Cayton Bay

While walking along the beach at Scarborough you can see the next bay along - a mile or two away at Cayton. Unfortunately the sea doesn’t retreat enough for you to walk round to it. You can drive there though and I sometimes go there for a walk while losing myself in an audio book. I called there on a rather grey day and thought I might try capturing the sea and sand on a bit of canvas. With little detail to cover I thought perhaps I dispense with brushes and use a wee knife. Here is the result.

Initially I drew the outlines and, the next day - while shaving - thought I'd give myself a challenge by imposing a time limit. I've got the brill DVD Queen Live At Wembley 1986 and thought I'd put it on from the start and see if I could complete the painting before the concert finished. I got started and was soon smearing on that incoming tide. The concert lasted for 1 hour 50 minutes and I thought I'd finished it until I realised I needed to dot in a few people on the sand. Friends Will Be Friends started when I had to grab a thin brush to dab on a few people. It was too broad through and I had to smear paint over the people (who looked like hedgehogs.) The concert's last song was We Are The Champions and with minutes to go I was forced to use a felt tip pen to dot in a few people.

Looking at the painting now I realise I missed out the concrete armament left over from the war (looks like a machine gun would have been inside it) and a telegraph pole. It's too late now though as it's glossed, packaged and ready to post to you tomorrow. You could hang in on the wall at the top of the stairs and whenever you're planning a day out you could think, "Let's definitely NOT visit Cayton Bay as it looks so dull." It's £4224 which is a lot of money but my favourite inflatable doll Sabrina melted a little while stood next to the toaster and then contracted a virus. I had to pay £2000 for a cure from ebay (an injection.) She's turned green but she matches my cucumbers so I'll keep her.

I can remember that Queen concert at Wembley in July 1986. Freddie looks to be top health but now I know he probably suspected he was HIV-positive and that the concert would be one of the last (there was one more a month later at Knebworth Park.) Later that year the Press reported - probably accurately - that Freddie had taken a blood test that confirmed his suspicions. His partner Jim Hutton said Freddie's condition progressed to AIDS in April the following year. All those new albums I looked forward to for another two decades never came. The quality of most band's music deteriorate as they age but Queen were always brill.