Again I
could have had many choices for T ... Tidal Flats (M), Tide Race (Q ), Tidal
Pools (I and N), Tidal Zones (Z), Tentacles (U) ...
 |
| "Between the Tides" by Walter Langley of the Newlyn School of Artists |
... but
we’ll start with T for Tides ... those phenomena of the seas, that are hard to
explain ...
Julius
Caesar first learnt of the tides when he came to Britain, where the tide may
make a difference of 40 feet to the depth of water, whereas in the Mediterranean
it is at most six inches: do you think he gaped?
The
science: the gravitational forces of the moon, sun and earth combine to give
two high and two low tides a day (in most parts of the UK).
Though smaller than the sun, the moon has a greater gravitational pull on the oceans because it is nearer the earth.
High tides occur about every 12 hours 25
minutes apart, and are 50 minutes later each day ... due to the moon taking 24
hours and 50 minutes to circle the earth.
 |
| Low Tide Lelant Saltings, St Ives Bay |
The depth of the ocean and coastal configuration affects the tides – for example when it is high tide in Dover, Kent ... it is low tide at Falmouth, Cornwall.
Local,
quite unusual tide patterns may occur.
Both at Southampton, and on the other side of the Channel near
Cherbourg, a prolonged or double high tide occurs with four, or even six, high
tides a day. Poole and Weymouth in
Dorset have four.
 |
| August 2013 Ryde, Isle of Wight tide table |
Tide
Tables are used for tidal prediction and show the daily times and heights of
high water and low water, usually for a particular location: essential for day
trippers, tourist offices, fishermen, lifeboat institutions ...
 |
| Eel baskets |
- fishing and fishing with fish pits (traps/”kettles” (K));
- eels caught in baskets,
 |
| Maldon Salt Co - est 1882 |
- oysters, mussels, limpets, cockles,
- foraging ... seakale, samphire, seaweeds ...
 |
| Sea Kale |
- Duck decoy ponds ...
- Salt extraction – e.g. Maldon Crystal Salt ... which was also used in salt-glazed pottery ...
 |
| Barging Blocks, Blackwater River, Essex - Cooks Yard |
- Ship Building and Repair yards ...
- Barge transportation of goods – when sea transport was faster than across the countryside ... before proper roads and railways ...
 |
| Sailing Barge Thalatta - launched 1906 |
- ... farm produce up to London; horse manure, seaweed for fertilizer, lime, coal and other cargoes on the return journey: called ‘London mixture’ ...
- Kentish rag stone was brought up from Kent ... and used to build up the sea walls and helped in the reclamation of marshland.
 |
| Blackpool - tower and prom; theatre and visitor centre, big wheel, big dipper, lots of hotel rooms |
T is
for Tourism ... in all its guises ...
- swimming and bathing from early times ...
- Sailing for pleasure ...
- Visitor centres
- Aquaria
 |
| Dunes, sands and low water sea |
- Promenades and Piers ...
- Sand and Sea through our toes ...
- ... and more as the public devise new activities along our shores ...
That is
T for trembling tearaway tides, tortuous tide tables, troublesome tidal races
... T for terribly tough trades ... or T for our modern delights of tourism
necessities ... from Aspects of British Coasts ...
PS! I need to add a post I wrote last year on an exhibition I saw on the trades in Cornwall, recorded by the Newlyn artists back at the beginning of the 1900s: Amongst Heroes: Artists in Working Cornwall
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
35 comments:
one thing we on the island joke about is the low tide smell...yum. not!
Wow, forty foot tides! I'm not really familiar with tides since we very rarely make it to the ocean, but that definitely is different than several inches. Those are some tough sounding trades too. I do believe that one of my first ancestors to come to America was in the ship building trade. It sounds to me like a very difficult but admirable way to earn your living.
How fascinating, that difference between British and Mediterranean tides. I had no idea. I always learn something new from you, Hilary!
