beach

Holiday Snaps (5)

~ beetleypete ~ 44 Comments

We took the short drive of seven miles to Chapel Point, near Chapel St Leonards. There is a Coastguard Station there, as it affords marvellous views along the coast. It has a smart viewing gallery inside, and a cafe. But as it was a warm day, we decided to sit on a table outside the Seascape Cafe and enjoy the view.

(All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.)

Side view.

Main building and car park.

Ollie on the outside decking with his water bowl. As usual, he wasn’t cooperating with the camera.

Julie at Chapel Point cafe.

Julie cuddling Ollie to try to make him forget the camera.

After that we drove into the small seaside town of Chapel St Leonards, and had a walk along the seafront. This pub has tables on a fake pirate ship on the beach, and is very popular.

Julie took Ollie to a bench to give him more water, so I was able to stand some way off and get a photo. Perhaps the best one I got of him all week.

Holiday Snaps (1)

~ beetleypete ~ 53 Comments

Because we have been to the same place many times in the past few years, I didn’t take many photos last week. I only took one camera, the Fuji X-30 that I bought some years ago. I will be featuring some of the photos I took over the next few days.

(All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.)

Ollie was in the cabin, and not happy about having his photo taken. So Julie streched out on a sofa and gave him a stroke to keep him still. This means the photo is not very sharp, and her hand is blurred.

The cabin we stayed in is in the garden of the only large hotel in the town. The beach and seafront are just the other side of the road. The beaches stretch for miles, and were mostly deserted. I spotted a couple walking their small dog, and took this to show the scale.

This man was well-prepared for sea-fishing from his chosen spot on the beach. He was the only fisherman there that day. The first photo shows him isolated on the beach, and the second is zoomed in for a closer look. He had to move soon after they were taken as the tide was coming in fast.

More to come from Lincolnshire tomorrow.

Tower Bridge Beach In Photos: 1934-1953

~ beetleypete ~ 51 Comments

These black and white photographs taken between 1934 and 1953 showcase a forgotten time in history when London had its very own beach. On 23 July, 1934 the Tower Hill Improvement Trust opened its beach on the banks of the Thames close to Tower Bridge in London. A trip to the seaside was financially out of reach for most East End children so they brought the beach to London – a stretch of shingly, muddy foreshore, uncovered at low tide and brought in 1,500 tons of sand in barges to cover it

In 1939 with the start of WWII and the evacuation of many of London’s children the beach closed, reopening in 1946. The beach was eventually closed permanently in 1971 because of concerns over pollution in the river.

Yeoman Warders (known as ‘Beefeaters’) from the nearby Tower of London often made appearances on the beach.

During the reopening ceremony in 1946. Some of those waiting for the rope to be lowered so they can get onto the beach.

The dancing girls from London’s famous Windmill Theatre also took the opportunity to get publicity by frolicking on the beach and a nearby boat. On the bridge behind them, you can see the traffic at a standstill as the bridge slowly closes after being opened to allow a ship through.

But it was mainly mothers and children who made the most of it, while the majority of men were at work.

Our Holiday: The Cabin

~ beetleypete ~ 69 Comments

Last year, we really enjoyed our time in the wooden holiday cabin. Then this year it was even better, as everything was familiar. So much so, we have booked it again for much the same time in 2022, seven days in September.

Here is an overview. It has two double bedrooms, and two extra beds in the roof space, accessed by a ladder. A large bathroom with shower, and an open-plan living room and fully-equipped kitchen. TV, iron and ironing board, two sofas, a dining table and chairs, and a private picnic table to the side. Enough storage and hanging space too.

Wi-fi is also available, through a connection supplied free of any extra charge by the hotel. But the signal is sometimes erratic.

But for me, the joy is the covered porch. I sat there quite happily for hours, watching the clouds and the world go by.

And it is only 100 yards to the huge unspoilt beach!

(All photos are full-frame, and can be clicked on twice to enlarge for detail.)

Cleethorpes: A Deserted Beach

~ beetleypete ~ 56 Comments

(All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them)

A trip north to the once genteel resort of Cleethorpes delivered something of a shock. Despite being end of season, the town was absolutely packed with tourists, and it took a very long time to find a car-parking space.

Dogs were not allowed on the beach until the end of the month, so we had to walk along the busy promenade with Ollie. Although the streets were full of people, the beach was almost deserted.

