SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL, 27, FEB.2023.

 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed to the beach on foot.

It was 3-41 p.m.

The Golf Club Flag hung at two-thirds mast.

The flag flapped in the cold, strong breeze.

As they headed for the promenade, four Oyster Catchers walked the site of the old putting green.

They reached sand at 3-57.

The tide was well out.

Muzzled Dog and Timid Collie joined the beach with their owners.

A man headed north with walking poles.

He looked like a skier in search of snowfall. 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed south.

Another Dog sniffed at the branches of a driftwood tree.

It looked like a broken rotary washing dryer.

Seaweed hung out to dry.

They walked a line, midway between the strand-line and the sea.

Two hoods covered a wooly hat.

The Muzzled Dog group walked the dune edge heights.

With the Sun behind them, they looked like a Victorian silhouette puppet show. 

The sea was an angry sea.

Beach Buoy could see, looking at the beach that the previous high tide had come with a temper too.

Twists of driftwood and tangles of seaweed lay scattered around.

They headed up a steeper sandy slope.

Steeper thanks to the sea for claiming it's base.

Stubborn Dog Stack the destination.

"Afternoon Mate."

It was 4-27 p.m.

He drank coffee as he watched a jogger run south on the water's edge.

The jogger's dog led the way.

Then ran back.

Then led the way repeatedly. 

Overhead, a Gull tried to head North into the chilly head wind.

Time to go.

"See you mate."

They returned to the beach.

Four Oyster Catchers waded as they faced the wind.

No ruffled feathers there.

They headed back to the north.

Slowly but surely.

Beach Buoy pulled the chords tightly on his outer, orange hood.

The wind was trying to pull it down.

 The man with two poles was now heading southwards.

No snow to the north then ?

The Village Church Bells rang out for five as they climbed up the beach access ramp.

9-36 by the Bus Station Clock Tower.

They headed back. 

BEACH BUOY.

26, FEB. 2023. NORTH SANDS AND THE HEADLAND. .

 Beach Buoy and Archie went to North Sands and Hartlepool Headland.

Archie needed to take photographs for a project.

The light was splendid.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. SUNDAY, 26, FEB. 2023.

 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog drove to the car park.

The Golf Club Flag fluttered in the strong breeze at somewhere around one-third mast.

It was 6-53 a.m. 

The car park was full of puddles.

The sky was full of Gulls and the threat of more rainfall.

Out on the beach a grey, white-edged sea rolled in. 

Mr. Gunn/Nunn came onto to the beach with Alfie.

The two Orange-clad men chatted for a while.

About the weather and old newspaper appearances.

"See you later, enjoy your walk."

"You too."

Mr.Gunn/Nunn set off with Alfie on his circular walk.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog dawdled along. 

The temperature dropped quite suddenly.

A wind picked up just as quickly.

A big black cloud took aim at Beach Buoy and Another Dog. 

In contrast over at The Gates, the sun tried to put on a show.

Recent rough seas had claimed more of the dune edge.

They headed to Stubborn Dog Stack.

7-22 a.m. 

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy added some stones.

He patted

THE

stone.

He found some shelter in which to drink his coffee.

Cartoon-like ghosts in the shape of wind -blown sea foam ran for cover.

Escaping the sea for one last time.

There was golden light over behind South Gare.

The silhouettes of motor homes and campervans ran along its length.

Back in Hartlepool Bay, swirls of grey and white had claimed two-thirds of the Sea Serpent Marker's height.

"See you mate."

Beach Buoy and Another Dog left Stubborn Dog and the Stack behind.

Slow walk back.

Beach Buoy had three hoods up.

Another Dog wore two coats.

Raindrops fell on Beach Buoy's outer hood.

It sounded fairly constant but for some reason he didn't feel as if he was becoming very wet. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the beach was theirs. 

They did have Gulls and a land/sand-grabbing sea for company.

Later a dozen Oyster Catchers headed south, crossing close to the sea like expertly skimmed stones.

The rain stopped.

The sky brightened..

Others began to appear. 

Three came down the access ramp, a lady sea swimmer with two others for support.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog returned to the van.

Beach Buoy sipped coffee as he made some beach notes in his beach note book. 

Yes it was Cosy.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 25, FEB. 2023.

Beach Buoy woke at 4-01.

He headed downstairs.

Coffee.

He tried to do the blog with a sleeping Another Dog balanced on his legs.

5-22 a.m a loud burst of gull song overhead.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog drove to the windswept beach.

It was 6-42 a.m.

An angry sea roared.

The icey wind was from the north.

Dramatic clouds hung above a swirling bay.

The north was cloudy too.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed south.

Gulls seemed to line up to take turns, flying into the headwind.

A combined 7 a.m. club and Team Distant Wave were heading back north.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog were greeted by the dogs first. 

Wallace.✅

Lola.✅

Mari ✅

Hugo.✅

The owners followed not too far behind.

"Morning."

"Morning."

"Morning."

"Morning Paul."

The tide was in, up to the dunes.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog walked the dune heights.

"Morning Mate."

It was 7-15 a.m.

No stones to add today.

The beach was full of sea 

Beach Buoy patted

THE 

stone.

Beach Buoy found some shelter in which to drink some coffee.

It was a wild and cold morning.

"See you mate."

They headed back to the van.

Up the beach access ramp.

Beach Buoy moved the van to the rock shop car park.

Radio. 

Coffee. 

Not Beach Buoy and not Another Dog strode along the Promenade, into  the strong wind.

The van was in mobile beach hut mode.

 

The Little People weren't put off by the inclement weather.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 23, FEB. 2023.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog walked to the beach.

It was 3-39 p.m. when they had set off.

It was 3-53, when they passed the clock tower.

8-30 showed on all the faces of the art deco tower..

The reliability of the of the clock being unreliable was becoming a comfort.

They  reached the beach at 3-56.

There was a slight chill in the breeze from the west. 

They walked to the strand-line.

The non-tidal sand was crisp underfoot, like snow that had frosted overnight.

The soft sand that usually covers it had been shifted by recent strong winds.

They headed south.

The tide was well in.

A Lone Yacht sailed across the bay.

GARETH and MAM were written in the sand.

A lady walked her horse at the water's edge.

The sea ran in, catching them out.

The lady looked at her wet feet.

The horse looked down at wet hooves.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog continued south.

A tall thin man with a tall thin dog led the way.

JACOB 

had written his name in the sand.

They headed to Stubborn Dog Stack.

The sea almost beat them to the Sandy Slope.

"Afternoon Mate."

Beach Buoy added some stones.

He patted

THE 

stone.

It was 4-25. p.m.

 To the west, across the dunes , a milky sun still had height in the sky.

Beach Buoy drank coffee.

"See you mate."

They headed back to the beach.

They headed back north.

On the way back they bumped in to Murphy, the beautiful, black Spanish Water dog.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM. NORTH SEA WAVES CARD.

 

Card No.1

THE JOGGER.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SNOOKS TEA ROOM OUT AND ABOUT CARD.

 THE SKYLARKS RETURN.

21, FEB. 2023.

BEACH BUOY.

NORTH SANDS, HARTLEPOOL 21. FEB, 2023.

  Steetly Pier is going to be ripped down. 

Beach Buoy thinks it's a bad idea.

Beach Buoy arrived at 8-45 on a lovely morning to capture some photographs of the structure and some nearby timbers.

The Pier is situated on North Sands, Hartlepool.

BEACH BUOY