25th April

It is a wild, wild day...
A walk on the beach is irresistible though the strength of the wind makes it nearly impossible. My arrival coincides with high tide and, heading north, I have to retreat to the gabions in order to keep walking.
I collect little apart from balloons: the cultural olympiad has arrived in latex form, thanks to McDonalds...

low tide: 06.38 hrs 0.7m, high tide: 13.08 hrs 2.7m
time of arrival: 13.15 hrs  
weather: rain, wind SE 31 mph, temperature 9c
marine litter: mostly balloons

16th April

It is a beautiful morning but by the time I arrive at the beach, it is overcast with a cold north-easterly. But the beach is deserted with a lively sea - Rolf can swim and run free with no-one to 'bounce'!
It is approaching low tide, exposing large areas of sand. Miraculously, the beach is virtually completely clear of litter! Bill Crow and his helpers have obviously done a brilliant Easter weekend clean-up and no more has been brought in on the receding tides. We walk for an hour or two and, despite picking up everything that I see, my bag has never been lighter.
The sun glimmers through as we leave. If only it was always like this...

high tide: 07.50 hrs 2.5m, low tide: 13.21 hrs 1.2m
time of arrival: 00.00 hrs  
weather: cloudy, wind NE 9 mph, temperature 8c
marine litter: virtually nothing!

29th March

 

The beach is empty and stunning, the sea an iridescent silver-blue in the evening light - yet not a soul on the beach apart from a single runner, whom my dog tries to round up.
It's a falling tide, leaving pristine sand (apart from the paw prints of a mad dog) and virtually no litter. Perfect... I cannot imagine a better place to be.
Just two clouds on the horizon:  a pall of brown pollution on the horizon - a typical and sad sight after days of high pressure - and another dead starfish (more to come?).

low tide: 0.800 hrs 1.1m, high tide: 14.40 hrs 2.4m, low tide: 20.40 hrs 0.9m (est)
time of arrival: 17.42 hrs  
weather: sunshine, wind S 7mph, temperature 12c
marine litter: little

  

 

19th March

There is a very heavy frost when I get up this morning but it warms up quickly. I end up carrying my coat and sweatshirt as well as the rubbish!
It is moreorless high tide as I arrive - a lively wave takes me by surpise and nearly wets my feet, marking the high tide point. It is a textile tide: an unusual amount of pices of cloth and nets are on the shoreline. There is relatively little rubbish but the day is so beautiful I end up walking miles and so manage to fill my bags.

high tide: 09.11 hrs 2.6m, low tide: 14.47 hrs 1m,
time of arrival: 08.47 hrs  
weather: sunshine, wind SW 5mph, temperature 5c rising to 13c
marine litter: little; an unusual amount of textiles

 

 

 

 

 

8th March

  

Lovely spring sunshine and vast expanses of nearly pristine sands welcome me at Thorpeness today... with only occasional pieces of rubbish to mar the scene. It is fantastic.
Rolf celebrates with a refreshing swim and jump in the waves...
I spot an interesting billboard on the way home. But this isn't news to me - or anyone who watches the coastline here change on a daily basis. Shifting shingle by a rising sea - where on earth else would you wish to build a nuclear power station?

high tide: 10.56 hrs 2.8m, low tide: 16.40 hrs 0.6m,
time of arrival: 14.17 hrs  
weather: sunshine, wind SW 6mph, temperature 13c
marine litter: hardly anything