OBSESSION OR LOVE?

BEACH BUOY WAS CONTACTED RECENTLY.

SOMEONE WANTED TO DO A VIDEO INTERVIEW ABOUT HIS 'OBSESSION WITH THE BEACH.'

BEACH BUOY POLITELY REFUSED.

  HE DIDN'T SEE IT AS AN 'OBSESSION WITH THE BEACH',MORE OF A LOVE FOR IT.

HE HAS POINTED OUT IN THE PAST THAT THE BEACH IS THE BLOOD PRESSURE AND ANTIDEPRESSANT PILLS THAT HE HAS NO NEED TO TAKE.

THE GYM MEMBERSHIP THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE TO PAY.

A SPACE TO SIT AND THINK AND TRY TO WORK OUT WHY PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY DO.

A PLACE TO FEEL THE WEATHER.

TO SEE THE SEA.

TO SEE THE SKY.

TO SEE THE HORIZON.

TO SEE THE CLOUDS.

TO TREASURE THE WILDLIFE.
TO TREASURE HUNT!

TO HEAR THE SONG OF THE SKYLARK.

TO SEE THE SUN RISE AND SET.

TO PONDER.

TO WONDER.

TO WANDER.

A PLACE TO BURY WORRIES.

A PLACE TO RECALL A CHILDHOOD.

A PLACE TO BE THE PERSON HE WANTS TO BE.

SO NO,ITS NOT AN OBSESSION.
OBSESSIONS END;A LOVE STAYS.

FUNNY THING IS THAT IF THEY HAD ASKED TO DO A VIDEO ABOUT HIS LOVE OF THE BEACH....

LIGHTS.

CAMERA. 
ACTION.

BEACH BUOY. 

SEATON SANDS, 20 NOVEMBER 2019.

3-40 PM

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS 19 11 19.

4-05pm
It was still and Cold; it is cold still.


The tide was 50/50.

An embarrassed and now out of sight Sun blushed the few clouds that were over the river a cold shade of pink.

The sea looked cold.
It was Stainless Steel Blue.
No sign of the Blast Furnace colours of a summer sunset.

They walked to the Grey Rocks, took a couple of rocks up to the dune stack and headed back to Cabin Up.


BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, 18 NOV. 2019.

It was 3-50 pm.
It was cold, clear and bright.
The brightness didn't last too long as the sun sank like a fisherman's sinker.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed South as the village Church Bells struck Four.

The Colours were a right mixed bag; a good bag.
Two fishermen went storming by and set up at the Grey Rocks.
Beach Buoy popped up to the Dunes...
they headed back as the light quickly faded.

In the half light, Stubborn Dog paused as he looked at a distant driftwood tree stump.
He appeared anxious, perhaps thinking the Stump, was another dog?
It was definitely wood, saying that it's bark was worse then its bite.......
BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, HARTLEPOOL AND AMBLE....17 NOV. 2019

Beach Buoy left the house at 7 am to be greeted by the sound of singing birds.
Then came the rumble of the sea, followed by cries of not too distant Gulls.
He drove the short distance to the beach.
Golden Autumn Leaves edged the pavement in places, as if it was gilded.
There were two cars in the Car Park.
Its surface was wet after overnight rain, it reflected the early morning blues of the morning sky; dull blues, not a bright blue of a summer's day. 

The Breeze was from the North East.
A fresh but not chilly breeze and definitely a breeze not a wind.
Gulls and Crows argued near to the Strand-line; vocally not physically. 

Sometimes nature (The Sea.) can place driftwood so that it looks like a sculpture or Beach Art.
Somebody had dragged this piece, it reminded Beach Buoy of the Eyemouth Memorial Sculpture.
A Wife or Mother, arms raised in horror the menfolk perished at Sea.
God Bless Them All.

The Sea had made a scale model of a cliff face as it had made cuts in the sand.

Beach Buoy headed to the Dunes after another 7 am club welcome and a snuggle from that Big Friendly Poodle.
The Sea was less angry than it had been of late, but was still at the door-slamming stage.

The Sun hadn't shown yet.
The was a Hazy Moon; as hazy as a drunks recollection of the night before on the morning after... 

Beach cleaned Football.
Clean Beaches the Goal.



