WHEN I WAS A CHILD MY FATHER TOLD ME
THAT WHEN ANYONE GOES ON THE BEACH ALONE IN THE DARK
MAYBE TO CHECK THE PEGS (A METHOD OF CATCHING FISH.)
THEY SHOULD TAKE TWO TORCHES
SO THAT FROM THE SHORE
PEOPLE MAY THINK THERE WAS TWO PEOPLE ON THE BEACH AND THAT THERE WOULD BE LESS CHANCE OF THEM COMING AND TRYING TO STEAL THE FISH,
AFTER LAST NIGHT'S MYSTERY MAN ON THE BEACH...
I BOUGHT A SECOND TORCH, ONE THAT WOULD HANG ON MY COAT AND FROM A DISTANCE IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TWO PEOPLE.
IT HAD BEEN A LOVELY WEATHER DAY BUT THE SEA WAS ROUGH AS A STORM WAS ON THE WAY.
THE DOG AND I WALKED TO THE BEACH
AND LIT THE TWO LIGHTS
THE NIGHT WAS WARM BUT THE SEA WAS ROUGH AND SOUNDED FANTASTIC AS WE APPROACHED THE TIDE.
ODDLY UPTO THE SOUTH THE WAS ANOTHER TORCH MAN ON THE BEACH.
THEN TO THE NORTH THERE WAS A FLASHY LIGHT THE ON BEACH SIMILAR TO THOSE USED ON CYCLES.
A NO TORCH/HI VIZ COAT MAN PASSED BY AT SOME DISTANCE.
THE BEACH WALK WAS RELAXING
AS I CAME OFF THE BEACH AND JOINED THE PROM ANOTHER MAN APPEARED FROM THE SHADOWS.
"WHAT ARE THOSE LIGHTS?"
IT TURNS OUT HE WAS A SINGER WHO HAD COME TO SEATON CAREW IN THE DARK
TO SING AT A LOCAL PUB.
HE THOUGHT ALL THE SHIPS ANCHORED OFFSHORE AND THEIR LIGHTS WAS ANOTHER TOWN, ACROSS THE WATER.
WE CHATTED ABOUT DOGS,WORK,THE SEA ,THE RIVER AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS 31 MILES FROM WHERE HE LIVED IN WASHINGTON TO SEATON CAREW, THEN IT WAS TIME FOR HIM TO GO AND SING .
HE SHOOK MY HAND AS HE SAID GOODBYE.
IT WAS A GOOD CHAT,
BEACH BUOY.
:-(
