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| It may help if you have seen the film KES to make sense of tonight's blog. Beach Buoy mulled over ... "To beach ? Or not to beach? .. that was the question. It was cold, wet and windy but Beach Buoy knew that he would regret not going to the beach and Stubborn Dog would be in a mood all night. Beach it was. As he locked the front door he could hear the sea roar from behind the houses in the street. When it rained Beach Buoy would often recall a lecturer from Hartlepool College of F.E. He was an engineering science teacher and also a rugby referee. When Beach Buoy was spending the first year of his apprenticeship at the college, they would do varying sports activities. One of the sports they would "play" was Rugby. Beach Buoy had played football for the school team when he was younger but hated Rugby. Why does Rain remind Beach Buoy of this particular lecturer? Why does the lecturer remind Beach Buoy of the film KES? One day comes to mind... Reluctant students stood in the rain on the rugby pitch, most doing their very best to keep as much distance between themselves and the ridiculously shaped ball as possible. The lecturer / referee (In full official kit.) ran around loving life. A voice rang out.. "Sir, can we stop? we're soaked!" Then came that line the has stuck with Beach Buoy from "Sir." "Once you are wet, you can't get any wetter!" It so reminded Beach Buoy of KES; the scene were the teacher is Bobby Charlton in his Manchester United kit.... see link below. KES football The same lecturer had another saying rattling around in Beach Buoy's head. "Today is the day the white rabbit might pop out of the board and wave at you." This saying was used during class if someone was not paying attention. The lecturer's way of saying this is the point it may all become clear. Beach Buoy never did see the white rabbit, so has spent his days on the factory floor rather than up in the ivory towers. They arrived in the car park at 7pm. Seagulls stood amongst the puddles in the car park. If it is possible for Seagulls to look fed up... then this was them. Looking like the school children in the KES clip above, waiting to be picked for sides in a football game that they didn't want to play. Beach Buoy sat in the van a while, trying to judge just how heavy the rainfall was by the noise on the van roof. Five cars were parked in a line near to the van. Beach Buoy presumed wrongly that it was the usual loud music, screeching tyre brigade. A sixth car joined the group and the other cars emptied upon its arrival. People in sports wear. A Man in shorts who could literally give short short man a run for his money. Sixth car man appeared; aka The Leader aka The Lecturer aka Bobby Charlton. He wore a rucksack in conjunction with his sports attire. In flash they were off, playing follow the leader. They ran past the van, along the prom, onto the sand and into the dunes. By the time they had reached the short distance to the dunes, some of the tail-enders had broken into a walk. Beach Buoy was impressed... there they were running off into the dunes on such a terrible night. He had been sold a dummy! They had stopped after the first dune hill and were on the beach. The sea was roaring and the rain was hitting Beach Buoy's "Waterproof " hood like peas from a pea shooter, adding to the din. This meant Beach Buoy couldn't hear just what was being said, so as he walked he watched the action unfold. Bobby Charlton was centre stage, they copied his actions... Pick a leg up and pull it up behind your back. Pick the other leg up and pull to behind your back. (PUT THE OTHER ONE DOWN FIRST!) Bobby stopped and opened his rucksack. Orange plastic cones appeared. Beach Buoy headed south as the squatting commenced. |
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| It was damp and wet but smashing. A seagull hung overhead in the strong wind like a wind sock. To be honest it was white not orange and wasn't really sock shaped by any stretch of the imagination. The thought of a sock brought Beach Buoy into KES world again.. That line in the book when his older brother gets up early for work and disturbs Billy. "Hands off cocks, on socks." KES was read as a twelve year-old with the rest of the classmates... when you are twelve lines like that jump out. |
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| Beach Buoy found some sea pottery that resembled the state of the sea tonight. |
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| A hint of the rainfall for the duration of tonight's walk? It was beach cleaned. |
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| The Beach was empty apart from Manchester United up in the dunes... |
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| The high tide cut short the walk. Beach Buoy headed back with the wind following in his footsteps. BEACH BUOY. |
