The Seaside And Beyond

Things that caught my eye recently, in photos and words

I’ve always liked the word ‘Seaside’.

It’s always sounded so British to me.

I like the idea of being at the ‘side’ of the sea, as though it is a friend I am walking along with.

My mum lives in Bridlington, and whenever I visit, I take pleasure in a stroll from her house in the suburbs, to the beach and beyond. What follows, are a few things that caught my attention when out wandering.

I’ll begin with the shadow of a gate I noticed. The intricacies of wrought iron scroll-work, flat upon the pavement, had me thinking of the wheels of childhood liquorice we used to unroll and dangle, watching the length try to recoil itself. Or maybe that was just me?

The symmetry and pattern cast, also brought home the notion that beauty is multi dimensional, it is not exclusive to an object (or person) but rather, projects outwards to become something greater than what it began as.

When I reached the sea front, I took pleasure in seeing the word ‘Promenade’ on a sign. I do enjoy a word you have to put a bit of effort into saying. ‘Victoria Promenade’ made it sound all the more English and fancy. Whenever I see ‘Promenade’, I think of this song. Marie Lloyd was so cheeky, how I’d have loved to have lived through the music hall era.

Not long after, I was drawn to this land train parked up. (First image too).

There’s something disturbingly eerie about a vehicle usually teeming with smiling people, without them.

The blue sky and distant clouds echo this uncomfortable ‘jolly emptiness’.

This next image, for me, captures the often competing energies when on a day trip or on your holidays. The cloud is so low and pressing, almost challenging the railings, whilst the ocean softly hems and people gently find their way. Life often feels like this, doesn’t it? Something slightly off, out of kilter, but we work with it all the same.

The next two photos, I took a day apart. The pastel coloured grand guest houses perched high above the walkway are reminiscent of snooty ladies looking down upon the commoners. The brooding cloud in the first, followed by cornflower blue sky in the second remind us that ‘this too shall pass’. What a difference a day can make!

The next photo is my favourite. It’s the sea wall zoomed in upon and sidewards. Looking at it this way, the seaweed and algae mimic a beautifully textured fabric of various greens and greys. I particularly love the vibrant lime strand running through the middle.

A little further down the coast, I enjoyed looking at the teasel. The oval shapes housing so many spikes, like plant hedgehogs, pair so well with the calm of the silver sea.

I do appreciate a bridge, and in this part of the country (East Yorkshire), they use a lot of this type of brick. It’s very different to the sort of stone common to where I live in West Yorkshire. This structure has a few cracks and crumbles, but is still standing, functioning, serving a purpose, holding up under pressure.

Now, who’s with me in relating to that!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these reflections and that next time you visit the seaside or beyond, they inspire you to make a few observations of your own and to share them with others.