Around 1 pm 
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog arrived in Amble; a sixty mile drive from Seaton Carew.

It was Market day.
Beach Buoy walked down by Riverside.

Warkworth Castle is not too far away.

They walked along the Pier.

The tide was coming in.

Coquet Island sits just offshore in the Bay.

Near to the beach and Pier is a Toilet Block.
One side said LADIES
The opposing side said
NO BALL GAMES.....

The Underside of the Pier.

They went on to the Beach.

Van looking a little Grubby thanks to the Sat-Nav being on a muddy route setting!

Small Beach Huts sit above the Beach.

BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS, 16 NOV 2019.

Beach Buoy left the house at 6-50 am.
It was dark and wet, but not raining.
The almost naked shadow of an almost naked tree stretched across the front lawn, illuminated by a fully naked and blushing nearby street light.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed for the Car Park.
There was one car in the Car Park when they arrived.
Beach Buoy sat in the van a while,
watching the breaking waves  that were visible above the promenade wall.
He went to the side door and climbed into the rear of the van. In doing so he noted that the wind was off the sea, but not as cold or as strong as he had expected after seeing the rough sea.
He faffed on changing into waterproofs; just incase.
One of the pleasures of having the van is the licence to faff.
Faffing completed they headed out.
Crying Gulls were hanging in the wind over the still dark Car Park.
They headed for the access ramp.
The ramp was partially covered in wind blown sand.
The sand cut across the rectangular ramp diagonally.
The remainder was wet and reflecting the light from the promenade lighting.
Once down the ramp, they headed for the water's edge.
As they did so the 7 am club passed them at a distance, heading south.
The walk to the sea was an uneven one.
The recent strong winds had stripped much of the sand from the beach.
So it was a combination of stones and rocks that peppered the sand that had managed to stay putt, with an odd piece of partially buried driftwood to colour the dimly lit scene.

The Sea was wild.
It seemed odd that the wind was not stronger than it was.
There was lots of Sea Foam, some of it had been coloured by the drifting sands, giving it the appearance but not the texture of Cinder Toffee.

The sea roared angrily.
The waves broke way out in the Bay.
The 7 am club had already turned at the Grey rocks and were around one-third of the way back.
So bearing in mind that Beach Buoy was two-thirds of the way there it was a 'Hello' from the 7am club and some of their dogs.

Then there was this..... 

Beach Buoy decided to collect and beach clean them on the return journey.

He took some stock to The Dune Stack.
Next it was back to the beach for a stand and think.

He watched as the walls of sea rolled in; each trying to out-do the previous one.
The Sea almost became mesmerising as it danced a grey dance, similar to that of the flames on a closely watched fire; though admittedly not as colourful. 
At times it would hide part of the Sea Serpent marker.
The marker's light flashed on regardless.
FLASH!
ONE APLLE AND
TWO APPLE AND
THREE APPPLE AND
FOUR
FLASH!
Seabirds flew North.
Seabirds flew South.

Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog chose North....

The slow walk back was framed between Dune and Sea Foam.
He collected the Buoy's and dragged them and Stubborn Dog back to the van.
All of the drag training had finally come in handy!

Stubborn Dog sticks his tounge out for the Camera as Beach Buoy wonders if he should have held out and bought a LWB version of the van.
Beach Buoy did some research on BH 314.
BH is Blyth.
It was built in Cornwall in 2004.
He also found a photograph of it online.
It was  laying to one side at low tide at Holy Island with Bamburgh Castle in the distance; perfect!



BEACH BUOY.

SEATON SANDS AND NORTH GARE BEACH,15 NOVEMBER 2019.

It was a day off.
Beach Buoy and his mate Stubborn Dog reached Car Park at 7-10 am.
There were three cars in the vast Car Park, one in Beach Buoy's favourite spot...
The wind was from the North.
Rain threatened but not materialised.
They headed for the water's edge towards a Snarling Grey Sea.
Sea Birds stood huddled close to the sea.
Beach Buoy thought as he walked towards the South...

The Beach.
The Gym he doesn't pay for.
The Blood Pressure Tablet that the doesn't take.
The Anti-depressant that he doesn't take.
The hobby that is free.

