To The Sea @ Heysham

Me and the Sea, the Sea and Me, we are very good friends. And like all good friendships there is sweet sorrow when we are parted. I think of our friendship often, and cannot stay away for too long or else a sadness sets in. A sort of melancholy which can only be lifted by a reunion.

The last time the Sea and Me got to hang out together was on my Birthday last year, the 12th October. So more than a third of a year ago, cripes no wonder I've been pining like a love-sick teenager! No wonder I've been feeling slightly deranged and desperate for a reunion, it's been far too long!

So last week sometime, I decide I can take the separation no longer and I hatch a plan. I have a little looky on the internet and try to figure out where I can persuade my family to go which won't involve hour upon hour of car travel and won't deliver the type of kiss-me-quick rundown tacky English seaside resort that I am not keen on. And I hit upon the little village of Heysham.

From internet-information it looks like just the thing :: quirky, quaint, ancient, small village shops, a large expanse of beach, an ancient ruined church, no amusement arcades, no candy floss. I can ignore the fact that there is a huge, ugly power station nearby. I can ignore the fact that there are huge, ugly commercial shipping docks nearby. I can ignore the fact that it is only a hop and a skip down the road from Morecambe (which I have visited before and found depressing)

So on Sunday the first day of March, ten am and we set off. We estimate one hour and twenty minutes to drive to Heysham. It rains as we drive, it is grey, cold and not very nice looking as the rain spatters on the windscreen. Yet miraculously, as we get nearer to the coast the sky clears and sunshine appears as if it has been ordered. We cheer, well I do any road, J and the Little People are quite non-plussed about the whole trip but I am jubilant and quite over excited.

There is always going to be a slightly tense moment when one arrives at an unknown destination with such high hopes. Will it be OK? Will it provide us with a top-notch family day out? Will it delight, will it provide joy and happiness? Will it make us some Good Memories?

I am delighted to report that yes, Heysham did all of the above.

It was fabulous! A near deserted, picturesque, charming little village. A loooooooong sea front with a promenade stretching as far as the eye could see. And  a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge stretch of sandy beach, also pretty much deserted except for one or two couples and a dog.

Onto the sands we go, it's breezy and fresh, chilly even, but bright and energising, and oh just perfect! I can't tell you how happy I am to be beside the sea again.

The boys go off to search the rockpools for fish and crabs. Us girls are slower, scouring the sands for shells.

I am so blissed out. I turn my face up to the sun, out to the distant horizon, along the shoreline, down to the ripply sands. I hear the cry of gulls, the lap of waves and the shouts of my children as they run, discover, share, enjoy.

The tide comes in fast in Morecambe Bay. It literally races in like a horse. So when J notices quite suddenly that the tide is indeed racing towards us at quite an alarming rate, our playtime on the beach is cut short. But no matter, it's pretty much lunch time anyways.

Now usually we are a family of picnickers. We set off on any outing with a bulging rucksack containing all the food and drink we might possibly need for the day, with the exception of ice cream. But for this trip we decided to Splash Out and instead of slightly squashed sandwiches and an apple, we go for the Pub Lunch option. Such luxury! Luckily for us, Heysham has a most delightful pub, an exceptionally old (many hundreds of years) building, with low beamed ceilings and a large open fire. And very, very good food. It was quite simply a delicious lunch.

After the pub, we set out to explore a bit of Heysham Village. We walk up past St Peters Church perched precariously on the cliff top, it's grounds smothered with purple crocus.

The path winds up through some trees and emerges out on the open cliff where the ancient ruins of St Patrick's Chapel look out to sea.

I love cliff top scenery. Love the yellow of the gorse flowers against the blue of sea and sky. Love the way the grass always seems so green and springy on cliff tops, love the open-ness and breeziness, the views of the horizon, the expanse of it all.

There is a little wooden bench up here, so J and I sit a while with a flask of coffee and some chocolate and watch as our Little People explore. They run, they shout, they hide and seek amongst the chapel ruins. Its joyful to watch, it expands my heart, makes me feel full-to-bursting.

From the cliff tops we meander down through a small woodland. I love the light here, the play of sunshine and shadows. And I love the fresh greens of newly emerging bluebell shoots and mossy rocks.

