Bad Timing On RAF The Firing Range...

I've really been itching to get out an about with the camera, I've either been working on the good days, or the weather has been bad on my days off. Monday was a good day though, slightly windy, but warm and sunny, I wasn't sure where to go until I had a brain wave and decided to go to a place called "Donna Nook", this is a RAF firing range, but also hosts a seal colony.
I was so looking forward to getting some shots of seals as I was led to believe that the seals would be there between November and March.

So after a 77 mile trip out, I finally made it to the car park, I couldn't see any parking meters, but just to make sure I asked a bloke that was sat in a car at the side of me if parking was free, thankfully it was, so I was more than pleased about that.

I headed up to the pathway that us civvies are allowed to walk on, looking out for seals, as they usually come right up to the fence, so they do come in very close, the sea must have been 2 miles out, it's a vast space with targets well out towards the sea, but no seals!!

There was plenty of other wildlife around, but not what I was looking for, I asked someone about the seals (I think it was the same bloke that was in the carpark), and he said that my timing was way out and that I should have been there 3-4 months ago for what I was looking for lol. Typical!!

I drove all this way and only stayed there for around 30 minutes, I thought to myself that I'm not going home yet, what should I do now?

I knew I was between Cleethorpes and Skegness, so I thought I'm going to spend the rest of the day at the seaside, I did quite fancy some fish and chips...

I ended up driving to Skegness, it was only around 30 miles away although the sat nav showed two routes, one sticking to main roads and the other to go through the back roads and small villages, as I'd not been to this area before I decided to go through the back roads.

The drive was fantastic, there are some absolutely beautiful villages out there with gorgeous little churches, I even saw deer, kestrels just feel away and even the chinook helicopter heading over to the firing range, some of the roads was really bad though, thankfully they were quiet as at some points you had to drive on the opposite side of the road as the surfaces were very bad.

I made it to Skeggy, I was so hungry, once I parked the car, I headed over the the chippy, I'd noticed a few changes since I last went, the chip shop that I usually go to has changed its name, now knows as Fox's, but it was Harry Ramsbothams previously, however, I'd heard about another chip shop that the locals say was very nice, Trawlers Catch, which is just next door but one from the one I used to go to.

The prices were pretty good, £7.95 for haddock, chips and sauce of your choice, I do like a curry sauce with mine, so that's what I opted for.

The fish was nice, although I got cod instead of haddock, but I usually prefer haddock, I just wanted a change lol. The chips however were gorgeous. I'll definitely go back to that chip shop when I'm back in Skegness.

After dinner I had a wonder around Skegness, a walk down chip pan alley and around the block, I did find a pet shop selling some absolutely beautiful budgies, there was one clinging on the cage, I was fussing it a little and it was telling me a right story lol, I wish I could understand budgies as this one was fantastic, I do love animals.

Back at the car it was still a bit early, I didn't want to set off as I would have hit rush hour and school runs, I kept checking my drone app and it stated it was suitable to fly, the wind had dropped a little, so I thought I'd get the drone up for a few shots.

The shots above looks like a lake, however this is usually sand dunes, they must have had some very heavy rain, I usually let the dogs run on here, I couldn't believe my eyes.

On my way home, I drove towards Ingoldmells, halfway between there and Skegness is Winthorpe, I drove up passed what was the miners welfare place, and at the top of the road is the life guard place and there used to be a pub called "Dunes", the pub is long gone now but we spent plenty of time on the beach there on our summer holidays as kids, these were such great times, and brings back warm memories that bring a smile to my face and tear to my eye thinking of how good life was back then. Something I can only thank my parents and brother and sister for.

A steady drive home, but I do have some ideas for some long exposure photography, something for when it's not as windy.

All pictures shot using a Sony A7iii camera, with a sigma 150-600mm lens, DJI Mini 4 pro drone and a Samsung S21 5G phone.

Thanks for reading (if you are still here lol).

All the best :-)