The Sea Birds that did attempt to fly, had to flap to keep in the same spot in the strong wind.
A pause in flight would send them curving away to the South.

Sea foam caught by the wind went rushing for the Dunes,
resembling ghosts of long lost sailors desperate for land after so long in the Sea that had claimed them.

Beach Buoy followed the ghosts with some of his own and placed a couple of stones on the Dune Stack.
He headed back to the beach as two Cormorants flew North into the strong wind.
The determined birds looked like heavily laden bombers setting out on a mission, the strong wind seemed to have little effect on them.
Beach Buoy and Stubborn Dog headed to the Grey Rocks via the Dune edge; the tide was blocking beach access to the Pier.
They had a look at North Gare corner.
The recent rough seas had stripped the area of every grain of sand.
Beach Buoy turned to head back.......
Nope.....
Stubborn Dog was keen (Now there is a collection of words you would never expect in the same sentence!)
He was keen to carry on South, over the Pier and to North Gare Beach.
More than keen; determined.
... and Yes North Gare Beach was to the South .....
What awaited them?
The sight of Mermaids sat at the water's edge, combing their seaweed-like hair?
A Pod of Dolphins putting on a show?
A group of Kite surfers putting on a colourful and acrobatic display just for them?
None of the above.
The Beach was more than enough reward.
They had the wind on their backs so far.
 The North Gare Beach was sheltered by an arm of sand dunes that swung out from the Protective North Gare Pier.
When they turn to head back they will have to face the music; The Wind Section.

They set off on Beach Two.
Beach Buoy was hoping to check on the driftwood shelters that fishermen built down by the river.
North Gare Beach is quite tidal.
At high tide the strand line is never far from the Dune Edge.
Beach Buoy had checked the tide times as they can catch you out if you are heading for the riverside; all was good, low tide would be in a couple of hours.
They carried on.
 

The rough sea had uncovered a rusting riveted pipe.
A ship sailed out of Port, between The Gares.

People and dogs came and went.
The beach was so wide, thanks to the lowering tide that it didn't matter.

A Man appeared from the East with a Small Black Dog, he was wearing a quilted Lumberjack Shirt..... the man.
He picked up a piece of driftwood  and examined it as he turned it in his hand.
He initially rejected it and walked away but then returned examined it once more and again rejected it.
His small Black Dog dropped its ball and found a smaller piece of driftwood.
He ran after the lumberjack, stick in mouth as if to say 
" Will this one do Dad?"
That piece was rejected also and the little dog was sent back  for the ball.

Beach Buoy neared the riverside.
The sand was soft, his feet sank in, as if he were walking in a snow drift.
He soon realised that the Driftwood shelters had been reclaimed by the stormy seas.
Nothing lasts forever; nothing good that is... the bad stuff can keep a hold.

They headed back.
Life between The Gares looked stormy.

They said farewell to North Gare Beach and headed back to Seaton Sands.

A Blast of wind greeted them back to their regular beach.
They walked the water's edge and before too long, they were back at the van.

Life's a Beach.

BEACH BUOY.

14 NOV 1901

In November 1901

 there was a gale and a shipwreck taking place. 

My Great Grandfather; William Grainger SGM, was one of the Rocket Brigade 

crew 

trying to

 get a line to the Swedish ship; Trio.
The Gale was blowing the line back so in his frustration my Great Grandfather 

tied a rope around his waist and swam out

 to help save life.
He was awarded a gold medal by the town ; a number of others were too, 

but only he was awarded the Sea Gallantry Medal.
Almost unbelievably the whole thing was photographed 

and reproduced thanks to Hartlepool Arts and Museum Service.

The ship had left Port and headed North but dashed back to Hartlepool 
for safety when the weather turned. The weather was so bad that  it could not get into the 
Port and she was breaking up in Hartlepool Bay.
Note the men in flat caps watching.

More onlookers as the ship is at the Sea's mercy.

Masts are breaking up as the Ship is tossed around.

It looks like a puff of white smoke on the left,
 perhaps from the Rocket team? 

WILLIAM GRAINGER . SGM
1864-1946.

Eye witness account, written at a later date.

Page 2.

William and Biddy; his wife.

HIS SEA GALLANTRY MEDAL.

BEACH BUOY.