 

Down from the little wood and back to the village, we stroll around the lanes....

....admire the little rows of cottages....

....the beautifully planted and decorated seaside gardens....

 

....ancient buildings and beautifully coloured front doors.

Heysham is turning out to be everything I hoped it would be, and I find myself delighted by it all.

Even the benches are quirky and charming in Heysham.

Yes, there is great spirit here in Heysham. You can feel it in every nook and cranny. In the wide open seascape and the intimate little lanes. In the ancient buildings and the quirky details.

We shall be returning soon, I can already hear it calling to me. And the Little People demand it too. There's trouble persuading them it's time to go home, they simply don't want to leave. They clutch their found shells and ask quite matter of factly if there's a hotel where we could stay, so we can wait for the tide to race back out again and return to the sands for more.

Soon, we will surely be back again soon.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Comments

[Vickie]

This post is bringing back so many memories for me. My grandparents lived in Morecambe and I learned to swim in the sea at Heysham, right by the power station. The overwhelming memory I have of those swimming lessons is my aunt yelling "Swim away from the foam Vickie! Don't swallow the foam!" Needless to say any potential I may have had as an Olympic swimmer ended right there and I've been a staunch landlubber ever since!

Isn't St Peters church pretty!? My parents were married there way back in '73 and it doesn't seem to have changed a bit from their wedding photos!

Thank you for sharing your visit Lucy and for bringing back those wonderful memories.

Take care,

Vickie

[Judith]

What a lovely day you had at the seaside. We also went to the beach today with our dog. The sun was shining and it was lovely. When we lived in England we lived not far from the sea too. In Northumberland. Lovely beaches up there but its a bit too far for you to travel to. Pleased that you had a good week-end.

[Vallen]

How lovely it must be to live in a fairy tale land. That was the perfect trip, indeed. What did we have for lunch, by the way. Did any of it involve sticky toffee pudding? I am quite a fan.

[Luci]

What a lovely outing to go on after a hard day at work! It really was like being with you!
Amongst all your talents I never realised working for the British Tourist Board was one of them. I wish I knew how to send them a link to this inspiring journey!!
Luc x

[driftwood]

oh what a perfect day out, thank you for taking us all with you xxx

[alisonb2]

Peace and tranquility - thank you Lucy. (Smile)

[crazyaboutcrochet]

I came across your blog when I was searching for a hexagon tutorial. I love your blog! It makes me all bright and cheery from the inside! You hexagon blanket is gorgeous and your tutorial was very helpful. Thank you very much for sharing, Lucy.
Here's a link I found for a hexagon pillow, you might find it useful: http://books.google.com/books?id=WhE1-GlQljoC&pg=PA128&lpg=PA128&dq=hexagon+crochet+pillow&source=bl&ots=nmTenV_6J3&sig=m-hDzLPd-HJm7ucppLhUOoFc-II&hl=en&ei=aoiuSZKGM4yRngffz-m_Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result

[Kristina]

Really great photos. Looking at them I started missing England...

[cathleen]

What a beautiful little trip. I slowly savored reading the story of your day and looking at your charming photos...just truly lovely, Lucy.

[simone]

Thanks for sharing your day Lucy. It looks like my kind of day but the rest of the family wouldn't be so enthusiastic! I too love to be near the sea or water but I can't travel on it. I even got sick on the Thames once!

[The Coffee Lady]

it's so strange to see somewhere so familiar on a blog! I'm glad you had a lovely time. Morecambe is getting a little teeny bit less depressing, I'm happy to report - slowly but surely the Midland Hotel renovation is having a good effect on the town.

[Alex Mason]

What a great day!! i am so yearning to be by the sea, its been over a year so i'm getting withdrawal symptoms now xx

[Vicki]

Such beauty! Thank you for the photos of your day, I long for a day trip...weather should be breaking soon, in the meantime a vacation to Florida for 2 weeks looming on the horizon! Oh how I can't wait for my long beach walks...I'm not a walker by any means...but something about the beach...I walk and walk and walk...just 12 days away!

