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 
How wonderful photos and great report from there. I loved to make a journey thru Your photos. Thank You.
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Thank you! It was a spectacularly lovely day. Hoping for more- of course!
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You have been playing again Jo! Love the result 🙂
I never got down to posting ‘my day’. Have been too busy shuttling between grandchild’s birthday and R’s uncle’s funeral. Writing this from the airport on the way to the memorial ceremony in Mangalore!
Look forward to more from Portugal. Have a great time.
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Keeping up’s impossible sometimes. You need some chill time soon. Take care of yourself.
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What a great way to start the day. And you are certainly not bored during a day in your life. Great images and a fun post.
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“Restlessjo” says it all, Munchow! I love to be out, and these days the camera insists on coming too. Thank you very much for your encouragement.
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Los the sparkle, grapefruit, coffee, books, beach and all. What a wonderful day! Wow!
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It was a good one, Gem. Don’t look now but the clouds are back. (I got snowed on AGAIN yesterday)
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Where in Poland are you off to next, and is the language as hard to learn as it looks?
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Krakow at the end of April, Richard. A few days in the city and then north to the family in Belchatow. It’s mostly family stuff so I won’t have much time for tourism, but I expect I’ll get out now and then.
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Happy to see books about Portugal in one of your photos! Have you been in Portugal?
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Hi Claudia. I’ve had a home in Tavira in the Algarve for the past 9 years, and spent numerous holidays in and around. My A-Z of Portugal page will take you around the places I’ve visited. Last September I was in the Douro and loved it. Thanks for your visit.
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Liked that bracing walk along the beach, Jo, and the view of the disintegrating jetty (Down the Barrel particularly). I was amazed that disused mine site is only now being rehabilitated – extraordinary, right there beside the sea. Oh, and pink grapefruit for breakfast – shades of Portugal?
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Don’t think I’ve bought the pink ones over there, Meredith, but I do love the flavour. The whole of the north east coast, just about, has been revitalised following the death of the mining industry. The magnesium company used salt water in their processing and should still have been a viable business (?) but after several failed attempts it was left to fall apart. The tower was demolished rather spectacularly last year and the developers moved in. I guess I should have included all this in the post. (too busy walking and talking!)
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Beautiful photos!
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What an enjoyable day, Jo! Thank you for sharing your beautiful world.
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Those dunes are a killer, Amy! Lucky they’re not very high. You’re welcome.
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Thanks for sharing your day, Jo. Great pics of your world. I was exhausted along with you, after scrambling up those dunes. You really earned the couple of glasses of red. 🙂
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I always do, Ad! Thursday is a dry night. (:
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What a stunning beach – I’d certainly be up for a long walk there!
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Not bad is it? We just need more blue sky days. (I got snowed on AGAIN today- it’s almost humorous now)
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We had snow here too – it’s not fun anymore 😦
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the battle of Spion Kop was faught in our country – interesting to know about that cemetery
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When I Googled Spion Kop out of curiosity I got a load of football related details, Rosa! But if you Google Spion Kop Cemetery you can find out more.
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That looks like my kind of day with all that golden sand and fresh blue skies, apart from the grapefruit which I really don’t like 🙂
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Not even with brown sugar toasted on the top? (can’t remember where I had that)
Welcome to Hartlepool!
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I’m not sure tat Ben toasted brown sugar ( which sounds delicious by the way) could tempt me into grapefruit. But Hartlepool looks wonderful judging by your photos 🙂
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Sunny days suit it, Seonaid. (hope I’ve spelt that right- no, I know I haven’t)
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You spelt it perfectly 🙂
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But I don’t think I can say it! 🙂
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Is that spring I see? That looks like it was a rejuvenating seaside walk and I really like the cemetery.
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Ssh! According to the weatherman it’s gone again tomorrow, and I managed to get snowed on while out walking this morning. The flowers are just plodding on, doing their best!
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What a wonderful walk! Thanks.
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Love a bit of gentle exercise, Carol, and friends are always welcome.
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I like that ‘Beautiful in its ugliness’ picture!
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Me too. I was quite proud of that one!
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Quite right too!
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What a beautiful day! When the sun comes out I want to drop everything and run to the beach with my camera too. 🙂
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Absolutely! It’s been such a long time coming. Thanks for your visit.
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You’re welcome. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by my pages too.
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Those shots of the beach are wonderful – how lovely to have that so nearby.
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It was a remarkable day on Saturday, Elaine, after all the grey, but I’ve had a jaunt or two since then. Got to make the most- we’ve waited so long!
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What a wonderful world you live in too Jo and you had that beautiful beach all to yourself! Thanks for sharing these beautiful photo’s. I love it! *hugs*
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Very different to yours, Sonel, but beautiful in its own way, I guess. Something to do with the “eye of the beholder”. Thanks, hon. 🙂
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Absolutely hon and indeed, everything is beautiful in its own way. I love seeing where my blog friends live and what they do. Don’t you just love our technology of today? 🙂 *hugs*
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I’ve forgotten how life felt before blogging! 🙂
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Fantastic .. love that you added sparkle to you day … by having it for breakfast – what a fantastic closeness you have to the ocean … witch I have too, but I don’t have long sandy beaches to walk – anyhow. Fantastic and beautiful day you shared with us. Beautiful in its ugliness, my pick of this fresh and sunny bunch.
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I love that one and the ‘down the barrel’ best, Viveka. I made it!!!
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