It's always amusing to see people use to slow moving tides sitting on a beach where it comes in fast and all the way. Watching them set up deck chairs and picnic baskets only to have to move them back all the time was fun down in Somerset :).
Cockles and mussels alive, alive, O :)
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings - AtoZ (Vampires)
FB3X - AtoZ (Erotic Drabbles)
I'm sure Caesar must have been absolutely amazed about the tides! I didn't realize the Mediterranean tides were so small. The ones here on the Atlantic coast are pretty dramatic, too (not so much on the Gulf of Mexico, though).
I didn't get to see these beautiful beaches when I toured England, but would have loved that.
I love to look at tidal charts when at the sea-the variation in them is extraordinary, but now I have a better understanding thank you. Spring tides have a different kind of power - or full moon tides. I love to watch them come in, and slowly go out. Thank you Hilary. Interesting post!
Garden of Eden Blog
I am such a 'land lubber'...the tide information, tables and illustrations are very interesting and I'm sure Caesar gaped...I did. Love the Langley painting. Great job Hilary...your theme is 'Terrific'.
Sue at CollectInTexas Gal
I lived on a Thames Barge for a few years, Iota, magnificent vessels. Tide tables were our bible for many a long year. My father didn't "come ashore" until '73 or thereabouts. Then when we lived in NC we used them again living by the ocean. Didn't realise there was that big a difference between the Med and the British tides.
Ohh the Thalatta is pretty!
I can imagine Caesar probably did gape! That's an amazing difference.
I've been to the beach a number of times, but not enough to be aware of tides much. This is very interesting information.. my mind started churning about how tides could be used in a story.
Once again a great lesson. I had no idea. I have been to the beaches here - don't live near one. I bet years ago it really did shock them. 40 feet!!! Love, sandie
Being a landlubber, I never really understood tides. Did know they were affected by the moon, though. :)
Caesar may have been surprised but Canute knew what he was doing.
Our local river (R Tees) used to be tidal until they built a barrage.
Tides can be scary things - I remember going to the West Country for the first time being used to the long, fairly slow tides of the South East and being astonished at how fast the tide came in and how far on the Bristol Channel.
Sophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles - A to Z Ghosts
Fantasy Boys XXX - A to Z Drabblerotic
I hadn't realised that the difference between our low and high tides was remarkable. It's always a disappointment when I arrive at a beach and the sea is a hundred yards further away than I was expecting!
Seeing Caesar's learning moment would have been very interesting. He probably expected Poseidon had a hand in making the water recede.
Very informative T post!
Tides are so interesting. I gather that it affects the sea creatures that live near the shore also. I like the tidbit about the Romans being shocked by the tides.
Did you know Southampton has double the usual number of high tides? (Something to do with the position of the Isle of Wight, I believe) That's one of the reasons it became such a popular port in the days of sail, when the correct tide and wind direction were important for ships to come in and out.
Tides - all depends on which way the moon is pulling. Interesting that the Mediterranean Sea doesn't change much with the tides.
Hi Hilary
Saw you at Betsy's and also a couple of times at my place.
How interesting to read your post about the tides - quite a lot I did not know and glad I popped over.
Best wishes
Eddie
The whole tide thing is fascinating, isn't it? When we lived near the coast the tides were a big issue, especially with storms and whatnot. It affected much of everyday life, depending on your occupation and how close you lived to the bay or ocean. Thanks for all the wonderful info. Have a great rest of the week!:)
The tides of the sea, the tides of the mood... the sea can be a reflection of our own tides.
Interesting post, Hilary...
I think he'd have gaped! I loved my years in Greece, living on the coast, but I do love the driftwood and tidal wrack we get on our wild and windy beaches. And the seaweedy salt air here is glorious. Nothing anywhere else has ever compared to it. Can't claim to know why. Childhood associations? The intense anticipation of holiday joy that came with smelling the sea before we saw it? Don't know. Thanks Hilary - popping over here this month has been like daytrips to the sea.
