THE END.

THE END.

Hi, this is the last blog.

It started back in 2009.

For anyone interested here are some facts and figures.

2009 -  24 blogposts.

2010 -  86 blogposts.

2011 -  42 blogposts.

2012 -   7 blogposts.

2013 -   0 blogposts.

2014 -  99 blogposts.

2015 - 235 blogposts.

2016 - 302 blogposts.

2017 - 335 blogposts.

2018 - 337 blogposts.

At the time of writing on New Year's Eve

there have been 96,894 views of the blog.

These are the countries that have viewed it the most.

USA 49,860.

U.K.  18,252.

FRANCE 6,711.

RUSSIA 6,009.

GERMANY 1,777.

PORTUGAL 1,051.

POLAND 920.

UNKNOWN REGION 738.

CANADA 675.

They are the main ones.

There is a little film on you tube of 

2018 BEACH SCENES

there is a link here..

2018 on youtube.

If you have dipped into the Blog 

when you have had time to then thanks.

It will always be here to dip into if required.

It has ended up as some sort of Diary, one which I would never have put to paper.

Well I got THE van finally,
I sat over the Headland in it today.
I should maybe thank my Dad for putting Beaches in my life,
For the exercise it has given me.
the finds,
the sunrises and sunsets.
I parked the van in THE place,
I came here after he died and shouted at the Storm that blew on me that night.
It feels like a lifetime ago.
As I get older, eventually it will be a lifetime ago.

BEACH BUOY
and 
STUBBORN DOG.

AFTER A THINK AND A CHANCE MEETING WITH A GENTLEMEN WHO READ THIS BLOG. I HAVE DECIDED TO CONTINUE IT.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS and HARTLEPOOL HEADLAND 31 DECEMBER 2018.

Beach Buoy put the key in and started up the Van.
Even though the van was old it did have a digital clock.
It glowed 8-08.
BOB thought Beach Buoy.
Beach Buoy, Sweep and Stubborn Dog had an errand to do before the beach, so they set off on the short journey.
It was the time of morning when all of the street lights are turning off for the day.
This morning they all seemed to turning off as their white van passed underneath.
Beach Buoy started to sing Billie Jean by Michael Jackson.
The scene was little like that song's video only in reverse.
Errand done, they headed for the beach.
A former workmate of Beach Buoy's was off to the local shop for his newspaper.
He was walking with a stick now, he had retired a few years ago. 
Beach Buoy turned right along The Front.
Doomed Christmas lights hung from the now unlit lamp posts.
Into the car park they went.
A Council Truck arrived. It looked a little like Noo-Noo off the TV show Teletubbies, a small cleaning truck to Vacuum up all the sea birds that had sheltered on the car park overnight or maybe it was just the wrappers and containers from yesterday's  fish and chips? It was hard to tell in the dim light, the car park was dark and gulls and wrappers were both white.
Beach Buoy hoped the it was Laa-Laa driving and not a
Tipsy Dipsy, after all, they had just passed a Police car on The Front on their way to the beach.
They stepped onto the beach.
The Bus station clock showed 8-20 as the Church bells rang for 8-30.
"Spot on.' thought Beach Buoy.

It was mild.
It was overcast.
A ship slipped out of port, possibly setting sail for a new years eve at sea?
From behind the dunes, the familiar sound of a golf ball being struck.
The beach wasn't deserted by any stretch of the imagination and the people on it today all seemed to wandering aimlessly?
Perhaps looking to see where 2018 had disappeared.
Beach Buoy did find a sea tumbled 2013 but that was thrown straight out to sea.
A rubbish year.
The light was  spectacular in a different way to the norm.
The cloud edges seemed to be gilded?

There was shingle, but no clues to the 2018 mystery.

by Beach Buoy..
it is called... If the beach had a face.

Later in the day it was off to Hartlepool Headland.
It is just across the bay.

The little shed on the pier seemed to have a Cartoon Door?

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS 30 DECEMBER 2018.

