Life is strange

Oh I’d love to live near to the sea. An estuary, canal even a lake would do. We’re lucky it’s about 45+ Minutes from the coast, so days out are possible. Your right though Annieback life is strange, unfair and throws us some curveballs. We always planned to move near the sea but under our current circumstances can’t see us leaving here because we’re so heavily involved in our sons family since our DiL diagnosis. I hope you get your wish one day Anniebach it’s very hard to give up on our dreams. [sigh emotion]

I feel I belong by the sea but I've lived in landlocked places all my life. I really hanker for deserted beaches to walk on with the breeze on my face, or to open the front door to mountain scenery.

I have quite a bit of the Greta Garbo in me. I love people but I also like to be alone, at one with nature and I sometimes feel very trapped inland. I really love our home and having family nearby - it was our choice to stay near them when we moved recently - but I feel that the remote seaside or mountain life I hanker after will never be mine.

No idea why I am drawn to it but part of my soul feels it's withering away. I do feel like running away to the sea, which is madness, because the reality, at my age, would be so different from the dream. I am learning to be content with the lovely life I have but deep down inside I know it's the safe option and a compromise.

We are an island race.

We've both lived on the coast for all of our lives, and there's no way on earth that we'd ever move inland!
When DS was doing his training he had to live and work in Manchester for almost three years, he hated it!
As soon as he possibly could he moved back here, and he, DDiL and DGS now live behind us, one road from the prom. We've lived in this house, right on the prom for almost thirty four years and love it. Out of the front door, (which is on the side to give a tiny bit of protection from the wind), down the drive, across a pavement, across a narrow road, across another pavement, beach!
There are distinct disadvantages to living so close to the sea, many plants die, windows get really dirty, really fast, hairstyles rarely last as far as the car, due to wind, rain or spray, sea spray damages car paintwork and bare metal underneath, in the winter it can be as cold as charity! However, I can sit up in bed watching the sea, smell the freshness coming in through the window, hear the gulls, (and this year, lots of Arctic Terns) shrieking as they wheel above the waves, watch children learning to ride new bikes, laugh at owners trying to train puppies to walk to heel, I love every moment of it!
Our front garden is very long and the house is above the level of the pavement, so we can't be seen by people passing.
The house is getting to be a bit too big for just the two of us now though, and we're looking at bungalows, but there are very few actually on the prom itself, so we may go a couple of roads further back, but no more than that.
DS has already told us that he'll buy our house when we leave it, he grew up with the prom right opposite his bedroom window and wants to get back to the view!
DH and I have both traced our families back as far as the mid sixteenth century, when they were living on the same stretch of coast as we're on now, so it's in our DNA to live as close as possible to the sea

Wishing you many happy hours viewing stunning seascape images anniebach. So difficult if you can't physically make it but maybe you could write a few happy memory lines to any views which resonate of the past. I know nostalgia can be utterly painful but sometimes it's helped me personally to write of golden times even if I've ended up in floods of (mainly healing) tears! God bless

i live about 10 minutes max from the sea.
i was born in torquay, devon so was brought up near the sea and spent many happy days on beaches in both devon and cornwall [loved the moors too].
after living briefly in manchester without a glimpse of yhe sea, i returned to torquay to get married.
almost 20 years later we moved to poole, dorset where i've now lived for over 30 years - living through marriage break up and children leaving home.
i don't think i'll ever move away from the sea now.

As a newcomer here, I’m anxious not to say the wrong thing, but it seems such a shame that you can’t visit the Welsh coast again - sounds like you have such fond memories. Is there no way for that to happen? As I am a newcomer, I don’t know your situation - are you housebound / serious illness or somesuch? I love the mid and South Wales coast - we used to go to Cwmtydu to try and see the seals. Beautiful area. Lived in Aberdovey years ago. We only have one life. Best wishes to you

Born and brought up on the Firth of Clyde, followed by four years in St Andrews, I am drawn to the sea and feel happier on the coast than anywhere else, no matter what is going on in my life at the time. Sadly, I live in East Cheshire, and don't drive far nowadays. Both my sons' families also live in land-locked counties. My favourite fantasy arises from swimming in a delightful cove on Ithaca, overlooked by a little house with blue shutters. I yearned for that house and still go back to that cove in my imagination.

I used to live close to the sea but the salt in the air killed the plants and ruined the paintwork, the windows were always salt coated.
DS and family have been unable to secure a holiday in Shetland this year, the TV programme has the place fully booked. Must say it is not my idea of a holiday but they seem to like it.

