 |
| People who knew Beach Buoy were pleased for him when he finally "Got the van." Not long after the question popped up on more than one occasion... "Have you used it yet?" Beach Buoy used it all of the time. It was his daily drive. It was his mobile beach hut on day trips by the sea. The trip to St. Bees was the first overnight adventure. It was a new area for Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog to explore. They arrived at the Seacote Campsite at St. Bees at 4-20pm. It was pot luck with the pitch, but as it turned out, it couldn't have been much better. PLOT 9 (Lifeboat) stated the leaflet. As he drove down to it, Beach Buoy thought "This can't be right?" The pitch was a weak stone throw from the beach and the van was now parked up right alongside St. Bees Head. It was the pitch after all. Perfect. Pitch Perfect. |
 |
| First job was to make a cuppa. Second job was to drink it and admire the view. There was a strip of land reaching out behind the Head. Beach Buoy wondered where it could be? To be honest he was a bit confused. After constantly looking out to the North Sea with South to the right and North to the left, now it was the turn of the sparkling Irish Sea with the South to the left and North to the right. For all Beach Buy knew it could be France!.. that's how confusing it was. |
 |
| 5-30 pm it was time to explore. They crossed over the bouncy wooden bridge that led to both the beach and the head beyond. |
 |
| Down on the beach eight groynes reached out from the short curved promenade to the clear sea and beyond on a sunny, pleasant evening. Because of the height of the tide, the groynes formed hurdles that blocked a beach walk. So a hike up St. Bees Head it was. |
 |
| It didn't take long to obtain a good view of the bay. The walk was steep and uneven in places. At the start there is a fence to the right that keeps a herd of cattle in place. As the walk continued Beach Buoy had sheep for company. |
 |
| Beach Buoy reached a World War Two lookout and ..... looked out over Fleshwick Bay and the Irish Sea beyond. "It couldn't be, could it?" It flipping was! France was in fact the Isle of Man. On the clear evening he could see the full length of the island that was thirty miles offshore. Calf Sound to the Point of Ayre and Snaefell Mountain that propped up the centre of the beautiful Island. From his vantage point, the Island looked like a Marquee or Big Top in mid- assembly stage. It was quite apt really as in number of a days the whole Island would become a circus; the TT Circus. Beach Buoy had been once for the TT. He remembers standing in a field looking to see where the tannoy system was hidden, as he could hear the race commentary from Manx Radio as clear as a bell. It was then he realised almost everyone else that lined the field hedge had small radios all tuned in to the station. Their combined output filled the air with race updates... Beach Buoy was beaming! The place that he could see from the van on his very first overnight stop was the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man that he had thought about that very same morning. Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog stayed a while just soaking up the view. Eventually it was back to the van for that first sleep over. BEACH BUOY. |
