Blyth Battery May 2012

Last weekend was another event at Blyth Battery  the WWI and WWII search light and gun emplacement , when I was a child this was a great place to play most of the units where used as beach chalets in an era when "vandalism " seemed unheard off , now if its not virtually "nuke" proof it gets destroyed . Anyway it's good to get a look at someone else's hobby , and this re-enactment can be a serious and very expensive hobby , the Tank below was apparently some sort of observation vehicle with a kit added to the top, it is motorised and had firing guns as did the 25pounder that was very loud during the re-enactment of the taking of the beach . All seems a bit over the top till you realise  at the time invasion was a very real threat , I know the access to beaches was very restricted if not completely banned , but it got me thinking what happened to the bird populations during all this did Little Terns and Arctic terns flourish with the beaches deserted, I remember reading the excellent book   A Naturalist on Lindisfarne  by Richard Perry , if memory serves he was based there as an observer during the war and I think the book was published on that thin war time economy paper , actually I remember a lot of natural history books seemed to published during the war, must try and get a copy and re-read.

Back to the day I have lived nearby most of my life and it was strange to go into a few buildings that I had never been in before , one chap I was talking too told me the searchlights only shone out to sea and not as I  thought up in the air as well, apparently it was common to fire on friendly ships mistaken them for the enemy such was the fear at the time . Blyth at the time was an important Submarine base which as it happens was indirectly how I came on the scene as my late father was a Submariner  based at Blyth where he met my Mother...

 An expensive hobby no doubt I'm sure this would be Several thousand pound

 What could have been two German soldiers patrol around the site.

 The business end !

 The detail is impressive most spent the weekend camped out ,but there is an excellent fish and chip shop nearby !!!

 All these guns are deactivated and cannot fire