Life's a beach in Abadaron on the Llŷn Peninsula.

We had a family jolly to North Wales last week to celebrate my father’s 80th birthday and while we were out and about we visited Aberdaron on the Llŷn Peninsula.  It was the first time any of us had visited this much loved part of the country.  Some good friends have a holiday home here and they strongly recommended that we drove along the beautiful coastline to have a look.

I love to take photos at the seaside, particularly when it’s a bit quiet and grotty (imagine Blackpool in January) and I usually concentrate on the shop fronts, signage and other very non-human subjects.  I found that my eye was rather overwhelmed by the glorious weather and the happy, thronging masses on the not quite golden sands which presented themselves.  I broke my usual ‘rules’ and concentrated on observing the holidaymakers for a change and there was plenty of material!

It’s very hard not to be aware of the observational work by the great Martin Parr when in such locations, and I would never compare my photographs with his, but I think that I have been sub-consciously inspired by his iconic images of the British, and many other nations at play at the beach in his Life’s a Beach collection.  I was amazed by the amount of stuff that each beach party had with them – fold out chairs with cup holders in the arms, long sun loungers, whole bales worth of towelling, wind breaks, tents – actual tents, wet suits, body boards, water wings, rubber rings, dogs, buckets, spades, umbrellas, flippers, snorkels, plastic shoes, inflatable canoes, non-inflatable canoes, cans of beer, flasks of tea

These few shots for me sum up a short and sweet visit to a spot on a far flung outpost of North Wales in all of it’s messy, and well accessorised glory.