‘Tall’ is a relative, isn’t it? Seen from the cliff tops in Saltburn, this offshore wind farm looks small and inoffensive. Quite pretty, in fact, as the sunlight catches the blades. Let’s have a walk along the sea front at Redcar, to take a closer look.
I used to hate being tall and gawky when I was at school. Nor did I ever achieve tall and elegant in later life. But I’ve always been tall.
So I do have a certain sympathy with Redcar’s Vertical Pier. It’s far from elegant, but it’s tall and…. interesting, would you say?
If you were wondering what I did with the rest of my Monday, after my walk Through the Valley at Saltburn, the answer’s here. I’ve long intended to climb the Vertical Pier at Redcar. It only required a short detour, and you know how I like a view.
I’m hoping that Paula will enjoy it too. She likes a little something different for her Thursday’s Special. This week’s subject is Tall.
I don’t mind wind farms when they are out at sea (and yours look particularly good surrounded by all that blue) but I have gone right off them when they are on land – there are just too many of them spoiling what used to be beautiful views.
It’s very close to shore in Redcar, Elaine. Impossible to ignore! You do grow accustomed and I think they have a certain elegance, but just how effective they are I’ve no idea.
tall indeed, Jo! and quite interesting. great shots as always 🙂
Thanks, darlin! 🙂
Che meraviglia, Jo !
Mille grazie, Anna! Un bacio 🙂
The wind farm has a great deal of charm when viewed from a distance. Unlike you I am small and have always longed to be a little taller. 😉
Yes, that’s always the way. 🙂 I have twin friends who are tiny and can never find clothes unless it’s in the children’s department!
Tall and interesting indeed….
There’s a view from the top that’s not at all endearing, towards heavy industry on the horizon. Photography is all smoke and mirrors, isn’t it? 🙂
Yes, I so agree! It’s all about the perspective and story you want to tell an audience. Very similar to writing. 🙂
Well I never knew that you’re tall, from your photo I thought you’re tiny! I’m 5’6” and was considered tall growing up, but I think I’m going to start growing down soon 🙂 I like wind turbines, elegant things when well placed and your vertical pier is cool, the seaside sculpture is magnificent though and photo is perfectly composed, top marks girly 🙂
5′ 8″ but scrawny with it, Gilly. James is 6′ 5″ so I’m feeling a lot smaller these days 🙂 Thanks, hon. Happy Sunday!
Thanks for a fun post and cool photos.
Glad you enjoyed it, Ruth. 🙂
Never heard of a vertical peir before Jo but this is very interesting in design and colour and what a view when you got up there.
There’s the rub, Pauline! The view I didn’t show is of ICI Wilton and the surrounding industrial chimneys. You can pretend it’s not there if you look in the other direction. It’s a very strange ‘pier’ to have spent so much money on when Redcar is an area of high unemployment. Sorry- sad facts 😦
Life is not always perfect, but you make the best of it by showing us the good view
la modernità ci spinge sempre più in alto…speriamo non a bucare il cielo!
le immagini sono grandiose
buon sabato Giovanna 🙂
Buon sabato, cara, e mille grazie 🙂 🙂
What is not to love about pink? I think it is quite a cool structure.
Not sure that the steel workers of Redcar are ‘pink’ people, Lisa. 🙂 Especially since the closure of the steel works and instant unemployment. 😦 It cost enough to feed most of them for life! But I like it 🙂 🙂
Great pictures! thanks for sharing!
Lovely to have your company. 🙂 Thank you!
I’m sort of glad you never reached tall and elegant – maybe your walks wouldn’t be such fun it you had!
I think I’ll take that as a compliment 🙂 🙂
I thought your walk at Saltburn sounded like full day so if it had been me a follow up nap might have been in order😴. I’ve never heard of vertical piers so this is interesting.
I have high energy days and slumber days, Carol. Nothing much in the middle 🙂
Makes me feel better😊Thanks
I love that vertical pier, Jo!! And I’m sure you loved the view at the top; you and I are alike in that way — we can never resist a climb for a view. I hope all is well. I still haven’t made a final decision about the real estate… Argh!!! Getting ready to go to Texas/Oklahoma on Sunday! 🙂
If you had a better offer, Cathy, you’d take it! Yes- all’s fine here thanks. 🙂 Lisa is coming for Easter so it’ll be nice to all be together. Have a wonderful trip! 🙂
Tall is good, Jo – It will be interesting to see how the vertical pier weathers over time – I would guess not well 😦
Maybe not 🙂 Fun while it lasts but I do wish there were mats and a slide, Robin.
Good thinking! 😀
Jo, I suppose being tall is quite beneficial, since you may notice more things than shorter people, plus you can play basketball, which for us is almost impossible! A very nice tall story, I am smiling now!
It has it’s moments, Ann! I’m very helpful at reaching things from high shelves for little old ladies 🙂 Glad to make you smile. Happy weekend!