In the distance, I spotted what was left of some wartime fortifications.

The pier that once served as an elegant entertainment venue is now just a gigantic fish and chip shop.

It was a sunny and warm day, and we were able to find a good place for a delicious lunch later.

Seaside and sun

~ beetleypete ~ 18 Comments

One of my early blog posts, from 2012. The English seaside, and a very young Ollie.

beetleypete

DSCF0241A very young (7 months old) Ollie, in the sea. He still had a collar back then.

The rain stopped the day before yesterday, and the sun came out today. Julie was on a day off from work, so we decided to take Ollie the dog to the seaside for the afternoon.

Wells-next-the Sea is our nearest seaside town, only 30 minutes in a car. There is a large dog friendly section of beach, and a pine forest leading up to the sand dunes. Unfortunately, the sun was not present there, as it was shrouded in coastal cloud. That didn’t matter, as it was warm, and very busy, with both day trippers and holidaymakers there for their annual summer break.

Ollie had great fun in the sea, which was surprisingly warm, and enjoyed meeting up with all the other dogs. Julie and I got a lot of good exercise, and…

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Sheringham: Escaping the power cut

~ beetleypete ~ 54 Comments


(All photos can be enlarged, by clicking on them, so please do.)

The proposed power cut went ahead yesterday, as arranged. Despite a good weather forecast, the day started drizzly and damp. So as soon as we lost the electricity, we drove down to Yaxham Waters Holiday Park, to get a great breakfast in their attractive cafe. Full to the brim, we drove back to collect Ollie, who was excited to be going out in the car.

We decided on Sheringham, some 23 miles north, and just over thirty minutes by car. This is a popular old-fashioned holiday town, with a selection of shops and cafes, as well as a good-sized car park. As we made our way there on near-deserted roads, the sun was trying to break through. By the time we arrived and parked the car, it was warm enough to leave behind my light jacket, and proceed into town wearing a top and shorts!

Ollie was excited by all the new smells, unfamiliar dogs, and small crowds. Despite a stony beach, unlike those further west in Norfolk, the town was still busy with day trippers making the most of unusual October weather. By the lifeboat station, there is a mural of its history.

Ollie was getting puffed out with all that smelling, so we stopped to give him some water from his bowl that we had taken with us.

Because of coastal erosion, the town has installed some significant sea defences. (Sorry about the flare in the top left)

The tide was still high, but you can clearly see the pebble beach. The man in the orange outfit was collecting any rubbish left behind, and he was very thorough.

After the beach walk, we stopped for a cup of tea at a cafe on top of the small cliffs, and by the time we got home, just after 3 pm, the power was back on. All in all, a great excuse for a day out. 🙂

Lincolnshire: Chapel St Leonards

~ beetleypete ~ 56 Comments

Ollie enjoying the view along the deserted beach.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them, and look better that way.

On our last day, we headed eight miles south, to the seaside village of Chapel St Leonards. This popular holiday destination is all but deserted out of season, and we took full advantage of being some of the few people there. Julie headed off to the shops to buy a new jacket, and I took a reluctant Ollie onto the beach.

He didn’t settle though, and was constantly looking back, to see where Julie had gone.

Along the promenade, closed-up beach huts set the mood, with threatening skies behind.

This theatre-style seating is for the popular Punch and Judy show. It could do with a clean.

Like much of the rest of the places there, the Punch and Judy was closed.

And the seafront cafe too.

But not everything had finished for the season. The cafes in town were open, and we stopped for a hot drink. The small amusement arcade was still open too, a real British tradition.

This is the last photo post from our short holiday. I hope that you enjoyed this look at the British seaside, out of season. Next time, I will ditch the Sony lens hood, and not keep getting it in the corner of some wideangle shots!

Lincolnshire: A walk to Mablethorpe

~ beetleypete ~ 45 Comments

Walking along the the promenade to Mablethorpe on Tuesday, the clouds were mainly over the sea. If you enlarge the photo, you can see just a small section of the enormous offshore wind-farm in the distance.

All photos can be enlarged for detail, and look better that way.

Halfway there, we stopped for a coffee at a beach cafe. They were still trying to sell these beach windmills, despite a distinct absence of any children.

And there were no takers for these foam boards at £9.99 either.

Ollie was sitting by the table, and spotted another dog in the distance.

More to come soon.