New form of exhilaration

**Gittins Gal** · 6 February 2014, 12:46

My sister was telling me that she'd taken the kids into Newquay to see the waves crashing in and she was met by a cordon of hi-viz yellow preventing anyone's ingress to the seafront. (how this worked if you happened to be a resident or business owner on the seafront, I don't know)

The majesty of the sea during a violent storm is, indeed, a sight to behold and my parents would take me down to Lyme as a child in similar meteorological conditions.

Part of growing up.

Yet another example of the ever lengthening tentacles of the cloying nanny state stifling our day to day activities.

Seriously, standing on the harbour wall would be pretty stupid but there's a very sturdy set of railings not to mention a tranche of beach separating you from the raging water. I mean, all you get is drenched in some very fine spray - nothing with the force that could suck a child under the railings and be carried out into the raging blue yonder.

Total overreaction.

**administrator** · 6 February 2014, 12:52

Originally posted by Gittins Gal View Post

My sister was telling me that she'd taken the kids into Newquay to see the waves crashing in and she was met by a cordon of hi-viz yellow preventing anyone's ingress to the seafront. (how this worked if you happened to be a resident or business owner on the seafront, I don't know)

The majesty of the sea during a violent storm is, indeed, a sight to behold and my parents would take me down to Lyme as a child in similar meteorological conditions.

Part of growing up.

Yet another example of the ever lengthening tentacles of the cloying nanny state stifling our day to day activities.

Seriously, standing on the harbour wall would be pretty stupid but there's a very sturdy set of railings not to mention a tranche of beach separating you from the raging water. I mean, all you get is drenched in some very fine spray - nothing with the force that could suck a child under the railings and be carried out into the raging blue yonder.

Total overreaction.

Loads of nice places around Newquay where the bods in yellow won't be there to stop people. Should have told her to go to Whipsiderry. Love going fishing on the beach down there, have to watch the incoming tide though if you venture east to the better bass marks, very easy to get cut off. The steps on the way back up after a night fish are a killer though!

The storms down there have been amazing. Looks like my favourite beach has been denuded though - fingers crossed the sand will come back:
Praa Sands now looks more like Praa Pebbles as storm washes away the beach | This is Cornwall

And quite why I am joining in a conversation between two sockies is beyond me

**d000hg** · 6 February 2014, 13:04

Originally posted by Gittins Gal View Post

My sister was telling me that she'd taken the kids into Newquay to see the waves crashing in and she was met by a cordon of hi-viz yellow preventing anyone's ingress to the seafront. (how this worked if you happened to be a resident or business owner on the seafront, I don't know)

The majesty of the sea during a violent storm is, indeed, a sight to behold and my parents would take me down to Lyme as a child in similar meteorological conditions.

Part of growing up.

Yet another example of the ever lengthening tentacles of the cloying nanny state stifling our day to day activities.

Seriously, standing on the harbour wall would be pretty stupid but there's a very sturdy set of railings not to mention a tranche of beach separating you from the raging water. I mean, all you get is drenched in some very fine spray - nothing with the force that could suck a child under the railings and be carried out into the raging blue yonder.

Total overreaction.

I think you're underestimating how severe the storms have been. We also used to go and watch storms but these are not the kind you are safe from behind the railing. Houses are being knocked down, sea defences are collapsing, waves are several feet deep on the road. And even then, you might argue all these things can be avoided with common sense - although you can't really guess how far a wave will rush - however rocks are thrown hundreds of feet. You could be standing completely out of sight of the sea and get clobbered. I've seen these things happen, places that look totally safe are not.

I know of people who are living in boats in a totally enclosed wet dock - safe right? Nope, the waves were big enough to break over the top of the surrounding buildings and drop rocks, breaking windows.

I sympathise with your "common sense" position but these are emergency conditions, not typical winter storms. If sea walls are being washed away and protected inner harbours being destroyed, the normal boundaries are not safe. I lived a few miles away from Porthleven for a decade and this is FAR worse than anything in that time. The safety brigade could be legitimately worried that the 'safe' ground itself could collapse under your feet.

By your logic, the Dawlish line would be safe as it has a beach and a wall and never got washed away like this before... you've seen the pictures right?

**BigRed** · 6 February 2014, 13:06

Originally posted by Freaki Li Cuatre View Post

So, out I went in the teeth of a 70mph gale.

I'm near Burnham on Sea so I thought it would be a laugh to have a gander at the sea front. Amazed I ever got there because I literally almost came to a standstill the wind was so strong.

Didn't you see all the news reporters on the seafront broadcasting items about the authorities warning everyone not to go there?

**Gittins Gal** · 6 February 2014, 13:18

Originally posted by BigRed View Post

Didn't you see all the news reporters on the seafront broadcasting items about the authorities warning everyone not to go there?

Maybe that's why he went!?

Anyhow, Burnham's the Bristol Channel - not quite exposed to the full force of the Atlantic like Newquay.

And, Dougie, point duly noted. Let's just hope it doesn't become habitual when we have any old gale blowing .

**d000hg** · 6 February 2014, 13:45

I'm jealous I'm not in Cornwall for the biggest storms in ages... I'd have been down there like a shot but this is seriously dangerous rather than "ooh you might graze your knee". When the fishermen get caught out, it's time to be extremely cautious

I'm sure I've seen police out in similar cases when I was just a little kid, as well and that was a couple of decades ago so there is precedent.

**BrilloPad** · 6 February 2014, 13:51

Never mind the railway lines - is Zoiderman/OH okay?

**gingerjedi** · 6 February 2014, 15:17

Originally posted by Gittins Gal View Post

Maybe that's why he went!?

Anyhow, Burnham's the Bristol Channel - not quite exposed to the full force of the Atlantic like Newquay.

And, Dougie, point duly noted. Let's just hope it doesn't become habitual when we have any old gale blowing .

A 3 year old boy was washed away at Burnham a couple of years back when conditions were bad but nowhere near what we've been experiencing recently, the hi-vis brigade are there because some people really can't appreciate how powerful the sea can be.

Burnham isn't exactly sheltered, the Bristol channel is 15 miles wide at that point.

**Gittins Gal** · 6 February 2014, 15:32

Originally posted by gingerjedi View Post

A 3 year old boy was washed away at Burnham a couple of years back when conditions were bad but nowhere near what we've been experiencing recently, the hi-vis brigade are there because some people really can't appreciate how powerful the sea can be.

Burnham isn't exactly sheltered, the Bristol channel is 15 miles wide at that point.

Yesh, I remember the incident.

I seem to recall he was washed off the slipway from which they launch boats so there would have been nothing to stop him from gitting swept away.

I can't imagine there's much added danger in walking down the prom at Burnham in the current conditions.

New form of exhilaration