On Friday morning I got down to Cleveleys just before 07.45. Going along the Promenade I could see the RIVERDANCE just as I passed the end of Red Bank Road at Bispham. The turn-off onto the lower promenade was blocked off due to track work on the tramway so I parked on the main promenade. Walking down onto the lower area there were only a handful of people, a Coastguard vehicle and a police car. The area at the end of Anchorsholme Lane where it sticks out closer to the beach was open and you could walk all along the promenade. The wind was still strong and clusters of bubbled foam were blowing off the sea. At first it looked like snow. The Coastguard and Maritime Agency people were just stood around at this point. There were bags of compost washed up on the beach. I left at 08.45 to go to work as the tide was going out. Because I was working in the morning I couldn't get to Cleveleys until around 15:30. I decided to park at Bispham and walk to the scene. The Sea King helicopter was hovering above the ship and then headed past where I was stood towards the airport. I could see a lot of people on the beach as the tide was out. I made my way down onto the beach, but the coastguard vehicle was down there by this time requesting people to get back on the promenade. The lower promenade was now cordoned off but there was sill access above this on the golf course. I left as the tide was coming in. I got down to Cleveleys around 10.45 and managed to find a parking space. I wanted to get some shots from a different angle so headed up towards the end of Victoria Road where the trailers can be seen over the side of the ship. A twin engined plane kept making low passes of the ship. I presume this was the coastguard as it had the same markings as the coastguard helicopters, all red with a broad white band. Another Seatruck ship was on its way out of Heysham. The beach was littered with Cadbury's Chocolate Digestive biscuits and the dogs being exercised were scoffing them. I saw a child stood with his parents proudly holding two full packets. I wouldn't like to taste them after floating around for a day or two. The police were stopping people going on the beach at Anchorsholme, but if you walked up to Cleveleys you could walk back toward the ship. The policeman was shouting to people to get off the beach but they either couldn't hear him or were ignoring him. I went up to Fleetwood and took some snaps of Stena Pioneer which was ready to leave and on the way back stopped at Rossall to get a photograph from a different angle. At 1.30pm the helicopter came in, hovered over the ship and then flew off. | 
