Buildings, Boats, the beach and a Band.

On my first moring in Bridlington I walked around town looking for a bank machine to get some cash out.  I knew my mum would be wanting some treats and I also needed to be able to buy myself some meals lol.  The breakfast was enough to last a day, but I felt I should get myself an evening meal for sure. 

For breakfast I had fruit salad to start and orange juice. Then this feast.  There was actually so much food I took the toast up to my room and had it for my lunch with some Dairylea cheese triangles. It is a treat as we can't get Dairylea in Canada. 

 I eventually found a bank machine right beside the public library. Here is the entrance to this beautiful building. 

 The library holds a lot of memories for me.  When my mum had the flat, and  I visitied with the kids, we used to always go to the library to access the internet there.  This was the place I got all my contacts for planning our Two Tall Women tour in 2003.  It seems so long ago, and now I can access the wifi on my phone in my B and B and not have to worry about connecting to the web at all. 

After getting my money I decided to wander round the streets and capture some of the lovely buildings in Brid.

On my afternoon walk to the care home I saw this little second hand shop and loved the name. Junk and Disorderly :-)

On my second day I decided to take another route to the home and walked past this beautiful crescent of houses. This is so commonly associated with the town of Bath in my mind. It is so nice to see some here in Bridlington.  

Then I hit the harbour, which is so vibrant and full of life.  I got a few pics of the ships there and the light in the sky was quite dramatic. 

And here is another tall ship, not as dramatic as the one I saw in Bristol, but lovely in its own way.

The sun rising over the harbour was stunning.

I took some time and walked out onto this harbour wall. It kind of reminds me of the French Lieutenants Woman story.  

Further up the bay on the promenade there are some coffee shops before you get to the amusement arcades. I loved these lamps and had to get a shot of them.

The amusement arcades are such a staple of the British seaside experience.  It is something that does not exist on the Canadian beaches at all. Inside they are so noisy and over-stimulating and so exciting when you are a kid.  I used to love going to them when i was younger, and remeber taking my kids to them as well. I actually got a great video of being inside one but I can't post video on my blog from my phone.  If you are interested in seeing it, it is on my instagram account, just search for pamsbeautifullife. Here is a shot of one of the many arcades along the Bridlington seafront.

Once past the harbour and the amusement park and arcades, you get to the uninterrupted views of the North Sea along the north bay.  

Every time I walked along this stretch of the promenade, the light was different, the clouds were different and the ocean had a different feel.  Consequently I took way too many pictures.  Here are a few for you to enjoy.

I never tire of walking along the seafront and feeling the wind blowing and buffeting me as I push into it.  I just love watching the eternal washing of the waves into shore.  It soothes and heals the heart, that is for sure.  

While in Bridlington I had to prepare for my Christmas with my family in Elswick.  Also I had to get gifts for my mum and my Auntie. Every day I visited my mother I got a list of things to get her. I was surprised at how many humbugs my mum could get through. :-)  

There is a small shopping centre called the Promenade and as I was walking through there one day I heard the sounds of a brass band. As I rounded the corner there was the Hunmanby Silver Band in all its glory, playing Christmas carols. It was just perfect.

As I left the shopping arcade I was greeted by a choir of carol singers, which just added even more Christmas spirit to my shopping trip.  

After a week in Bridlington, luxuriating in the company of my mum and experiencing the glorious ocean daily, my brother came to pick me up and drive us across country to my sisters for Christmas.  We had one last visit with my mother and bid her a fond farewell. I will miss her, but hopefully see her again soon. 

Wind, Waves and Sandy Lane.

The walk from Brentwood House to the Sandy Lane Home can take me through the centre of town or I can detour down to the promenade and walk along the beach.  The promenade in Bridlington is quite beautiful.

Even in the middle of December I often met couples walking together enjoying the wind in their faces.  

Also people could be seen with  their dogs, who loved to be set loose to run  on the beach and to splash in the waves.

It is always so beautiful, whatever the weather to walk along the North Bay. The sands are golden. Since I was last here, there seem to be so many more pebbles and rocks covering the sands.  

As I visited my mum twice a day; once in the afternoon when she was sitting in the lounge with all the ladies, and again in the evening when we were tucked away in her bedroom, usually watching telly, I had time to `enjoy both the townscapes and the sea-views.

This row of hotels is typical of those you find in Bridlington.  These ones are at a right angle with the prom.

I passed this magnificent church every day.  

The view off to Flamborough Head is quite wonderful.

It is an eight mile promontory between Filey and Bridlington bays The chalk cliffs are home to thousands of sea birds, and the cliffs are apparently of international importance because of their geology.  

It is a great walk along the shore to Sewerby  Park, and my mum loved to go there when she could walk distances. It is en route to Flamborough Head.

My Mum is a twin and it is quite special to be able to go and visit her and know that she is in the same home as my Aunty.  They always sit beside each other in the lounge.  This lounge has a spectacular view over the bay and they are so lucky to have such a gorgeous  location.  This particular home is excellent in the care they shower on the residents. It meets her needs perfectly. She feels completely safe and protected here.  She suffers from anxiety and short term memory loss and and they understand her needs so well.

One day my cousin, whom I hadn't seen for years, visited my aunty and brought along his daughter and daughter-in-law. They each brought their young children, one was a year old and  the other was eighteen months.

It was amazing how the presence of the small children brought light and enrgy into the residents, not just my aunty and my Mum.  They were singing nursery rhymes with them and clapping hands along with the toddlers

When not visiting my Mum I managed to get some of my Christmas shopping done and take in some of the seasonal sights of Bridlington.  More of that in the next post.