SEATON SANDS HARTLEPOOL 26 JAN 2022. WORDS LATER.

It was an after work walk on the beach.

It was 3-52 p.m. when Beach Buoy, Another Dog and Borrowed Dog headed for the sea.

It was bright and Sunny.

A strong fresh wind blew from the west.

The tide was well out.

The beach was very quiet the cold and blowy afternoon seemed to have put people off?

One man did walk south at the water's edge, hands in pockets head in clouds

The strong wind was blowing dry soft sand from the dunes wherever there was a dip in the dune's contour.

There was still plenty of searchable shingle around.

Beach Buoy and the Dogs headed south, just beyond the strand line.

The strong wind whipped the tops off any breaking waves as they tried to reach land.

Beach Buoy took aim at 

Stubborn Dog Stack, picking up four stones to add as he progressed.

"Afternoon Mate."

He added the beach stones.

He patted 

THE

stone.

They stayed a while with Stubborn Dog.

Beach Buoy had brought coffee and chocolate.

It felt like a weekend visit but during the week.

They stood watching the sea with a strong wind on their backs.

The dune grasses bent and pointed out into the bay.

"See you mate."

They found a sloping edge to slide down as they headed back to the beach.

The south end of the beach was more protected from the wind, the dunes where higher, less dips.

 Many seabirds had parked up in the car park.

All were stood facing the wind 

Those that had took to the air, were twisting and turning trying to go where they wanted to be.

They headed back.

Strips of seaweed tumbled back to the sea as they ambled back to the van.

BEACH BUOY.

WAS ON BEACH.

 Beach Buoy only ever had one family holiday, a week at Scarborough

Beach Buoy can only remember bits of this and that. 

So... Last Night Beach Buoy fired up the Delorean once more.

He gave himself a mobile phone, in the hope that young Beach Buoy could photograph some of the scenes that he has since forgot.

Let's see how he manages...

BEACH BUOY

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL. 24 JAN 2022.

 

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed to the beach.

They arrived at 3-36 p.m.

Beach Buoy had finished work at 3.

It was as bright as bright could be.

A slight breeze from the west had a fresh feel to it.

Two ladies headed to the access ramp with two Spaniels, one may have been Dottie Dog but Beach Buoy doesn't like to stare at folk , so he couldn't be sure.

They headed towards the sea.

Their sunshine shadows ran ahead like excited schoolchildren on a day trip.

The Sun hung above the dunes.

A man overtook them.

He was either talking to himself or was having a Bluetooth conversation? 

There was lots of shingle around.

The tide was way out.

There wasn't many people around.

Beach Buoy collected a few bits and bobs, including the glass bottle stopper above.

Beach Buoy gathered some beach stones and headed up to

Stubborn Dog Stack.

The view to the west was glorious.

"Afternoon Mate."

Beach Buoy patted

THE

stone.

Beach Buoy pulled out a thermal mug of coffee.

He sipped coffee and ate a bar of chocolate as he spent some time with his old beach mate.

For a few glorious minutes it felt like the weekend.

"See you mate."

They headed back to the beach.

They said "Good Afternoon."

to the Sea Serpent.

They began their slow walk back.

The calm sea blushed pink.

A Lone Gull stood alongside around twenty Oyster Catchers.

It looked like they were having a meeting about the Gull.

Could he join them?

The  Oyster Catcher's spokesman approached the Gull.

If you buy a dinner jacket, you're in.

The sound of the Village Church Bells drifted across the beach.

It was 4-45p.m.

More importantly it was still light.

A horse stood at the water's edge.

Gulls head out into the bay.

They headed back to the van.

People sat in cars watching little people walk the promenade wall.

One of those sat in a car chatted on her phone, possibly not knowing that her call was being shared with everyone in the vacinity.

She sounded like the world's most boring seaside bingo caller.

"Three and One."

"I said you must think was born yesterday?"

"All the Twos."

"Not falling for that again!"

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed to the van.

It was 5 p.m.

It was still light!

Later, Beach Buoy assembled some recent Bits and Bobs...

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS AND NORTH GARE BEACH 23 JAN 2022.

Beach Buoy woke at 5-10 a.m.

Beach Buoy was up by 5-40 a.m.

Beach Buoy made coffee.

He sat with feet up on the sofa as he drank his drink.

Another Dog slept like a cat as she laid on Beach Buoy's legs.

He made a coffee to go.

They went.

It was around 7-15 a.m.when they arrived in car  park.

Once again, the road was frosty but the windscreen was clear.

Frozen snail-like tracks led from drives where vans and cars had been given a weekend wash.

It was still dark 

A cloudy bay meant no pre-sunrise glow. They headed for the water's edge.

There was a slight breeze from the west.

Two hoods went up, not because of the chill

it was more to be in own space; a mobile tent.

They continued south under a sky of crying gulls.

The tide was more in than it was out.

The light was increasing.

They began to walk on shingle patches.

It was light enough to search the shingle, but only just.

Beach Buoy turned over a blank piece of sea pottery to reveal the piece shown above.

The shingle continued as did the search.

Some beach stones were collected for

Stubborn Dog Stack.

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy placed the beach stones.

He replaced others that had been scattered from the stack.

He patted 

THE

stone.

Beach Buoy drank hot coffee from a thermal mug.

It was 7-51 a.m.

A dog-less man walked the edge of the grey sea, he was heading south.

He cut through the dunes , heading for the river.

The Beach Combing Border Collie Couple searched the vast expanse of shingle, they turned back at the stack.

Beach Buoy sipped hot coffee as the sea rumbled to the east and industry rumbled to the west, even on a Sunday.

They headed for North Gare Pier.

"See you Mate."

