Back to the beach

 If January were to be assigned a colour synonymous with its character, I would choose grey, that lifeless, insipid grey wash so common these days in UK winters and about as interesting as an accountants balance sheet. 

Saturday was another such day, despite the weather apps suggesting there may be blue skies and sunshine but in typical British 'look on the bright side' fashion, at least it was not raining.

Today's destination would be the East Devon seaside town of Beer, one of those places that I visit all too rarely despite its charm.
The local council in East Devon have had the foresight to encourage winter trade by charging just a couple of quid for an all day stay in their car parks, an idea that would be very welcome in many more places for certain.

It's no secret that I love these winter beach walks, with just the crunch of a sturdy walking boot on the pebbles and the whisper of the sea lapping the shore for company and of course the mandatory squawk of the few gulls that patrol the beach and skies above.

With any seaside photo walk, the obvious shots are the fishing boats stranded upon the beach but with such dull skies, I turn my attention to more close up shots of the other fishing paraphernalia I find strewn along the shore and beyond.

Beer must be one of the few seaside towns that leave the beach huts to weather the winter, they are more sheltered here perhaps and situated far enough away from the seas reach.

Of course I took a few shots of the said huts but will decline from posting here on this occasion, they could be a useful backup for less productive days!

Staying away from the obvious reaped its rewards, I enjoyed taking a slower pace looking for whatever may catch my eye on the shoreline, evoking memories of my childhood foraging on local beaches at low tide after a storm, mostly taking away a handful of cuttlefish skeletons for my grandmothers budgie! 

Perhaps I may not have taken that many images today but the walk along the shore was the perfect tonic after what seems like weeks of unrelenting wind and rain, one sign seen in the one beach hut that was being used sums up my thoughts to a tee.