Penned in 2025. Check before You Travel!
The Natural History Museum nominated The Tyre Collective – a brilliant name in itself! – to be an entrant in the 2022 Earthshot Prize
According to The Natural History Museum article:
‘the microplastics derived from the estimated 1.4 billion vehicles on the roads globally are thought to be the second-largest source of microplastics in the oceans.’
These microplastic particles include Pfas – the ‘Forever Chemicals‘
If you want to know what makes The Tyre Collective’s innovation so brilliant it is that: ‘the technology uses electrostatics and airflow to attract the tiny tyre particles as they are shed during driving’.
So why are we not collecting this pollution at source?
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Wreckless Eric was not giving up his entitlement to pollute and declared that he would drive to Lyme Regis.
Not So Slack Alice refused to give up her right to vote in favour of a cleaner planet and took an Open University course in Public Transport Travel Planning.
Basingstoke Train Station. A locomotive passed platform 3 pulling 32 Shipping containers. 32 lorries off the roads. If only Not So Slack Alice had taken an OU course in Commercial Haulage Vehicles so she could have guesstimated how many tyres would have been shedding pollutants. Instead, one train on metal wheels was shredding nothing more noxious than iron filings. Shhhh! don’t mention the diesel. Pollution is complicated.
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The Jurassic Coaster X Bus
Dr Beeching is not blameless when it comes to a lack of a Railway Station in Lyme Regis. It was closed in November 1965. So the outward train journey ends at Axminster. Conveniently, after a short wait at the bus stop immediately outside the train station, the Jurassic Coaster X 51 or X 53 bus route goes via Lyme Regis towards Dorchester or Weymouth. Bus pass holders travel for free. For other adults the cost of a ticket is capped at £3.00 per journey (2025).
Would you believe it? Wreckless Eric and Not So Slack Alice arrived in Lyme Regis at the same time! Of course, Alice had left Hampshire 2 hours before Eric.
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Wine and Cheese
Eco travelling is fine but supplies are a last minute.com matter. The Open University course in Public Transport Travel Planning research had indicated that the X Bus Stop was next to the Co-op. However fine tuning the Google search on arrival at the destination apartment revealed that the Co-op was ‘Permanently Closed‘. Slight panic! Emergency food provided but no wine. Hmmm. Google Maps make Lyme Regis look very large but in fact, notwithstanding the hills, it is rather bijou and to the collective relief a traditional Wine shop appeared as they turned onto Broad Street leading up from the beach.
The Seriously Good Wine Shop is an Aladdin’s Cave for humans who enjoy an alcoholic beverage – or two! Now, a traditional wine shop comes with traditional and realistic prices. Our modest Italian wine came with a twist, no plastic cover over a real cork, cork. Called Sea Change, the wine was a real treat compared to the uk supermarket offerings. What is more, the label featured a beautiful dolphin which is was to become the theme of this post. You can learn about the Sea Change mission here seachangewine.com and see the cute dolphin label here Seachange Italian Red wine with Dolphin label.
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Lyme Regis and Torbay Marine Conservation Area
Train spotting might be the hobby of choice for anorak clad men loitering around train platforms or in the cafe of Bristol Parkway Railway station sitting at the window overlooking the incoming lines, jotting down the train numbers in neat, orderly, purpose printed paper note books. Ship Spotting was the choice of focus for Not So Slack Alice. Not with binoculars of course, that would be archaic and silly. No, Vessel Finder and Marine Traffic websites are her go to – the free versions of course. The trouble with Lyme Regis is that there is not a lot of shipping to be seen from the second floor apartment despite the outstanding view across the English Channel. And there is a reason for this. The Lyme Regis and Torbay Marine Conservation Area. Since 2011 the bay and beyond has been protected by law and enforcement boats. Local fishermen have quota’s in respect of their permitted catch. Presumably patrol boats ensure unregulated fishing does not take place without challenge. As a consequence the bay is not awash with fishing vessels and other shipping passes mostly beyond the horizon.
In the absence of any busy shipping on the horizon, Not So Slack Alice decided to use her Ship Spotting websites to catch up on her favourite vessel the Faithful Warrior, a ship she had first seen on a visit to Wyke Regis. From time to time she had tracked the Faithful Warrior as it sailed across the globe from one destination to another. Her fascination with this leviathan was only tainted by the fact that she, the ship, was in reality not the romantic, starlit brave lady who once set anchor for days in Portland Bay. No. The Faithful Warrior turned out to be a crude oil tanker.
However, a friendship cemented in Portland remained true.
The realities of the nature of her, the ships, trade remained an indisputable fact and this friendship was further complicated by evidence that on the day of the search the Faithful Warrior was at dock in Ust – Luga. If you search Faithful Warrior today you will find her here
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Fossil Hunting
It was a beautiful, sunny and mild November Saturday. The kind lady in the Lyme Regis Fossil Museum confirmed that the Guided Fossil Hunting Tour:-
- Started from the Museum
- Lasted 2.5 to 3 hours
- required sensible footwear
- Involved a short walk to the end of the Coastal Path
- Going down and up a steep set of steps
- walking over slippery, slimy, algae covered stones
- and was sold out today.
Wreckless Eric was relieved and Not So Slack Alice was more concerned about preserving her own bones rather than finding fossilised ones.
So they formed a University of the Third Age group and went on a self guided u3a educational tour along the east side of the Lyme Regis Costal Path.
A series of information boards and plaques revealed that this section of coastal path had been created by a civil engineering project to protect Lyme Regis from encroaching erosion of the coastline which was currently moving from Charmouth to the east, westwards towards east Lyme. The construction was substantial and appeared to have weathered winter storms and every other weather event the English Channel had thrown at it since completion in 2015.