[frances]

Well, Lucy, I will have to add Heysham to a list of magical places that I might visit one day. I so thank you for the introduction. It was like walking along the seaside with you, wandering through the churchyard, and around the little village.

I even enjoyed that pub lunch!

Glad that the weather was also on your side.

When I read a post like this one, I am immediately so disatisfied with my very urban location (of course at other times I do love where I live) as there is nothing, nothing as charming as Heysham withing hundreds of miles.

Again, thank you!

[Rachel]

This is gorgeous! What a great day you and your family had. I miss the sea, stuck here in this land-locked province. sigh.
Thanks for sharing the pictures with us. I really hope you get to go back there soon!

[Julie]

Sounds like a lovely family day. Completely understand what you mean withregard to the call of thesea - I feel it too - to the point when I was a student and living the furthest I've ever lived from the sea, of randomly jumping in my car and driving for 6+ hours just to get to the beach. It's necessary. Fortunately, we're near the beach now and with the weather improving, I'm looking forward to spending lots of time by the sea - hopefully this summer will be good enough to make the most of it!

The shells you found were lovely - such pretty colours

[july]

What a fabulous day you have had, and so very beautifully written as always. Like you i adore the sea and visit the welsh coast often which is only 40 minutes away from home bliss! July x.

[Kar]

What a lovely trip Luce. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful day with us. I can almost smell the fresh air from the sea. Isn't it fun to look for shells with all the shapes and colors to see. Just lovely. I think lunch at the pub was a wonderful choice with it being brisk and chilly out. Something warm is best before setting out for more exploring of the lovely little town. Now I can wait to go on little trips we have thought up for the warmer weather.

Have a GRAND day dear. Great job with the ripple. :)

xxxxx

[Jen]

It's amazing how I can long for a place I've never been. I wish I were in England!

[gardenymph]

Your pictures are stunning and look like they belong in a book about Heysham. I also am called to the ocean (I am a Pisces after all), and living in a land locked state with three young children that aren't ready for lots of travel has been difficult. We will be going this Summer, and I can hardly wait. I used to live by the ocean as a child, and it will always call me back.

I'm glad that you had such a lovely experience. :~)

[Debbie]

Dear Lucy:
Thank you for taking me to the sea! Your day trips are so good for the soul. You live near to such history and beauty-I wish I could be there.I think you could make a living being a photographer. You are a wizard with that little camera.Heres to more lovely day trips!
Debbie.
P.S. Could you tell me more about the pattern for the other afghan that you have crocheted that has the granny squares and the flowers in the middle.I see it with the ripple afghan and pillows but don't remember reading about it.

[aneela]

Glorious! Lucy, you paint such a beautifully vivid picture of your day out, I feel as if I've been there myself today, all from the comfort of my sofa chair. Thank- you for your stunning seaside blogumentary!

[JacquiMcR]

Know exactly what you mean about the draw of the sea Lucy. My lovely hubby and kids are used to my "NEED" to see, smell, feel the sea. Luckily we live an hour away by car and so regularly we pack up and head off. We were there in February on a bright, brisk day. We walked, played football, chased seagulls(my son) and stalked people with dogs (my son again, in the hope we will relent and get a family pet). Armed with our stripey sock (perfect for collecting sea glass and shells and lets you shake the sand through the weave)my daughter and I had a great time. Afterwards(when daughter announced her legs were numb) we went for hot chocolate, tea and cake. I much prefer the beach when it is like this. It restores the soul and lifts the sort of glums that you get for no apparent reason. Have a lovely day Lucy - jacqui x

[Lindy]

You have inspired me to take another road trip, now that you have taken me along on this one! For someone who loves the sea as much as I do, I'm not sure how I can be happy as landlocked as I am in Kentucky. Someday I hope to go "back" to Heysham (I feel like I've been there now).

[julia]

It was so funny to read about Heysham, living half an hour away as a child it was one of our favourite haunts when we did our "Sunday walks" trips. It used to be a very popular place, always heaving in summer but for some reason it's popularity died and it's now pretty deserted most of the time. We last went there about 2 years ago and had a lovely time, isn't the churchyard gorgeous? Now there's going to be a mad rush in blogland to get there, you've sold it so well. Heysham won't know what's hit it!
Julia xx