I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t visited Saltwick Bay for 2 years but I took up the opportunity to take up a workshop place with Joe Cornish a couple of weeks ago.
Conditions were perfect and even tho I have explored much of the bay over many years I still found places and photographic opportunities that I previously missed. My friend, John Illingworth always jokes that I am programmed to turn right at the bottom of the cliff and he was right. (Please don’t tell him that I said that).
After experiencing problems with an apartment it has taken me 15 months to return to Whitby for a week by the sea. Conditions for photography weren’t great as the tides weren’t how I would really have liked but at least I was back on the coast.
This year I stayed in a new apartment high on the West Cliffs which had fabulous views of the abbey and the sea. As I only had to cross the road and walk down the cliff to access the beach I spent a lot of time wandering about at different times of day looking for patterns and reflections in the sand as well as photographing the waves ricocheting off the sea wall.
If it is January then I must be in Whitby. It is always my first holiday of the year and one that I enjoy very much. It is always quiet down on the front and on the piers and I am only a five minute drive from the delights of Saltwick Bay.
This year I made two trips to the bay. I, along with a few other togs, visited pre-dawn on Sunday morning and then I returned a couple of days later to explore the area around Saltwick Nab. The light on Sunday morning wasn’t particularity promising but fortunately the sunlight shone through the bank of cloud for a few minutes before rising up out of sight.
I set off for a week's holiday in Whitby knowing that most of the east coast of England was under threat from a storm surge caused by high tides and very high winds.
Every evening when I was on holiday I walked down to the North Pier to take in the air and admire the sea.
I got up at 6.30am to get there before first light. As I was putting on my wellies I could see that the sky was starting to turn an amazing deep red and there was still an hour left before sunrise but I didn't want to miss a moment.
I have been to Saltwick Bay 3 times and on each visit I sensed that there are wonderful photos to be taken but I've never taken any.
After a wonderful weekend in November I decided to return to the same apartment for a break in February. All things considered it wasn't the best time to visit with the intention of photographing Saltwick Bay as the tides weren't compatible with sunrise and sunset and the weather forecast for Sunday was only 1 grade short of Armageddon.
Sunday morning looked bright and exciting. Oops. Wrong day.
A change is as good as a rest, or so I've been told. I decided that 6 months is far too long to go without a short break somewhere near the sea side so I booked a weekend away in Whitby.
