Beach Buoy sat drinking coffee.
He scraped the ice from the van's windscreen.
He and Another Dog went to collect Borrowed Dog.
Beach Buoy, Borrowed Dog and Another Dog had parked up in Seaton Park.
It was 9-16 a.m.
A Boxer Dog with a black eye walked by with it's owner.
Beach Buoy thought it was amusing.
"You should have seen the other fella."
Beach Buoy imagined the dog saying.
They headed to the beach.
A lady with a backpack headed north.
The regular sea swimmer headed back home dressed in shorts and gloves.
A Doddle Dog came to say hello.
It was bright when they arrived but...
There was only one sizeable black cloud in the sky.
It parked up in front of the Sun.
The wreck was just about to come ashore.
The waves were breaking six steps out.
From the water's edge,the horizon was hidden.
Although at times the wreck is completely buried by sand, Beach Buoy wondered how many tides had washed over it?
The Sun came back out to play.
It's reflection on the wet sand felt a little like
"Buy one, get one free."
Beach Buoy and the dogs continued south but also began heading towards the dune edge.
There was a very slight breeze from the west.
Although the van had been frozen , it didn't feel such a cold morning.
The dune edge was frosted.
A tall elderly man was stood up ahead.
"Morning."
"Morning."
The gentleman seemed keen to talk.
So began a history lesson.
He was ninety years old.
He was just about to go for his regular swim.
Here are the bullet points that Beach Buoy managed to absorb as the gentleman told a story or two.
Beach Buoy was all ears, he still hasn't grown into them.
- There was a swimming club called The Porpoise Swimmers.
- They would dive off Hartlepool Pilot Pier.
- "Proper dive." Was the term used."
- His family owned land on Crimdon Bank.
- They had successful business with deck chair hire and the like.
- Easington Council compulsory purchased it.
- The family fought it all the way to the high court but lost out.
- When the carnival was on, swimmers would be taken a mile out to sea to swim back!
- The boats would follow them back incase anyone needed help.
- This one day the sea was choppy.
- The gentleman and his friend were waiting for the right boat to ask if they needed help.
- It came, The Grillet. The 36 foot launch that Hitler was going to sail up The Thames in, to his new home at Windsor Castle had the war ended differently. They clambered aboard. The Gentleman said that it was better having a brandy on Hitler's boat then being out on the choppy sea.
Beach Buoy remembers seeing The Grillet as a child each time it and it's history was pointed out to him.
For reference Hitler's main Yacht The Aviso Grille was also brought to Hartlepool after the war.
Anymore information
"Hilter's yacht Hartlepool." would be a good internet search.
Another man arrived to the conversation.
A dog walker.
"Morning"x 3
"Only four dogs today."
They all looked friendly but one was massive.
"He's an American Bulldog / British Bulldog cross. He weighs Ten stones. Never known such a calm dog. He protects the litter dogs when required. He just has to walk up to any troublesome dogs and they head off."
They went their seperate ways, leaving the gentleman space to strip off and take a canny walk to the sea.
It had been a wonderful chat.
The ninety year old man heads off for his sea swim.
"Morning Mate."
It was 10-12.
Some plank had thrown the two driftwood planks away.
Beach Buoy found one of them on the beach below.
He returned it to the stack.
He added some stones.
He patted
THE
stone.
He sat on the driftwood plank with plenty of rust.
He wrote ninety year old memories in his beach book.
On the beach below, the ninety year old man was heading back to his clothes.
They slipped back down to the beach.
"See you mate."
They headed north.
Up ahead the elderly swimmer was just finished dressing at his make shift dune edge wardrobe.
He headed to the dunes.
Beach Buoy hoped he was O.K.
It was a canny walk to any vehicle if he had one.
Even further to the first possible house.
Beach Buoy was so pleased to see the man at the top of the big slope instigating distant waves.
It had capped off a special encounter.
Beach Buoy headed back, smiling.
Crow on a tyre.
The tide was still on its way out.
Beach Buoy could see that the wreck was more exposed now.
He headed for it crossing long strips of shingle as he did so.
A Mother, child and a Pug walked the water's edge.
A family of four walked the strand-line with their dog.
Dad kicked the ball for the dog to fetch.
His shoe came off, travelling further than the ball.
The dog fetched the ball as the man tiptoed to his footwear.
The wreck.
Looking south east.
Beach Buoy and the dogs headed back to the van.
A small black dog called Rocko came to say hello.
All was good.
BEACH BUOY.