It was 8 am.
Four cars in the car park with spaces for maybe two hundred  at least. One of the four was parked in Beach Buoy's favourite spot; the one next to where it states M/C in bold white letters for MY CAMPER-VAN! Or possibly Motorcycle.
The sun hadn't risen fully but there was an Orange glow from its light, reflecting on the damp and dripping promenade wall. 
He headed South with two dogs; Stubborn Dog and ... let us call the other dog Sweep. He sweeps ahead when walking and scans the area as he progresses in a sweeping action.. He also squeaks like Sweep from the tv show, Sooty & Sweep, should you try to stop walking for any length of time.
The tide was around one quarter of the way out.
It was mild; no need for gloves.
Beach Buoy's hands went deep into his pockets, as is his way sometimes; his head was deeper in thought.
It was still dark enough for the red flashing light out in the Bay to be visible as if to say
"CAUTION; SEA SERPENT."
A jogger went by, all in black.
He wore extra baggy shorts which made his legs look very thin; the black leggings didn't help!
"PIPE-CLEANERS!"
was the thought that popped in to Beach Buoy's head.
As a child he was more of a Blue Peter viewer, rarely watching Magpie on the other side.
Memories came back to him.
His Blue Peter badge.
He wrote to ask for more warning when the kids needed "Stock" to make something that they would demonstrate on the show.
They would always be saying you need pipe cleaners, sticky-backed plastic, washing up liquid bottles and the like.
He asked why can't you say, for example. "In three weeks time you need ............" giving the children more time to collect items required, rather than squirting half a bottle of washing up liquid down the sink to be able to claim the container.
He received a Blue Peter Badge and a letter from Biddy Baxter for his troubles and clip around the ear from his Mother for the washing up liquid.
The jogger went as far as the Grey Rocks and headed to the dunes.

Beach Buoy couldn't leave this piece.
He was in the process of returning the vast majority of his finds to the sea. But you can't leave nice bits... can you?
His ashes will be going on the Beach eventually, so all of the returned  pieces will be his again one day.

He continued South.
It was a very clean Beach today.

Beach Buoy clambered up the Grey Rocks a little.
He found a flat, but wet rock to sit on and think.
He soaked up the Sea.
In his mind, not in reality. If he had, then he would have been tempted to walk to Europe.
His Jeans soaked up the damp from the rock; in reality not in his mind.

Stubborn Dog sat and was glad he wasn't getting dragged to Europe!

and Sweep too.
Time passed and it was time to get busy;They headed back.

An aeroplane unzipped the sky and headed for the sun as a large H drifted out to sea.

There was no dramatic sunrise but it was a nice morning when all said and done.

Another piece too nice not to take; an old piece of tile.

Errrr..... and an  "Interesting" brick
GLENBOIG is a village in Scotland.
with a brickworks  apparently.
Click on the link below...
GLENBOIG BRICKWORKS AND MORE.
The jogger returned from the dunes and passed Beach Buoy for the second time.
" Must be off for some sticky-backed plastic?" thought Beach Buoy "He already has the pipe cleaners."

Beach Buoy returned to the Van in the car park.
It had two VW CADDY vans for company.
Birds of a feather ......

Back at Base Camp the Dogs seemed to be saying.
"We are just not tired enough."

So... by 1 pm they were back on the Beach.
Beach Buoy just switched off and walked.
It was better than taking them out later, around a dark and miserable block.

Eventually the dogs were dog tired.
Beach Buoy sat and drank tea, then read as the dogs slept in a heap on the van floor.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS 29 DECEMBER 2018.

It was 8 a.m.
The 7 a.m. club had just about left the beach.
Low cloud to the South looked like a new headland reaching out to sea; a headland that no one will ever be able to visit.
It was a mild breezy morning. Swirls of dry sand seemed to race to the sea like excited school children on a coach trip.

 A seal was watching from just offshore, but avoiding the camera.
A badly drawn Cormorant flew north followed by a flock of Oyster Catchers.  

A couple with a Border Collie were just behind Beach Buoy as he travelled South at the water's edge. Beach Buoy headed up to the dunes to give them the water's edge.

The Sun made it looked like the Steel Works across the River was in full flow and had the furnace doors wide open

Scotland claimed the Bay as theirs.
Let's make the River Tees the new Border. 

A noise spilt onto the beach.
It was a man.
He was dressed in sports attire, he was with three children of various sizes. He was either a Sports Coach or a very keen Dad. 
The Children ran up and down the Dunes. They disappeared back into the Dunes, appearing a little later stood on top of a large dune. 
The Adult was pointing. 
The Children stood with their hands on their hips.

Beach Buoy returned to the car park. 
A learner driver was travelling around the almost empty car park learning how to manoeuvre  around flocks of resting seabirds.
Beach Buoy sat looking at the horizon.
The toy solar powered plastic monkey on the dashboard rocked from side to side.
The Van rocked too, due to the increasing strength  of the wind.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS AND NORTH GARE BEACHES, 28 DECEMBER 2018.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed for the Sea.
By the time they reached the water's edge , the Church bells struck Nine.