Happy weekend to you too, Jo!
You’ve made me laugh and smile 🙂 I love the photos, the first one with windmill landscape is mind blowing, but this tower is so you :D. How tall are you, Jo?
Only 5′ 8″, Paula, but skinny makes me look taller. It’s not at all tall by today’s standards (James is 6’5″!!! 🙂 ) Glad you liked this.
Is that 172 cm? (you are still 4 cm shorter than me, but I am not skinny – I wish I were – I would be lighter on my feet and knees :D). James is tall!
Probably 🙂 🙂 I’m mountain goat material but with no sense of balance. It’s laughable really. Just as well I can! 🙂
🙂 😀 in that case we would have fun on our hikes – I used to go only where goats go, also no balance at all, my falls vouch for that.
Sehr stimmungsvoll, danke Jo fürs zeigen…
Morgen, Ernst! Danke 🙂 🙂
I like Jude’s comment re: the bonkers helter-skelter…very apt. Another great walk from you, Jo….thoroughly enjoyed it.
It would be perfection if only it was, Sue! I like a bit of quirkiness 🙂 Thanks a lot! It was going to be titled ‘A vertical walk’ and having seen Tish’s entry I wish it was 😦
Is it a pier or a tower or both?
It’s a helter skelter without the mats, Andrew 🙂
It’s tall and it’s quirky, like you, and it makes for interesting photographs.
I like the comparison, Viv. Pretty much how I see me, too 🙂 Happy weekend!
The wind farm across the breaking waves looks quite spectacular although no doubt it’s daunting close up. Your photos of the vertical pier are beautiful – what a pink! And then you offer shadows and latticey patterns. Your supply of amazing places and photos is inexhaustible.
The impact when I first saw them from Redcar seafront was shocking, Meg. They are clearly visible from our own seafront, some 10 miles or so away, so I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised. Going back this time they didn’t seem quite so intrusive, so I must have got used to them. I thought I had a ‘close up’ from the Pier cafe window but I must have deleted it. Thanks darlin! I’m starting to feel a teeny bit exhaustible myself 🙂 🙂 How are the ragamuffins and is your cold better?
Hey Jo, I like the spirals around the pier. Elegance is relative too, isn’t it? 🙂 I kinda think the spirals look like a helix, and read somewhere that it lights up. So there, elegant in its own special ways!
It does! In the Vertical Pier link there’s a shot of it in evening light but I didn’t get full impact as we were heading home. We have a friend with a photographic gallery in Redcar and he has some great multi colour shots. 🙂
Off shore wind farms mans they are in the water? I was tall with long limps, never liked it until I got older. Tall is relative I suppose
I’ve ‘come to terms’, and an awful lot of young people are tall these days so I no longer stand out so much. Still not easy to hide though 🙂 🙂 Yes- they’re out at sea.
I love it! How interesting. A sort of bonkers helter skelter. I am so glad you climbed it for me – I’m guessing there are no mats at the top to slide down on.
I felt robbed the first time I saw it and there were no mats! I knew you’d understand, Jude. 🙂 🙂
I loved this, Jo! The photographs are fabulous. Rest up!
Almost ready to ‘go’ again, Jill 🙂 Busy weekend ahead and not much time for walking 😦 Thanks, darlin!
If there is something to climb I am in Jo! Pretty in pink even if she is a bit unusual looking. The view is tremendous!
Forgot my grappling irons or we could have done it the interesting way, Sue? 🙂 🙂
I’ll bring some when I come to visit. 🙂
😀😀
Always a pleasure to go walking with you jo.
I see the sights and you do the footwork._/\_
We make a good team, Jack 🙂 Thanks for your company.
Sharing pleasures increases them in value and good company makes it even better.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and photos, you have a good way of looking at things Jo. _/\_
I’m in agreement with you, Jack!
Bless you for that, Sue 🙂 Have you got your ‘vitality’ back yet?
Oh no, I reckon a good few days and more yet… I shall go stir-crazy soon, so thank goodness for blogging. In fact, the whole reason I took up blogging in the first place, so that I could remain in contact with the outside world when I couldn’t get out…
Nice to make myself useful 🙂 🙂
And you do! By the way, one comment from you just flitted into my reader for a nanosecond, and has departed again, so I can’t answer 😦
That’s ok cos I won’t be able to remember what I said, Sue 🙂 No worries! Take care x
And you!
Some great shots here Jo. These wind farms are pretty massive, we have many of them here in Australia too.
Thanks, Miriam. 🙂 It wasn’t popular and is quite close to shore. I have mixed feelings about them.
Yeah, me too. They do very little to enhance the landscape, for starters.
I rather like the idea of a vertical pier. Though I followed the link back to your earlier post and blanched at what it cost.
Crazy, isn’t it? In an area that has recently had the closure of it’s steel industry and struggles with employment!
Quite!