Summer has yet to officially start in my book, its just been so mild – where is the heat ?
But that-said, there has been plenty to keep busy with, so sun or not, the people came.

Earlier in the summer we had a visit from Time Team on the point, digging the chapel there, with the show being aired in the autumn.

We had half of Cornwall’s finest up here as the swell dropped in the South West and the boys drove North in search of waves, good to see Stokesy, Fryer and Egor out in the water with us.

The usual raft of tourists have been queuing up to be rescued from the causeway at Holy Island – its an expensive mistake, and its not hard to avoid – check the crossing times !! :)

As well as the lighter side of things, the area had a couple deaths, both quite recently, one diving-related accident and one cliff-fall. Both very sad.

Looking forward once more to the August Bank Holiday weekend, the finale of the holidays, only one thing is being talked about – Crastonbury.

Big highlight for me this year – The Cuban Brothers headlining !!!!! You HAVE to see these guys. Truly epic entertainment. See the video below. :)

Must dash now, but promise to be back soon..

Running from midday to midnight on the Saturday of the August bank holiday, the line-up included; The Tuckers, The Longsands, The Proper Boys, Martini Sessions, The Remmies and the Amy Housewine Band.

Big thanks also to James Cummings for the sound-tech and PA services, Photographs from nighttime below also by James – JamesCummingsPhotography.com

It was a great day, with sprinklings of sunshine and rain, but the crowd was resolute and the weather did nothing to dampen the spirits.

The crowd was a great mix of families, old and young, with locals and visitors alike sharing the merriment and enjoying the day.

By 7am the next morning the entire garden was clean and clear and no-sign of the huge numbers of people could be seen -  a credit to all the staff and helpers who worked so hard.

We look forward to next year when the festival will get bigger and better !! Bring-on 2011 :D.

The weeks of snow, ice and cold weather were only a mild distraction from short days and dark nights.

But its now mid-march, and the weather is breaking. The snow drops are pushing through the grass, the caravan sites are re-opening and the village has some people in it once again.

I’ll have some more Spring-like shots later this week to put up, but just quickly, a look back at the winter gone.

Crew

VT

The village has slipped into dormancy, happily, after a busy summer. The weather is cold, the days are dark and short. There is snow on the ground as I write this post.

The surf has been pretty average for autumn, a few clean swells but mostly junky cross-shore, small period mediocrity. Ive still been getting in, but more out of desperation than desire.

December was a massive month for surf news, with Hawaii firing with epic huge swells. The ASP tour was won by Mick Fanning after Parko stumbled in the Pipe event which was eventually won by Taj, for the first time, with Kelly coming second. Parko, although pipped at the post for the world title, took the Triple Crown Title for a second year, after Sunset and Haleiwa both produced quality entertainment.

And finally, the Eddie ran. 5 years in the waiting, with 30ft+ swell, it went off, massively, with Greg Long winning in the last heat to steal 1st place form Slater. Epic.
I watched all 8 hours straight on the web, one of the best live streams ive ever seen.

I was doing some tidying-up the other day and found these shots from the end of summer, and so thought I should share them.

Hope you like the flash-back to a warmer, sunnier Beadnell.

So, back to reality. at least the winter solstice has now passed, and its officially getting warmer and lighter everyday.

The New Year will bring new swell.

See you out there. :)

b

Bamburgh Beach bathed in morning sunlight

The weather had been terrible the day before, and I wasn’t expecting to be ‘on’ for the photos. Luckily, it was a glorious morning.

Rider, back-lit against castle

The perfect match

Claire and Mr Kai, have a very close relationship…

Holy Island Castle

Bamburgh beach is unique in that it offers good vantage points for Bamburgh castle, Lindisfarne castle and the Farne Islands.

Trotting in the shallows

With the group assembled, we headed down the beach a while.

Good looking castle...

Water sun and sky coming together.

Same castle... different angle.

You don’t see too many shots of Bamburgh castle from the south. I like it.

Having some fun

The horses love a good stretch on the beach, stopping them was hard. :)

The group resting

Walking-off...

Although not empty, the beach looked as good as any you could imagine.

A different kind of shot.

For a beach ride along to Bamburgh along to the castle get in touch with Slatehall Riding Centre.

The beaches around Beadnell, Seahouses and Bamburgh are literally throbbing at this time of year, and the long sunny days are both a blessing and a curse.

What do you do with all that time ?

Answer – you pick an activity and go for a ride. Some of the activities available in the area are linked below, why not give them a try ? and remember – every weather condition is perfect for the right activity!. :)

Surfing

Although this stretch of coastline is not especially famous for the surfing culture, you can enjoy as good a day as any beach in Cornwall with the right conditions. Talk to the people who know and get the right day and you’ll get your own slice of the sport of kings.

http://www.northside-surf-school.co.uk

Northside Surf School

Kiteboarding

Kiteboarding is one of those activities that needs wind, and wind is usually pretty common around here ! If the surf is flat – get the kite out and go for a ride.

http://www.ka-kitesurfing.co.uk

KA Kiteboarding

Windsurfing and Paddleboarding

Windsurfing obviously needs wind much like kiteboarding, but if there are no waves and no wind, paddleboarding can get you around and in the water with a smile on your face.

http://boardskillz.co.uk

Boardskillz

Horse-riding

Horse-riding is a superb family activity for those warm and suny days. Take a trek through the beaches and countryside past the ancient castles and along the golden sandy beaches.

http://slatehallridingcentre.com

Slatehall Riding Centre

Fishing trips

Fishing is fairly condition exempt – obviously its much nicer to have good weather and blue skies, but once you land that monster Cod, it all fades to grey.

http://unityfishingtrips.com

Unity Fishing Trips

Sea Kayaking

Ideally, calm and light conditions are required for long adventures, but paddling along the rocky coastline and beaches is easy and safe.

http://www.active4seasons.co.uk

Sea Kayaking

Snorkeling and Diving

The Area around Beadnell is rich in sealife and is peppered with rocky outcrops and reefs, further afield the Farne Islands are a popular location with experienced divers.

http://www.thedivingcentre.com

http://www.farneislanddivers.co.uk

Grey Seal

Or as we thought.

For the second year in a row, we’re going to get some of the potentially largest and best swell ever seen in the summer months on the east coast.

Ive just returned from the water having decided i should get the board out and get the arms ready for the rest of the week. It was huge – overhead and barreling all down the beach. You just don’t get waves like that on the East coast of England.

So, the rest of the week is supposed to get bigger and bigger… the charts look like this -

Swell forecast

Remember today was at least 5-6 foot.

And with the radar looking like this…

Chart

Im pretty sure we will have decent overhead surf for the next week…  with a ten second period. That means getting the jetski’s out and towing-in with the sun shinning, and seeing all those secret reef’s lighting-up.

Bring it on…

Some snaps form the session this morning;

Clean lines

Marching swell

Inner Farne setup

Workable...

This good weather and flat sea’s inspired a few toys to come out.

Water Toys at Beadnell Bay from swinhoe on Vimeo.