Dark night Dazzling colours Sea Shore Magical Creatures
‘Out of the Blue’ in New Brighton
There was bright light and magic in the wintry salty air last night.
On the seashore at New Brighton, where the Irish Sea and River Mersey wash the coast of the Wirral peninsula, an extraordinary lantern parade. Fantastical glowing creatures were conjured out of darkness by a lighthouse keeper giant, sweeping his huge lantern over the waves. There was eerie music as a curious company processed through excited crowds, adults and children huddling together for warmth, gasped with delight at the dazzling sea creatures that came to visit New Brighton ‘Out of the Blue’.
As ever, all the pictures are taken with the camera of my mobile phone.
Making magic: performers prepare the wonderful bird for the seashore spectacle
Before darkness falls a sea mist rolls in around the lighthouse on the Mersey estuary
Battling the wind, the giant lighthouse keeper on stilts sweeps the shore with his lantern
And ‘Out of the Blue‘ to the sound of deep sea music comes the weirdly wonderful company of creatures, led by the magnificent bird.
Dazzling magic
Little fishes from the deep
And the strangest birdy couple; clothed in lights and feathers dancing and entrancing their way through the crowd.
Bird people
And the underwater world of spinning fish that looked spectacular at dusk became hypnotic in the dark.
Fish world at dusk
Fish world in the black of night
There were ships too, tossed on the oceans of a seamaiden’s swaying arms.
All at sea, the magical ship
And there was a silvery shimmery mermaid, the sweetest creature – when children rushed to stroke her tail she giggled with delight.
‘Come tickle my tail!”
Exploring the seaside town, the bird strutted along the prom
The spectacle ended with the thrill of fireworks and a huge lighthouse sculpture set alight in the middle of the marine lake; seawater reflecting fiery colours.
Tired and happy the big bird wandered to its nest – ‘Going to lay an egg now’ the performers told me!
To discover the beautiful diversity of the shores of the Wirral peninsula in northwest England, read Weekend 14 of my award winning book 52 Weekends by the Sea
brigid benson 