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Friday, 30 December 2022

SEATON CAREW, HARTLEPOOL 30 DEC. 2022.

Beach Buoy had woke at 5-46 a.m.

That's considered as a sleep in.

It sounded as though it was very windy outside.

Beach Buoy made coffee.

He sipped coffee as he drew.

He drew as he listened to the wind blow.

Nearby, Another Dog buried her head into a blanket, hoping that it was a cloak of invisibility.

A loud gust of wind blew something over in the garden.

Another Dog barked.

Her fate was sealed.

They were off to the beach.

They set off in the van,

Move like Jagger played on the van's original 19 year old radio cassette player.

As they pulled into the car park, the headphone / earphone man passed as he did his circuits of the Car Park.

He wasn't moving like Jagger.

They made their way to the water's edge.

They arrived at 7-38.

The wild wind sent soft dune sand out to sea.

Beach Buoy decided it was too windy to head to Stubborn Dog Stack.

It wasn't fair on Another Dog.

It was a sand storm at her eye level.

Beach Buoy picked up his little mate and carried her to the Promenade.

As they walked into the headwind, silhouettes of the distant wave group, "set sail" along the beach.

"Bon voyage."

Beach Buoy and Another Dog reached the Promenade at 7-46.

"Sanctuary."

It was still windy but the sea front buildings offered some shelter and the sand just shifted on the beach below.


The Promenade had it's own morning regulars.

Beach Buoy wasn't one of them.

A man marched South, into the headwind. 

A beach regular appeared.

"Morning. "

"Morning. "

It was the litter picking lady with her white Scottie dog.

They chatted a short while.

The lady set off into the headwind.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog set off north on a wind-assisted walk.

They passed The Crazy Golf.

It's wire fencing was acting as a fishing net, catching shoals of wind-blown litter.


Beach Buoy looked back at the beach.

The distant wave group were far too distant for a distant wave.

Beach Buoy had planned to walk as far as the Christmas tree, opposite the village green.

The brass monkey swimmers were crossing the Promenade as they headed for the sea.

Another Dog was spooked and refused to carry on north.

Beach Buoy turned back towards the van as the brass monkey swimmers looked for somewhere sheltered from the wind to put their robes.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog passed a "History of Seaton Carew. " notice board. 

It's fixing bolts were slightly slack.

The board rattled in the wind.

Beach Buoy went off on one of his tangents. He imagined an amateur dramatic group putting on a play; The Storm.

A new member had been put in charge of sound effects.

Let's say that he was over egging the pudding when it came to the sound of the wind.


 Down on the beach a Beach Buoy and Another Dog decoy pairing walked a windy, sand-blasted water's edge.

Up ahead, the path of two Promenade regulars crossed.
A walker and a Jogger.
The walker spoke first.
"Morning, alright?"
"Will be when l get to the Golf Club and can turn back."
The jogger would have a tail wind on his return journey to the north.

A man and small dog passed.
"Do you want to say hello?"
The man was asking his dog if it would like to meet Another Dog.
The owners chatted.
Louie, the little dog was 12.
The man informed Beach Buoy of his chosen route back.
They said their farewells and wished each other a good day.

It had been too windy to make notes in his beach / promenade book.
As Beach Buoy walked back towards the van, his mind did a sea front version of Danny Kaye's " The vessel with the pestle has the pellet with poison, the flagon with the dragon has the brew that is true."  as he tried to recall and remember the people and scenes of the morning.

As they reached the van, team distant wave were just reaching the top of the beach access ramp, wind-blown walk complete.
Distant waves were shared.
Beach Buoy and Another Dog climbed into the van.
"Sanctuary."
The van rocked from side to side. 
Beach Buoy watched as a long low ship reached the safety of the Gares.
He could almost hear it sigh.

A man appeared in a 4x4.
An Excited Spaniel came bounding out.
They strode towards the beach access ramp.
Around five minutes later they strode back again and drove off.

A lady pulled up.
She opened the tailgate.
A tiny dog sat in a wooden vegetable crate.
The dog was placed on the floor.
They too headed for the access ramp.
Beach Buoy started the van's engine and in his mind, wished them well.

BEACH BUOY.