Back to the Future

Left mum's soon after breakfast, fancied giving the pup a run along the beach so drove on impulse to Seaham.

Now last time I went to Seaham was approaching 40 years ago, I remember going there with Dad, I remember picking coal from the beach to put on the fire at home, I remember it as a grim black place and a grim day weatherwise.
Since then the local pits have closed and there has been a remarkable regeneration project, "Turn the tide" which coincided with the closing of Vane Tempest Colliery. The place is transformed from my memory, still in places the coal shale towards the cliffs is only a spades depth away, but wildlife returns and plant life is regenerating too and the beaches are splendid. The coal waste washed away.

Walking along the tide line I thought about how my trips up north seem like a gentle ebbing and flowing of the waters, the leaving and the returning, dropping off my eldest and visiting my mum, revisiting the boy I was and wondering about the person I've become, holding and letting go. Each time the water recedes what is revealed is subtly different. Time passes, rarely in a straight line and remembering is part of becoming.

Checked out the sculptures, then drove on and had a wander up Easington Colliery pit head with an interesting narration in plaques on the climb up the hill. Then to Crimdon for another blast along the beach, all 2miles of it just the dog and me and one other person for the whole stretch, Daisy reminding me that the the current moment is precious.

Busy trip starting tomorrow, did me good to recharge this morning.