Stuff I Love - The Sea

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

John Masefield - Sea-Fever

I guess in West Yorkshire is about as far as you can live away from the sea in the UK. In truth compared with people living in the centre of Africa, America or Asia I'm not that far from the sea. But as Albert Einstein probably didn't say its all relative.

When I was a kid the seaside meant holidays. A week in a b&b in Skegness; a day trip to Scarborough or staying in a caravan at Flamborough Head. You couldn't go on holiday without going to the seaside and you didn't go to the seaside unless you were on holiday.

So when I went to Uni in Newcastle it was a novelty to live so close to the sea. In actual fact in three years in that city I only went to the seaside once. It wasn't for the lack of trying. I remember several times saying to my mate Mike - 'lets pop off to Cullercoats or Whitley Bay for the afternoon'. He'd say 'Why would we want to do that?' I'd go 'Its the sea isn't it?' He'd then patiently explain that back home in Whitehaven he lived by the sea so it wasn't very exciting for him.

Sadly I have the same problem with Mrs Windbag. She was bought up in a seaside town south of Edinburgh and so the sea isn't a novelty to her.

One thing that me and Mrs Windbag agree on though is that there are several things you need to do when you go to the seaside: 

- Eat something unhealthy (chips, ice cream, doughnuts or preferably all three)

- Have a go on a slot machine. Our preference is that one like a waterfall with 2p pieces where you roll your coin down and try to knock others off

- Go for a paddle in the sea

But its also just great to stare out at that expanse of water stretched out as far as the eye can see. And that's just piddly stuff like The North Sea, Irish Sea or the English Channel. Go up to Orkney or down to Cornwall and you get to see the wild Atlantic ocean. I can't begin to tell you how excited I was on my first trip to the USA to look out at the Atlantic from the opposite side. Since then I've seen the Pacific as well (courtesy of trips to San Francisco and Vancouver).

When I was exiled down South I loved trips down to Brighton which is one of my favourite places in the UK. It combines great nightlife (compare and contrast to Blackpool) with the sea (admitedly the beach is all pebbles instead of sand but you can't have everything). Perhaps though it was the good times I had down there that swayed me rather than the place itself.

When we drive up to Scotland to visit the in-laws I love the bit of the journey along the A1 just north of Berwick where you drive along right by the sea. Sometimes you'll come along and there's a sea haar along that bit.

Being at the seaside is so evocative. The cry of a seagull; that tangy salty seaweed smell; standing on pebbles as you walk along the beach in bare feet; and the breeze coming straight off the sea. All these things take me back to more carefree times. I guess that is the secret of why I love the seaside. It takes me back to more innocent times.