Start the day with a sparkle
I love pink grapefruit! Followed by coffee and toast.
Coffee and non edible books
That reminds me- I must start my Polish lessons (again!). It’s less than 4 weeks till my next visit.
This being a Saturday, (I know! I know, I’m seriously late posting and should just scrape the deadline) it’s time to scoot across the park to my zumba class. No photos, to protect the innocent, but we do have fun. Grab any food shopping we need in town and bus back home as the legs are tired. Make a panini for Mick, cooked breakfast for James and collapse with my laptop, quiche and salad.
Often I will spend the afternoon online while the lads watch sports, but this Saturday is the first truly sunny day in months! “Do you fancy a walk?” I ask Mick, cautiously. And then we’re bundled up against the cold and striding along the beach. It’s so exhilerating, I forget tiredness.
The beach at Hartlepool Headland- almost empty this lovely day
Part of our industrial heritage
Somebody’s been this way!
And beyond!
Getting nearer
Heading for the gap
The pier has rotted away
Consumed by the sea
Beautiful in its ugliness
I love this prehistoric monster
Straight down the barrel
And out the other side
Looking back
And into the dunes
It’s a scramble up to the top. Still with me? The pipes belonged to Steetley Magnesite, a magnesium producing company, but the site has been derelict for some time. The chimney, which could be seen for miles up and down the coast, has recently been demolished and new homes are to be built there.
It’s not a part of town I often visit but there is a very interesting old cemetery too. Spion Kop Cemetery dates back to 1856, and is formed from a combination of sand dunes and ships ballast, providing a rare natural habitat.
The derelict site
The nature reserve
Spion Kop Cemetery
Jewish headstones and a wealth of local history
The town’s symbol on the gate
And back along the top of the dunes
Pleasantly exhausted! You too?
Home for a cuppa, put the feet up, and after an interval, make spag bol for tea. Too tired to take any more photographs. Glass or two of well deserved red to end the day. Thanks for your company.
This is my almost late entry for The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge. Click the link to share lots of daily lives.
restlessjo 
What a lovely day! Thank you so much for sharing~ Cheers!! 😀
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Thanks for leading me back there 🙂 I just enjoyed another brisk walk along that beach! Easy to forget your older posts so thank you very much.
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I love your added sparkle! What a nice walk – I felt like I was walking with you. I have only been as far north in Leeds when I lived in England, but never visited Hartlepool. Thanks for taking us there!! Have a great week!
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Should be packing to go to Poland but will get to it sooner or later! Thank you. 🙂
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I have a feeling that Spion Kop cemetery has a South African link…
Beautiful walk… I’ll have to visit sometime! 😉
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Could well be! I did look at a bit of related history one time but have forgotten it all again. Why not? Good beaches- no guaranteed sunshine 🙂
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Wonderful post, just to my liking!
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Thanks, Dina. You must come along next time.
Oh! You just did! 🙂 🙂
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Those beach photos are beautiful, and I too love your prehistoric monster. It’s an imposing structure. You could do a lot with that – photos at night? B&W? Gorgeous place!
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Hmm! I’m not technically very proficient and just use a straightforward digital camera, but I can see the possibilities. Thanks for pointing it out.
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Beautiful beach you have out there, Jo. Despite the seemingly ugliness of the rotting pier, you created beauty out of it in your pictures. 😉
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It’s right on my doorstep so I’m pretty lucky, Malou. There are frozen days in winter when I don’t see it for a while, but it’s like a magnet. Thanks a lot.
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I love pink grapefruit too. I used to start every day with one whole. Your post reminded me I haven’t had one for almost a year :O. I wish you good luck learning Polish, Jo. It sounds like a difficult language.
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My brain doesn’t work the way it used, Paula. When I take out my text book, the words all look familiar. I just can’t put them together in sentences! Doesn’t make for great conversation!
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It will come to you when you least expect it, just relax and enjoy your visit 🙂
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Love these beach shots Jo – and cheers currently enjoying a glass of red myself while catching up with the blogs I’ve missed while I’ve been away 🙂
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Where’d you get to? I’m playing catch up and I haven’t even been anywhere!
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Just driven back from the French Alps where we stay with friends every year for a bit of skiing. Best snow ever this year – and no bones broken!
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Well, that’s a bonus. Musn’t break the typing finger!
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Hi Jo,
What a great day out. I love the series, and the way you really make us feel as though we are tagging along on your walk with you.
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I really love doing these kind of rambles “on camera”, Naomi. I think it helps me look harder, if you know what I mean. Not that all the shots are successful. I hate it when I look at a photo and think “oh, it looked better than that!”
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Oh my gosh what a lovely day Jo, thanks for taking us with you.
I enjoyed walking along your beach – all those decayed and decaying structures add so much “character” (cant think of a better word) to your photos.
How far do you live from the ocean? Can you walk there?
Interesting to see the Jewish graves in the cemetery.
When are you going to Portugal?
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About half hour’s walk down to our marina, then we have Seaton beach(not shown) in one direction and the Headland in the other. It’s not a nice walk if you’re aiming for the Headland itself, so I’d usually get there by car (10mins) or occasionally bus.
No flights booked to Portugal yet. Going to Poland with Dad at the end of April.
Many thanks, Rosie.
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Why did I say Portugal? You said brush up on your Polish. Is your Dad from Poland?
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Yes, he is, Rosie, but was out of touch with the family for 64 years, which explains why I’m still trying to get to grips with the language. If you look on my A-Z of Poland page there’s a link to Exploring the Polish connection which tells the story. I can’t give you the link here because I’ve got a screen freeze on the other page. Problems commenting on Blogspot!
Easy mistake to make- I’ll be back there(Portugal) as soon as I can.
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I’m very drawn to decaying structures and derelict places so that looks like an interesting walk! You must love living so close to the coast.
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I really can’t imagine not, Hayley. It’s a part of me.
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We walked round the seafront too Jo on Saturday. It was a really lovely day even though the wind was cold. My day’s family are buried in that cemetery.xx
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Didn’t know that, Joan. I would’ve looked closer.
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I wish to have a day like that. Full of sparkles. From a delicious coffee to a beach that reminds me of paradise. Have a great weekend.
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Sunshine is addictive, Island Traveler, don’t you think? Hope you’re not working this weekend and can enjoy life with your family.
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What a perfect way to spend a Saturday
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Hope you find a little piece of paradise where you’re heading, Dallas, and that it’s worth all the struggle in the end.
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