The path ends abruptly and the predicted steep set of down and up steps. Fortunately further boards provided comprehensive information and images. These had really interesting details of the complex geological structure of the cliffs.
The question is this, is coastal erosion a two sided battle? Yes, it is abundantly obvious that winter storms can cause incredible damage from the seaside. However, is there a blind spot? Are we ignoring the potential damage from the landside? In constructing endless new homes and new roadways are we allowing developers to change the course of subterranean water flows? Should we be looking further inland to challenge the issue of coastal erosion?
Subsequent research revealed that there were complex reasons why the sea defence has not continued further east, especially since parts of the tiny but perfectly formed bijou Lyme Regis were in real danger of actually falling into the sea. Of, course, the substantial cost is one reason. However, a further reason is that should such a structure be constructed, the landslides and mudslides would be restricted and far fewer ‘new’ fossils would be revealed. Unlike Bracklesham Bay where the fossils are washed up to the beach by the tides, the majority of fossils found in Lyme Regis are washed down from the cliffs. The question is do we have a right to neglect this coastline just so a few humans can unearth the bones of the past? Should we be working towards a fossil free future to protect our coastal heritage?
The research referred to the importance of fossil tourism to the local economy and, indeed, Lyme Regis is thriving. Would the end of fossil hunting be the ruin of Lyme? Then, after a glass or two of Sea Change, Not So Slack Alice had a bonza idea. The sand for the sandy beach near the Cobb is imported and attracts families and knotted hanky living fossils, so why not import man made fossils and ‘seed’ the sand and pebbles with Ammonites and Trilobites and sharks teeth for children of all ages to find? A win, win, win. What’s not to love!
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Wet Weather Pastime
It was proper seaside raining outside so some serious device flicking and clicking was taking place.
Wreckless Eric looked up from his ‘smartphone’ and said ‘this article says “First ever British sighting of bird native to the US in the New Forest.”‘
He continued, “A first ever British sighting of a bird native to the eastern United States has been made in the New Forest. A male Boat-tailed Grackle has appeared at Calshot Spit, drawing crowds of bird watchers.”
Not So Slack Alice looked up from her Tablet and mused “It must have been blown across the Atlantic by the ex hurricane Melissa”
Wreckless Eric replied “No, it says here that it arrived by boat”
Not So Slack Alice lifted an eyebrow and with a wry smile said “It must be a male then…… too lazy to fly”.
Wreckless Eric (as quick as) replied “No, it must be a female bearing in mind that you refuse to fly!”.
Not So Slack Alice was unusually speechless!
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Jurassic Coaster X Bus Twists and Turns
Jurassic Coaster or any bus route can have unpredictable nuances. Traveller beware! Study your stops very carefully and assume nothing! Especially if you are in a hilly town such as UpLyme or Lyme Regis. Seasoned ‘bus pass’ holders who have the time will travel in the wrong direction up hills and then get off that bus, cross the road and walk down hill to catch a bus going up hill in the opposite direction. This nifty ‘life hack’ avoids strenuous walks up hill, especially with shopping or luggage. So it is the case in Lyme Regis. The X51 and X53 bus routes stop in both directions at the X Co-op stop. However, only the Axminster bound buses stop at the Strand on the sea front. This is an important fact if you wish to travel in the direction of Dorchester or Weymouth or wish to get off to go to the beach. For up to date bus travel and timetables you may find Bustimes.org very helpful. If only there really was an Open University course in Public Transport Travel Planning.
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Leaving Lyme Regis at the same time, Wreckless Eric took the car home in the grey mist and pouring rain and saw little of the countryside. Not So Slack Alice took the Weymouth bound X51 along the coast in the grey mist and pouring rain and saw little of the sea or coastline.
Not So Slack Alice arrived back in Hampshire an additional two hours later, calm and leaving a lighter carbon foot print.
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Cage Humans not Wildlife!
Reggie, The Dorset Dancing Bottlenose Dolphin, left no carbon footprint whatsoever as he arrived for the summer in 2025. Whether by fortune or misfortune young Reggie was fit, female ready and well up for some summer frolicking.
However, his innocent exuberation didn’t go as he may have anticipated.
His excitement arose when two mermaids appeared, black, buxom and making high pitched squeaky sounds. Ménage à trois? Of course, Reggie no more understood French than he recognised two humans in wet suits. His idea of dunk and dive was their equivalent of drown and die. Confusing their screams to be those of ‘delight’, the dolphin was further confused when the sounds attracted two kayaking humans with sticks. Reggie retreated along the coast in search of intelligent mammals and in the hope of finding real dolphin fun
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Following the observation of aggressive behaviour and injury sighting The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) issued a statement
“We’re increasingly concerned about a lone dolphin spotted in Lyme Bay, Dorset, following multiple potential marine wildlife disturbance offences observed online and shared on social media.”
With no pockets to put a mobile phone into and, indeed no mobile phone, Reggie was unable to defend himself against the allegations of aggressive behaviour or report the uncaged propellers which had ripped through his skin and caused the injury.
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Incidentally, in a curious twist of timing, just days later The Faithful Warrior sailed past Reggie on route to Singapore. Bon Voyage Both.
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Question ……..
You might wish to question why any propeller powered commercial shipping or recreational water based vessel is not legally obliged by international maritime law to have the propeller blades encased in a metal wired safety cage. Such simple cages protect humans, mammals and sea creatures from horrific injuries and death.
Ask the Orca’s!
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You can read more about Reggie online.
https://www.countryfile.com/wildlife/marine-life/reggie-the-dolphin-dorset
Copyright Bo Nightingale 2026
Claudia Bow 