It was a very mild, sunny morning on the north east coast of England.
Unlike yesterday's; today's sun had some heat with it.
The Beach had a bit of a lonely Friday feel to it today. No couples around, just owners and their dogs.
One of "The Lonely" had an over-friendly Dog.
Stubborn Dog seemed a little put out. Beach Buoy was cool about it all; saying "Morning." to its owner; a young man with sports attire, baseball cap, earphones in and phone in hand.
He either ignored or didn't hear the welcome; turned 180 degrees and headed back North.

The Sea looked like it was in slow-motion as it can at times.
It was like the Sea was made from Syrup; thicker than water but not blood.
Waves would hold their length, then come down as one, with a loud slap.
They continued South; not a soul in sight.
The Circular sun took the form of a flying saucer as clouds below and above closed in on it.
The air cooled a little.
It was quite apt, as sun this time of year could be classed as a U.F.O.

A white-haired Dog with a white-haired Owner appeared from the dunes and headed North.
Out in the Bay the Sea Serpent put on a perfect three humped show for the bus-loads of tourists that never did come to see it.-
Their loss.

Beach Buoy headed over to the memorable Blue Lagoon on North Gare Beach.
Taking the Dune route as the tide was still high up.
The Dunes were undulating, so it was all ups and downs added to that were the random clumps of marram grass to circumnavigate; all a bit of a dance.
The breaking waves were out of sight, but the comforting Slap! could still be heard, albeit more muffled as the waves eventually broke beyond the protective dunes.
Today North Gare Beach  was colder than Seaton Sands; sometimes it can be the calmer of the two, like they had their own micro-climates, it wasn't a lonely Friday Beach either, there were couples and family groups too.
It is only the North Gare Pier that separates the two differing Beaches.
North Gare Beach does have its own Car Park and the added bonus that walkers have right of way across the Golf Course to obtain Beach access, giving the chance to annoy a golfer or two or three or FORE! (Duck)

Back to the somewhat Milder Bay.
 Stubborn Dog was getting up to his old tricks.
They had passed the Tank traps.
The large concrete blocks have stood proud and ready for around 80 years; the snarling teeth growling at the Sea.
The Syrup Sea had taken its toll and the snarl could do with a dentist.

The scene was so bright.
The Village Green was Yellow.

Beach Buoy parked the Van up on the Seafront.
He.....
Drank Tea.
Ate Cake,
Dozed a little.
Drank Tea.

The Tea was Hot.
The Tea was excellent, people have commented on his Tea making abilities in the past.

Flan ?
Cake?
Gone ⥢

He admired the view of Saltburn and Staithes beyond and people watched as they marched up and down the promenade.

Later in the day he returned to the Beach.
He just couldn't sit in the house when it was so sunny, so late in the year, so what did he do? BEACH!

Tide was well out.

Only 3 pm and the sun was getting ready for bed

NNGB
BEACH BUOY.

27 DECEMBER 2018 SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.

It was 7-40 am.
Beach Buoy had parked in an empty Car Park, a Council truck did lead the way in, on its way to visit to the Bins of Seaton Carew. It trundled along the Promenade; lights flashing.
Beach Buoy had sat in the Van a while. There was just enough light to make out the horizon.
Moonlight still shone down on Car Park's dark, wet and uneven surface.
The truck flashed its way Northwards.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed for the water's edge.

The sea was a silvery blue.
The scene was lit by both the moon and the sun.
Brushstrokes of cloud faded as they reached out towards the horizon. Brushstrokes of Grey , Blue and a Pale, very pale Orange.
Four pencil drawn Seagulls left the sea and headed East, towards the village.
The tide had not long turned and was heading out.
It was mild, the waves were only breaking as a last resort when they reached land.
A long narrow sand bank had been created by the sea, looking like a newly formed Island.

The sea was more active, the further South they travelled.
It was a clear beach, both clear of footprints and of rubbish. This tide had washed the beach clean.
It would all be out there, just biding its time.
The right conditions and it will return.
A half moon still hung pale, over the dunes.
A Crow that looked like Seagull's shadow pecked at the nearby strand-line.
A flock of around ten Oyster Catchers headed North, rising and falling as one.
At the Grey Rocks the tide was still high.
Beach Buoy stood, as he often does and surveyed the scene.
To the North the beach was empty.
As he scanned Southwards, the dock lights twinkled, Hartlepool Headland was surrounded by a low mist , giving it the appearance of  an Island.
The bottom of the Wind Turbines out in the Bay were missing in the low mist.
This gave them an eerie look; state of the art but still ghostly.
Various walkers and their dogs, arrived from the North.
1. Lady and a Brown and White Spaniel.
"Morning." she said as they passed.
"Morning."
2. A couple with a crouching Border Collie, passed silently.
3. A friendly whippet came bounding up and said hello.
Beach Buoy discussed the mild weather and hat issues with its grey-haired owner. 