I lived by the sea for many years and loved it, especially in the winter. Shetland would be fine for me as I don't like the heat or sun. I couldn't live further from the sea now in SW France.

Anniebach, do you know of the Scottish selkies? Maybe that's who we are descended from! ebooks.visitscotland.com/ghosts-myths-legends/selkies/

I grew up by the sea and whilst I don't really want to live there again, mainly because of the cold, I am to this day hypnotised by the sea, the waves, the beach.

I'm 20 miles from the sea now but I can see a river from my house and that is almost as lovely.

Cherry, the Dolphins are just magical to watch aren't they ?

Baggs, surely something more romantic than descended from Apes ? . I think I love the sea because my ancestors on Anglesey were wreckers . England sent coast guards to the Island, they didn't trust the Anglesey men, but the coast guards married local girls , ?

Elaine Morgan in her book The Aquatic Ape (great read!) thinks that the pull of the sea is a vestige or relic of our time as aquatic apes.

Annie one of happiest memories of New Quay was watching dolphins playing happily on the waves.?

On of my scariest memories was our friends boxer puppy leaping over the sea wall.
Bil managed to catch her by the collar .?

As the crow flies, I am about 3 miles from the sea, by road a minimum of 5 miles, but as I`m on my own now I don`t get to see the sea anymore. Even if the family offered to take me it would be a bit further to a main resort, which doesn`t really appeal. Years ago, when we were still doing the lottery, I picked out "my" house in Cornwall for when/if we won big, intending to knock on their door with a blank cheque!

It’s my not so secret dream, I do love to be beside the seaside tiddly om Pom Pom

5 mins wow! lovely

I have always lived near the sea. For many years on the north coast of a Scottish island right above a deserted beach which my children believed was there personal property! Now I live in a city, but can walk to the sea in five minutes.

I would miss it so much, I think the air is so different with a bit of that salty flavour to it.

How far are you all from the sea??

I can be at the seaside in around just under and hour (Lytham St Annes/Southport/ Morcambe etc)

My friend and I used to go on our scooters/motorcycles and ride along the prom (on the road of coarse not the footpath) with the warm breezing blowing)
Unfortunatly she had to give up her licence due to eye problems.
But!! we have now bought pedal bikes and intend to get on the train with our cycles and off at Lytham and cycle along the prom picnic in our little bags (could even have a little dink seeing as though we wont be driving as such.
I too have a yearning to see the sea at times and just have to go.

Now that elder daughter is dead, younger daughter living so far away , Grandson is going to buy a house where he works, elder granddaughter moving to live miles away there is only younger granddaughter here with me now and she is in university, perhaps I should finally play the lottery, win a large sum and buy that cottage in .New Quay as we planned fifty years ago ?

My O.H. and I moved to Embleton on the Northumberland Coast two months ago.
We are less than a mile from the sea, and walk down the hill to the beach most days with our dog. We are so happy in our new home, and feel we are still on holiday. Our neighbours laugh and say "The novelty will soon wear off", but I know it wont.
It was such a big decision to come here- but after two horrible years dealing with bereavement and sorting out family problems, we decided to be selfish and think about ourselves for a change. So we are both 74 now, and are so excited we can go on the beach everyday. We love our new life living in this village and making new friends.
Anniebach it seems so sad that you will not be able to visit New Quay again, it obviously has so many happy memories for you.

Annie is there no one in your family or friends who could drive you to New Quay?

Sorry, I don’t know what distance is involved but I would, if I lived near you, willingly drive you to your beloved New Quay. I so wish this could become a reality for you.

I also pine for the sea. It's where I belong. We can drive to the coast in an hour and a half depending on the traffic but it's the traffic that's the problem. I no longer enjoy bracing walks along a beach in the winter so it means risking being stuck in nose to tail traffic when the weather is nice..

The Isle of Wight is where I really want to be. If only we'd moved back there when we had the chance.

Never mind.

You never know what's around the corner Anniebach. You might get there one day.

I'm sure you will one day Annie. Small steps. We're all wishing you onwards

I am definitely a mountains and country girl as opposed to DH who completely unwinds just being near water be it sea or loch so we have been very fortunate upon retirement to buy a but n ben on the edge of a loch in Perthshire. Win win for both of us.

I do understand the I belong there Annie as my family for generations are from this area. Home, is how I feel.