“Making beautiful things for everyday use is a wonderful thing to do – making life flow more easily – but art confronts life, allowing it to stop and perhaps change direction – they are completely different.” Antony Gormley
By far one of the most important aspects of my life is my female friendships and I do recognise that out of my friends I am probably the worst and I do try to make an effort, I know my faults and I do try to keep them in check. Last Sunday me and Sarah spent the day on the Wirral exploring Crosby and Formby beach, Sarah is one of the most intelligent and passionate people I have ever met. As we walked along I asked her endless stupid questions about the environment, which she answered without a single eye roll!
Sarah has also given me a new found love of sand dunes and protecting them, in fact, I have written a blog post on them, keep your eyes peeled for that one. Dune management, including the planting of old Christmas trees and the building of a sea wall, is ongoing and have reduced the problems of high tides. Land erosion was a problem during the early 1900s, with dunes and house gardens being washed away resulting in the demolition of houses up to 1929 and measures to control the erosion introduced during the 1930s.
The water was bloody freezing but there’s is just something about paddling in the sea, like going to the beach doesn’t count unless I have actually gone in the sea.
Cheeky!!
I have found my new boyfriend, he’s the strong silent type with butt cheeks of steel!
Another Place is a piece of modern sculpture by Sir Antony Gormley consists of 100 cast iron figures facing towards the sea. The figures are modelled on the artist’s own naked body.
“And the original piece was designed in a way as a meditation on emigration and what drove human beings constantly to expand westwards until finally, they reached the Californian Pacific.” Sir Antony Gormley
Sarah has gone away for what seems like forever (or until June) and I am pretty convinced by the time she gets back I would have read a lot of books on sand dunes and taken a 100 tree pictures that remind me of her!
“I love the sea’s sounds and the way it reflects the sky. The colours that shimmer across its surface are unbelievable. This, combined with the colour of the water over white sand, surprises me every time.” John Dyer
The one aspect that did disappoint me was that they have started cleaning the sculptures of men along the beach (with the artist’s permission) and while they look all shiny and the new they look all shiny and new. I love seeing them weathered. Returning every couple of months to see the men being taken by the elements was exciting. The permanent sculptures felt less man-made and more like another part of nature as if they were always there but will be eventually gone. NOw they could have just been put there yesterday, I really hope they don’t clean them again. I love the idea of returning in my 80’s and seeing them as weathered and battered as I will be in my 80’s.
Of course, I had an ice cream, who goes to the beach and doesn’t get one!