As the walk was ending, Beach Buoy looked South to see the Industry on that side of the River illuminated by the Orange glow as the sun rose.

They went up the ramp that led to the car park  as a young waggly-tailed  dog bounded nearby. It was more tail than Dog to honest

Beach Buoy had breakfast at the South end of the Village over-looking the pale Bay.

Within minutes of thinking the word "Breakfast." he had the company of a dozen then two dozen pigeons!

He stopped on his way back South to photograph the curving Sea come into the curving Bay.


BEACH BUOY.

BOXING DAY 2018. SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL.

It's a long story... but Beach Buoy didn't arrive at the beach until 8-15am.
As he drove to the beach he passed a man.
A man almost as big as a lamppost.
The man wore a high visibility coat; he would have been hard to miss anyway.
You would have spotted him.

The Church bells struck the quarter hour. The large man leaned against a wall to stretch his muscles.
Beach Buoy reckoned that he could push the wall over if it took his fancy.
As Beach Buoy slid the van door shut, the large man headed for the dunes.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed for the water's edge.
The 7am club will have been and gone by now?

Beach Buoy pictured them all sat together eating Christmas mince pies and drinking Tea or Coffee, talking beach talk in some secret 7am club shack with a sea view.
Beach Buoy reached the conclusion, rightly or wrongly that the club would be half Coffee drinkers; the other half Tea.
It was such a mild Boxing Day.
For those taking part, the Boxing Day dip would be a doddle.
The only chill would be Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog relaxing.

High tide had been two and half hours earlier. The Grey sea slowly edged its way out to a Lighter Grey horizon.
It exposed fresh unmarked sand to walk on.
There's no quicksand around these parts, but certain patches were softer than the other. A foot could disappear into the sand, but that is as far as it would go.
As they progressed Southwards, every now and then they would have to step over small narrow streams of seawater draining back to their source from the pools trapped higher up the beach.

Out at sea the Serpent showed two humps, then three then back to two. A lone Oyster Catcher swam close to the surface of the sea. It had to do a sudden turn upwards as a wave curled before it.
Out over the dunes a Cormorant flew awkwardly heading West.

Down at the Grey Rocks, the sea seemed reluctant to give up its hold them.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed to the Pier by going up onto the Grey Rocks and alternating between the rocks and the shingle scattered amongst it.
Beach Buoy sat on a large grey damp rock, made notes and looked out at sea.
The little dog laid flat on the shingle and looked North towards some figures in the distance.
He sniffed the air, possibly trying to work out if they were friend or foe; they are sometimes both, without warning.
Out at sea a Cormorant popped up from below the waves, it took a breath and dived; they seemed so much more suited to swimming than flying. The one over the dunes seemed to prove that.
Beach Buoy sat and thought....
" Maybe they were just a step away from being warm weather Penguins?"
Beach Buoy stood and glanced South.
The sun was trying its best.
A large dull egg yoke hung just above the river.
He checked the back of his jeans; they were damp from the rocky rest.
"It'll look like I have had an accident." he thought.

As they headed back Beach Buoy stopped and stooped to pick up a small blue glass bead.
Up ahead a couple dressed in coats darker than their two Black Labradors stopped their walk short and turn 180 degrees.

A dog-less man headed up from the strand-line up to the dunes.
The Village Church Bells chimed for 9-45am.
To the North a colourful group seemed to be doing their own version of today's planned Charity Dip?
As he watched, they left the sea and headed back to the car park.
The sun behind them had changed from egg yoke to a lemon top ice cream. It brightened the beach and even brought Beach Buoy's shadow along for the ride. 
Beach Buoy looked up to the North, a large number of brightly coloured people were running.
They were running directly towards Beach Buoy!
Were they Boxing Day Dippers too?
Had someone misinformed them that Beach Buoy had the towels?
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog stood their ground..
They were Joggers.
The multicoloured Joggers passed. Some talking, some gasping and one spitting.
Beach Buoy headed back to the van.
The Dippers were about ready to go home.
Car doors began to slam shut to a chorus of
" See Yas Later."

BEACH BUOY.



footnote:-

Beach Buoy found these buttons at a derelict house down by the Old Ferry at Middleton.
That was around fifty years ago.Funny the things you keep, when more precious things are let go. 

BEACH BUOY.