer and lighter. I glanced at her feet and wondered how her white shoes had stayed white during the field trip.

‘Your footprints are deep at the toe,’ they pointed out to me.

I thought about this for a while. ‘It might be because of my dancing. I’m always getting told to push off from my toes.’ I felt pleased that my dance practicing had translated to my beach walking technique.

‘Hey! I’ve got an idea! People could dance on the beach to see if they’re getting their dance steps and footwork right!’

I immediately launched into a samba walk. ‘One. a-Two. One. a-Two…’

I stopped to look back at my trail. ‘Woohoo!’ I shouted. My footprints were properly turned out and deep in the toe. Success!

The most active members of my course got up for a 7 AM jog and swim in the cold Atlantic. Brrr!

We were more civilised and went clambering over the rocks.