685 - Indomitable

Whitley Bay, Tuesday.
[new camera!]

721 - Whitley Evening

727 - Iron Man

What? It's a piece of corroded metal I found on Whitley Bay beach. It's a tribute to Ted Hughes. It's art.

744 - This Green and Soggy Land

I hope NASA produce another photo of GB after the snow has melted. It'd look a little like those fragments of decomposing sponge washed up on the beach from time to time.

Last such fragment I found was on Tynemouth Long Sands: an all-but-complete seat cushion kept afloat in the wellspring by Crusoe's Cafe by the water bubbling underneath it. I fished it out, feeling the rubber-watery weight of it around my hand before dropping it like whale blubber onto the shore.

As I left, I was aware of a kid behind me, fascinated, picking it up and dropping it back into the spa.

The sea is ripe for symbols, and the sealine the place they venture into consciousness. I still remember, passing the Rendezvous Cafe two or three years ago, seeing a complete copy of the Quran furled/ unfurled in the waves, whether coming in or washing away I couldn't tell.

745 - Iced

Love this, by NASA via the BBC...

757 - Sexing Whitley Bay

But it's not just the Kiss-Me-Quick heyday, or the post-nineties Nuts generation Stag and Hen hostels on South Parade.

More important than these - got to be - are the Lighthouse and Dome. Classic rod and cup imagery. That St Mary's Lighthouse - on the site of an illicit and rowdy tavern, souwestered keepers gone, but up-thrust tower still in place, north end of the bay, outcropped in the sea - is masculine, is more obvious. Even though night sees it sheathed in pink, it's the deep pink of a raspberry condom.

The Dome at the south end of the bay is perhaps a little less sexed. There's a hope tentatively floating that it becomes the headquarters of Mind Sports UK, and, as one myself, I agree it does look like a slaphead with a wonky crown. But that might be to miss the point. Crowns and bald heads are male, but the milky-white dome is a smooth breast, nippled (the flagpole on top a not-so-subtle disguise), and fronted, when the statues on its towers are in place, by the twin girl-muses of dancing and song. Tonight I noticed the dome, too, was lit up, or at least part of it: a circular window, from below, ringed in white light - an invitation in, as the pink light on the lighthouse is an invitation up.

That North is masculine and South is feminine is well recognised: the positioning of these edifices, at either end of the curved bay, suggest a provocative beach-long celebration of our whole, and wholly sexy, humanity.

A recent news report in the Journal suggested the dome might be abandoned. Why the dome, and not the Lighthouse? These two landmarks need equal weighting, or the cultural politics of Whitley will be left decidedly lop-sided. There's no place for that any more. Instead, seize the moment: sex our seaside properly for the 21st Century!

762 - Through A Letterbox

Stuck my camera through the letterbox of Rainbow Arcade and took this picture. Apparently it may become a martial arts studio.

There's a fern growing inside the arcade, halfway up the wall, where it has seeded itself. Only tiny, though. And not in this photograph...

This pic for a reader who grew up in the Arcade, overlooking the rollercoasters.

764 - Halloween, Whitley Bahamas (2/2)

...Followed by a paddle in the sea at Tynemouth Long Sands.

765 - Halloween, Whitley Bahamas (1/2)

Ice cream from Delaval Ices...

766 - Samhain Moonpath

Walking home between Cullercoats Harbour and Whitley Bay. This photo's for you.

767 - Briardene Car Park, Sunset

Old photo, but I like it!

792 - Cromer: Whitley Bay With Ladybirds (and Beach Huts)

805 - Found Objects, Whitley Bay Beach

On Tuesday evening, along the tide-line, two deflated blue balloons.

In the sky above the beach, two paragliders, circling.

816 - Elephant Seen In Whitley Bay

This life-sized wooden elephant's head looks great on the refurbished curry house at the corner of Marine Avenue. Siam Bay Cuisine is going to sell Thai and Indian food: their website (still in progress) is here.

817 - Storm Over St Mary's Lighthouse

Yesterday morning, heading my way. Probably the reason the Canada geese were flying south.

819 - Have I Missed Something?

Seen today, out to sea, six Canada geese flying south in formation.

Oh, and Whitley Bay now has an elephant. Photo tomorrow.

821 - Ocean Weekend

A big thank you to North Tyneside Council, who, under the guidance of Keith Barrett, supported by Whitley Bay's community of artists and performers, laid on a great weekend of art and crafts the length of the beach between the Spanish City Dome and St Mary's Lighthouse.

And there were donkeys!

We went down on Sunday afternoon with family friends, and all the activity gave the place a real lift.

Great to see, on Tuesday, the grafitti display still up by the skate park, and the odd daub of paint in the shelter near Rendezvous Cafe, where tile-decorating, felt fish-making, craft stalls and circus skills had been on offer, and a marvellous dry aquarium strung up, with a giant whale, and fish, and sequinned seaweed. There was a small scattering of coloured lentils still by the shelter, and I watched a bird pecking at them.

I'd poked my head in at the planning stage, way back in March, but in the end did not get involved. I was certainly a little green with envy at what the group achieved. Really brilliant stuff. Next year, I hope, it'll be even bigger and better.

829 - Cullercoats RNLI (2/2)

830 - Cullercoats RNLI (1/2)

View down to the Lifeboat Station in Cullercoats Bay, end of the day, folks making their way off the beach and a couple of jet skis, out at sea, heading home.

836 - Cullercoats - North of Harbour