Twenty or so Oyster Catchers headed north.

More followed playing catch up.

Two, then one followed by a final three.

They crossed over to North Gare Beach.

More birds headed north.

They walked the river edge, more shingle searching.

A dog walker chatted to two fishermen at the end of North Gare Pier.

Beach Buoy drank the last of the coffee before heading back to the bay 

The tide in the bay still looked well in.

They headed back through the dunes at first, following a bobbing jogger off in the distance. 

When they could , they dropped back down onto the beach.

Beach Buoy preferred beach to dunes.

Gulls paid the Sea Serpent a visit.

 A slow walk back.

A man passed by with a friendly Labrador.

"Morning."

"Morning."

Back at base camp 

Beach Buoy photographed some recent finds.

Beach Buoy.

SEATON SANDS, 22 1 22

Beach  Buoy woke around 5-20 a.m

He shuffled downstairs.

He filled the kettle.

He boiled the kettle.

"OK Google, play Radio Cornwall."

Beach Buoy drank coffee as he messaged Cornwall

Cornwall said "Hi back."

Beach Buoy waited until there was a hint of light out in the bay.

They set off.

The roads were frosty, as white as Christmas.

Oddly the van's windscreen was just damp, not frosted.

They reached the beach car park at 7-07 a.m.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog hadn't been to the beach for nine days thanks in the main part to covid.

In fact the last visit to the car park had been to have a PCR test at the mobile testing centre, that calls the beach car park home.

Like the roads the beach sand was sprinkled with a dusting of frost although the  sand was soft underfoot.

Invisible Gulls cried.

A visible Beach Buoy sighed.

Nine days away felt too long.

They headed south along the water's edge.

Beach Buoy noticed a couple of figures approaching quickly from the north, also at the water's edge.

It was the Beach combing Border Collie Couple.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog moved up to the dune edge to let them have space and a clutter free water's edge.

The couple passed, searching as they went south in the half light.

The dune edge looked as if it had taken another battering while Beach Buoy and Another Dog had been absent.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog waited for the couple to complete their search.

They then continued on their way.

Up ahead steam rose from a warmer sea in a cooler air.

Beach Buoy gathered up some stones for 

Stubborn Dog Stack.

"Morning Mate."

Beach Buoy placed the beach stones.

He patted 

THE

stone.

"Sorry Mate."

Beach Buoy felt out of sync with things.

Beach Buoy watched the thirty or so wind turbines turn slowly but surely as one.

"See you Mate "

They headed back to the beach. 

A beach brick caught Beach Buoy's eye.

People were heading to the south.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog headed north.

The sun cleared the hills.

The Sun gilded some sea front windows in early morning gold.

A Man and a Spaniel strode south.

The Sun climbed higher.

The light was so welcome.

A jogger jogged by.

Two ladies headed south, coffee cups in hand both wearing Eskimo Hoods.

It was good to be out.

The sea steam glowed.

A lady in bright yellow Wellington Boots walk in and on the water's edge.

She beach combed, paused to take photographs and paused to put finds in her rucksack.

Birds crossed the bay, their flight path matching the rise and fall of the waves.

They passed a Murder of Crowd as the crossed the strand line.

The village church bells rang out

 for 8-30 a.m.

The Covid Test Site was setting up.

Testing for Murder of a different type.

Time to go,

Could stay all day,

Stuff to do,

As they say.

Later it was football time.

Park up at non historic, Historic Quay.

Stubborn Dog came to watch.

BEACH BUOY.

 

MOONFISH... again

 MOONFISH SWIM AT NIGHT

THEY SAY.

WHEN THE LIGHT IS SILVER GREY.

THEY SWIM ASHORE, TAKE HUMAN FORM.

RETURN TO SEA, BEFORE THE DAWN.

BEACH BUOY 

14 MAY 1914. SEATON SANDS.

 14 MAY 1914.

Ten BE2 Aeroplanes land on Seaton Sands.

They were travelling from Montrose to Salisbury Plain.

https://youtu.be/1T384Hd2syw

If above link not working 

Try highlighting, a link should open, if not maybe try cut and paste to search?

BEACH BUOY.

BEACH HUT CAMOUFLAGE

 BEACH BUOY.

MOONFISH. SEATON CAREW PROMENADE.19 JAN. 2022.0

 Freedom.

Self Isolation is over.

Beach Buoy and Another Dog took deep breaths of sea air.

An evening walk along the sea front.

BEACH BUOY.

A BOUGHT COFFEE.

 BEACH  BUOY.

SEA COAL COLLECTION.

 BEACH BUOY.

THE DRIFTWOOD SHELTERS AT SNOOK POINT.

 BEACH BUOY.

A MOMENT IN TIME.

 Many years ago Beach Buoy's Father brought home three large photographs.

They were taken in July 1901 by Mr. Webster as he stood on the roof of an engineering company in Middleton, Hartlepool.

Beach Buoy decided to zoom in on certain scenes with the macro option on his mobile phone and cherry pick some scenes

A fiddle with a Snapseed filter added extra life to the settings.

It is just a moment in time on a summer's day over 120 years ago.

The photographs were lent to a local historian ; George Colley.

His book; The Sands of Time features two of the photographs joined to make a larger panoramic scene of the day. The photograph is used as centre pages in his publication.

BEACH BUOY.

A GOOD DRYING DAY.

 Middleton Bank Top 

End of Ferry Rd.

July 1901.

Beach Buoy.

THE DAY THE DOLPHINS CAME.

 Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog were up in the dunes, a summer or two back.

They stood watching Dolphins in the Bay.

The 7 a.m club watched on from the beach below.

BEACH BUOY.

A RICHNESS OF SAND MARTINS.

 BEACH BUOY.