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.

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.

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Two jellies at Bamburgh

In the last two weeks we have seen the start of the Jellyfish season on the beaches. Normally, we dont see so many until September, when the weather livens-up, but with a strong Northerly/Easterly wind, they get blown inshore from sea and stranded on the beaches.

I think I’m becoming a bit obsessed with them. They are such interesting creatures. (last night I found myself trawling through the many pages on Wikipedia about the species).

Yesterday I was diving on a boat at the Farnes and Paul, and the Divers and I got chatting about the Portuguese Man ‘o War. Apparently they are occasionally spotted around the Farnes and St Abbs.

The Portuguese Man ‘o War, the Box Jellyfish and the Lions Mane are the biggest and most dangerous kinds, but are RARELY found in waters of the North Sea.

The Portuguese Man 'o War - not local to the area.

Now, LOTS of Jellyfish get washed-up along the beaches here, but rarely are any of them any real danger. Even the most dangerous Jellyfish are rarely fatal, and 99.9% of the time the worst case scenario will be severe pain until treatment is administered. Any deaths from Jellyfish stings are unlucky and are associated with people who many be allergic or be especially susceptible.

There are thousands of different species of Jellyfish, but along the beaches of the North East, you will see a regular collection of about a

Brain-like tissue and textures...

dozen, ranging in size from a centimeter to about 2-3 feet across. They come in clear, white, blue, pink, purple, red and deep red colours.

Generally the smaller pink/blue types are harmless and can be handed without injury, the darker they are the more likely they are to sting. If you are stung, the best treatment is vinegar. Take a cloth of bandage and soak it with vinegar, removing any excess, then apply to the affected area. In the rare event of  having been stung by a Portuguese Man ‘o War, don’t use vinegar – this can make the sting worse and spread it (the The Portuguese Man ‘o War is not actually a Jellyfish, but a close relative).

Foot used as scale

Remember that the stings – or nematocysts – can remain active long after the jellyfish has died or dried-up, so be careful when handling if you choose to do so. Local fishermen laugh heartily when old stored fishing gear is taken out of storage and handled months after being on the sea only to sting the new lad on the harbour not wearing his gloves.

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The villages are buzzing with the various visitors and summer activities, and as soon as this un-seasonal weather leaves us July and August will be upon us and gone in a flash. The summer has been a blur of football, work and surfing. All good then.

I never write here with a political agenda, its not what this site is for. This space is for documenting and celebrating the village of Beadnell and the surrounding area. That said, I do want to mention the current plans for the village. The new housing estate behind Harbour Road is progressing its final stage with another batch of twenty plus houses to be finished by the year-end.

Along with this the Duke of Northumberland has plans currently with the Council for a large holiday park development right next to the car park for the bay, adjacent to the Long Beach development. These plans have come under much scrutiny and objection within the local community. The village has an ever-growing number of visitors and second home owners, and a local economy that is shrinking with no new facilities to support the new homes.

The Duke of Northumberland

The Duke plans a seasonal holiday park, with basic facilities to service its own users. This copies the format he has used elsewhere, such as Alnwick, where he corners his market and peripheral local business lose-out and fail.
Its easy to imagine that the Dukes plans will be passed – they usually are – but the point of this being highlighted here is to raise awareness for the need for more local facilties to support and maintain the local community, rather than line-the-pockets of the Duke.

Documentation detailing the plans is hard to find currently, but should be available through the planning website eventually..

The Journal covers the plans here.

The Dukes plans get the Daily Mail treatment – here.

Locally, the feeling is that people would like to see the Duke doing more to support local communities rather than profiteering from them. Being that he and his wife have earned so much from the County, its time he started to repay the communities which he lord’s over…

… time will tell.

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The General Election is days away and the country is alive with talk of the next government.

Beadnell, meanwhile, is plodding-on with charming predictability.
The only real changes, which I’m sure will cause a wave of discussion, is the new menu about to be released at the Beadnell Towers, and the semi-permanent marquee that has arrived at the Craster Arms in preparation for the World Cup next month.

The end of April gave me the opportunity to take a trip up to Thurso for the most prestigious surf contest in the British Isles, the Oneill Coldwater Classic / Highland Open 6 Star Prime WQS.

The surf was mediocre, the wind was strong, but the backdrop and area was stunning, and we got to meet some childhood icons along with way. All in all a good trip. Some photos below.

The surf here has been pretty decent in the last two weeks, much better than the previous months, and we’re crossing our fingers for more of the same.

I even managed to make a quick edit for the San Sebastian Surf Film Festibal in Spain. :)

More as it happens form the shores of Beadnell…

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The farms are in top gear coping with this years lambing season, every field has little white things jumping around in it.

The village has been quiet for so long, but the changes are visible. The old huts used by the fisherman at the Haven have begun to come down, making way for more development.

The spring bulbs are popping up, things are green and bright. Below, the old Coop, with completed renovations.

Always a momentous day – you know its not winter when the village fish and chip shop opens for the year !

The first boats have been out in the Bay, with some glorious conditions, it is a bit windy, but the wetsuits are out and the kids are in the water. :)

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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.

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Sadder still to hear that people have been traveling from miles across the country to steal the valuable teeth found in its jaw. The teeth a rumored to be valued at around £800 per tooth, and there are usually over 50 in the bottom jaw.

I heard today that a local man has been ordered by the Home Office to go and remove the jaw with a chainsaw to deter further theft.

He should never have been here. :(

Im glad I got there before they started tearing it apart, it now looks much more horrific covered in blood and missing various parts…

The BBC story on the thieves. Thieves try to steal sperm whales teeth.

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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

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Not much in the way of notable swell, but still getting in every few days.

Below, find a photo set taken recently whilst watching the water.

We hope more decent swell rolls in before Christmas, but the snow is falling in the alps, and before long the winter will bring adventures sliding sideways of another kind.

We’ll look forward to it all.

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Grey Abyss

Autumn is usually a decent period for swells, and although its not been flat, we’ve not had it epic yet either.
A few decent glassy afternoon’s at Bamburgh have been rewarding, but we want more.

With the dark and cold becoming ever-more ominous, the villages have shut-down for winter the last few tourists will be here for the schools half-term, and then at the end of October the caravan sites will close for winter, and that’s it for another year.

The shortboards and thrusters are being cleaned-off for the big winter swells, the fat fish, eggs and mals are put away.

I had better find those gloves…

In the meantime with the surf and water locally providing little inspiration, there are a few distractions to look forward to. The end of October means Halloween, and the village of Beadnell takes this very seriously, with competition, prizes and a grand night to be had. Some locals have been making their costumes for a month already… no names mentioned.

Halloween Lantern

Check out the Craster Arms on the 31st for all the fun.

To help pass the time, there has also been the European leg of the ASP Tour, France and Spain just finished, the boys are in Portugal awaiting the event to start.

With only two events left, there are ten potentials aiming for the title. Parko has slipped in the last two events and Mick Fanning has had two wins, with the Mundaka event being won by Adriano. Bede, Taj, CJ and Bobby are all in the running.

Slater is in 5th, and you know he’s still a threat, with Pipe to come. Check the rating here.

Some highlights from the last events below. Not exactly perfect conditions at either location… but worth a look.

See you in the water.

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