I try to see the sea once a year but missed last summer - Whitley Bay is a favourite.

Once a year???!!! Feck, WAV man - you have a 5-minute Metro service giving to access to all the stations between West Monkseaton and Tynemouth with some of the finest coastline in the country, and some cracking all-year weekend flee-markets too (Tynemouth Station, Sat & Sun) with walks beyond Saint Mary's Island up to the history-rich Seaton Sluice. You even have a Metro service to South Shields...

Sean - practise your irony...

No irony intended, Stu - apart from that last bit about South Shields, but even so Marsden Rock & Grotto has to worth a weakly hike at least!