Hi, Hilary...
TERRIFIC TiDALS TODAY... LOL
Great information for us here. Thanks. Never knew there could be more that one high or low tide a day... fascinating.
I remember limpets, but now I don't know what they are. I guess I could google, I think I will. Thanks again for a wonderful post. You know there's no one quite like you on the blogs.
I thought the same, holy crap forty feet! What a great post. It made me reminisce about my one and only trip to Cape Cod. Then I think of the song, so now I have to find it.
History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z
Hi Hilary,
Thought I should tide myself over by visiting your blog and I'm barely awake at the silly hour of three in the morning.
I do love your alliteration, Hilary. It suits you to a T. I noted the mention of eels. I recall being about four years old and having some eels to eat. I recall throwing up in a bucket near the seaside restaurant.
Thank you for this, Hilary.
Gary
Growing up in the Midwest US, and not even particularly close to the Great Lakes, I never paid much attention to tides until last year when I moved to California. Now I live a mile from the beach and am always checking for low tides so the wet sand will be great for a jog. Liked your section about the science+gravity behind them!
I've heard about the tides in England. Wow. They can be scary with how fast they come in. I don't we have this issue in the States, but I could be wrong.
T for tourism is so true in England. There is so much to see:~)
Only six more!!! How are you holding up? You are really amazing to do these posts and to come with such interesting ideas.
@ Tammy – yes it can smell of seaweed or rotting fish at low-tide sometimes ... unfortunately!
@ Marcy – Nova Scotia – Bay of Fundy has higher tides ... and ours are only in the Severn estuary .. but the tides roll in and out ..
Yes I wanted to remind us all of the old trades – I imagine everyone who left for the States would have had a trade of sorts, or were being persecuted .. I hope you can find out more about your ancestor – sounds an interesting person to trace ..
@ Juliet – I’d not realised it was so little in height ... so I learnt something too ...
@ Tasha – yes ... it is funny to watch the comings and goings at the shore ... and down in Somerset you had long beaches with large ebbs and flows ... the shore line makes such a difference ..
Cockles and Mussels alive, alive O! – I didn’t use that song ... missed a trick I think !
@ Elizabeth – it would have been fun to see Caesar’s face though .. I must find out if the tides vary depending on the latitude we are ... now you’ve mentioned your Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico ..
@ Lynn – they are there ... but often the best things to see are inland ... next time?!
@ Susan – yes we used to use the tide tables quite often .. now not so much, but that’s probably because we don’t need to – but I’m sure sailors etc are pouring over them ... the depth of the tide ... ie the distance it goes out is extraordinary sometimes ..
@ Sue – if you’re continent living and not really into the seas as such – I can understand you being a bit ‘ummmm’ what’s she talking about ...
The Langley painting shows Newlyn as it was then and as it is now ... granite harbour walls don’t change ...
@ Jo – I thought of you when I wrote the post!! Thought you’d enjoy the shots ... Your father was a real man of the seas .. you must have learnt a lot from him ... Presumably the NC barges are used along the shores and not really for trading ...
@ Rosie – yes I had to put the Thalatta photo in – she is beautiful ...
@ Julie – seems odd to think the Roman Emperors would be the same as us!
@ Damaria – I’m not sure about the Durban tides, but certainly down in Cape Town there was some tidal rise ...
Lots of stories could come from the tides and the rocky shores ...
@ Sandie – the Bay of Fundy has larger tidal drops ... but the Severn Estuary is still the 2nd largest ... but I expect the experienced sea-men would have worked things out pretty quickly ...
@ LG – that’s the challenge living in a continent .. the seas are so far away – glad the tide bit had sunk in at some stage!
@ Bob – yes Cnut did know what he was doing didn’t he – but he was a Viking, so he should have done ...
