Luxurious, comfortable, five star- words that are seldom used when referring to the type of accomodation the band stays in when we have to stay out overnight. Our digs were basic- very basic. The bed was hard and the breakfast stingy. The budget did not stretch to beds for the four of us, so one of the band slept in the van- a sensible move as we couldn't park in front of the B&B but had to leave the van in a back street. As it happens he doesn't eat breakfast- but then he wasn't missing much.
We checked out just after 10.00. The evening show was about twenty minutes drive away, so what do we do?
Cozy had a meeting with a promoter, so we visited the music shops. Cozy's snare head needed replacing and we wanted to browse for bargains. We then moved on to the local Cash Converter (Pawn Shop). The bass amp that I'd had my eye on last year was still there, and reduced even further, but I couldn't buy it. I still hadn't earned enough to pay the mortgage. Jason stocked up on cheap CDs and games and when Cozy returned from his meeting we headed off to the seaside.
I love Saltburn-by-the-Sea. There's something about the Victorian grandeur of the place, and it also remind me of Cornwall in that the people have found a way of life that transcends the loss of the industry and manufacturing that caused the town to be built 150 years ago. I enjoy the vibe, the people are friendly, and there is a thriving art community (just like in Cornwall)
I love this statue. It's made from thousands of pieces of sheet steel, flame cut and welded together. There's another one just inside the shop.
We parked up on the cliff-top and looked down on a crowded beach, full of schoolchildren on a day out
We took the cliff railway down to the promenade and had another all day breakfast in a cafe. That was much better!
The tide comes in quite quickly and soon the surfers were in their element. The walk up to the top of the cliff was steeper than I remember.
We drove a few miles along the coast to a tiny, almost forgotten village called Skinninggrove. The village grew up around an ironstone mine and when that closed about 60 years ago, the place was almost forgotten about. It's off the beaten track, with one pub, one shop and one chip shop. The hillsides of the steep little valley are dotted with allotments and pigeon lofts, and a few small boats are pulled up on the shingle beach. There's an old factory building, now roofless. A mile or so away, the steelworks that is the only employer for miles has been mothballed.
Welcome to 21st Century Britain, post Industrial Age
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