h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The New Years you had sound wonderful.

I can understand your disappointment and that the band got attacked is making my blood boil

I have a favourite beach on the Dorset coast, my parents took us there when we were kids for days out. I have taken my child Hiccup there, plus any number of kids, nieces, friends of Hiccup, sometimes we go for a day, sometimes we camp for a few days

So many happy memories over,well, 40 years now. It has got more popular over the years but really not much has changed, and what has, has been pretty much for the good.

Even at my most depressed I can go to this beach and it lifts my spirits

We go in all seasons, the course of the river changes where it meets the beach, the cliffline changes because bits fall down, this is 'safe' beach for swimming and the beach itself is pretty clean but in the winter after a storm there is seaweed and pebbles strewn around the car park which in on an elevation and flood defended

When the Napoli grounded and spewed oil and its cargo furthur down the coastline we were devastated

It had an impact, we went down and did our usual thing, of taking binbags and collected any rubbish we found

But,still, it recovered

I took the teenagers down for a day trip, one rare sunny day this Summer, we would have gone whatever, but we were so happy, it was going to be a lovely day

We got there, piled out of the car and our faces dropped

The beach was trashed, there was litter everywhere, suddenly it looked over exploited, disrespected,ugly and I felt guilty for being there. And angry at everyone who had dropped there litter, the people who were making money from this resource and not giving back, just taking, at myself for being a tourist

My broke and when the kids went swimming I wept

I litter picked, one bag wasn't enough so was emptying rubbish out of my bag into a skip and going back for more and recycling where I could

Once I was done, I felt better, the stretch of beach I had tidied looked better, I do have happy memories of that day too.

We haven't been back, not because I don't want to but because when I have the opportunity can't get there because of the weather warnings.

I still feel though that something has been stolen from me,this happy place of mine has somehow been tarnished, whether I have a right to feel that way I don't know but I do.

Crikey that is a long post I have just previewed

sorry

Aye! it seems to happen everywhere, and not just my home town, which I will never go back to now.
Sorry to read about your beech, its did sound to be an idyllic peaceful place, shame really.

Thanks for your post, much appreciated.

Smudger.