So you’ve got a barrage on the River Tees – I didn’t know that ... our little rivers here are tidal for a few miles, but are now full of sediment ...
@ Sophie – I agree tides can be very scary ... your long low shallow beaches, then the tide turns and everyone runs (quite rightly) inland ... and then it races up the Bristol Channel and on into the Severn river ... amazing world we live in ...
@ Annalisa – I don’t know too much about other countries tides – I’d always assumed they were much the same – but now I know otherwise ...
Ah yes walking to the sea can be a long way at times ...
@ Lee – I expect Caesar was forewarned .. but just travelling in those days must have been a huge learning curve all the time ... I wonder if he thought Poseidon worked hard all the time – night and day?! Glad you enjoyed the T post though ...
@ Susan – yes creatures adapt to their particular environment ... some need a reasonable amount of depth of water .. others just a splash and they’ll survive ...
I wonder if Caesar or the other Romans gaped and gauped at the rising tides ... they must have ‘guessed’ coming over from France ...
Thanks so much everyone .. part 2 to follow ... Hilary
@ Patsy – as per my email .. and the fact you were reading ‘dead’ – quite understand you missed the Southampton tidal note I put in ... I didn’t explore the whys and wherefores though – way above my head, and too technical for me to even contemplate explaining!
@ Alex – the pull of the moon is pretty strong ... and the Mediterranean tides aren’t so strong ..
@ Eddie – good to see you again .. and thanks for visiting ... I’m glad you learnt the odd snippet – being an English man I’d guess you know a fair amount ...
@ Karen – tide patterns, wind strength et al ... all make coastal living interesting – I’d rather be on a granite shoreline than the softer shores we have here in places ...
@ Julia – yes we can feel the pull of the moon too ...
@ Janice – I think all the Romans would have thought – oh crumbs over that water ... now what?! Little did they know ...
I’d have loved to have lived in Greece for a time – must have been magical ... and yes our shores do have excellent flotsam ... driftwood, tidal wrack ...
I loved going to Cornwall to feel the sea air from Newlyn Harbour ... takes me back to my childhood ... I too have been on a memory trawl during my ABCs ... good to see you though ...
@ Michael – lots of Ts that’s for sure ... the tides are constantly changing – which makes the sea such a wonderful place to live near ...
@ Inger – I’m sure you remember limpets from Swedish days ... a cheap food from a shell ... ie free from the sea in those early days ...
@ Cindy – good to meet you .. and thanks for the comment – glad it brought back some memories for you ... I hope you find the song, and will let us know?!
@ Gary – three in the morning ... well it is quiet at that stage of the 24 hour day ... my alliteration has gone by the board in the last couple of posts ... my pc is undoing me!
Yes – eels are very rich ... and as a kid I’m sure I’d have done the same ... put you off for life – I guess!
@ Matt – rethink on life by the ocean .. the tides rule the day ... excellent you can jog along the sands – must be fun ...
Thanks re the science bit ...
@ Tina – sorry about the blog-eating comment worm! Kids and shell gathering ... such an obvious hobby for the beach. Chesapeake I imagine must have large tides too – that’s another place I’d love to visit ... glad the post brought back those memories ...
@ Sara – we certainly have interesting tides here – they can be pretty dangerous in places – the seas are not to be taken for granted. I’m fairly certain that the tides in the north will be relevant – as they are in Nova Scotia ...
T for tourism ... lots to see ...
I’m fine – my pc is about to die quietly on me .. just hope it holds out til tomorrow Monday!
Thanks so much everyone ... love reading all the comments and I’ll be over as soon as I can ... cheers Hilary
Tourism, especially wildlife, is the backbone of the industry here in S.A.
It's always fascinating to watch the ebb and flow of the tides... nature at its best!
Hi Michelle - you have lots of tourism in South Africa .. which I love and at some stage hope to get out again ..
the ebb and flow - certainly the world going round with nature at its centre ..
Cheers Hilary
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