Building the best sandcastle on North Bay

After such a brilliant Easter, it seems appropriate to offer a sandcastle story written more than 10 years ago, pure fiction, North Bay in its seaside donkey days.

Steven was excited. Today, he would build the best sandcastle in the world... ever! Sister Nancy was helping.

Off to the North Bay beach with buckets and spades. Steven had a detailed drawing of the sandcastle, planned carefully.

North Bay is a beautiful place, with rocks, pools and lots of sand. Look, a large flat piece of sand near the crazy golf.

“Let’s get to work.” Steven worked very hard! Digging and building, looking at the drawing. Is everything right? Nancy helped when she could.

What a wonderful sandcastle! Hills, holes and humps! Towers, tunnels and turrets! Curves and straight bits, tall and short bits! Flags, pebbles, seaweed! This was something marvellous, the best sandcastle in the world... ever!

The beach was very busy. It was a sandcastle competition. Lots of people were making sandcastles. Who would win?

Some good sandcastles, some great sandcastles and some brilliant sandcastles, but the best one, by far, was Steven and Nancy’s. Surely they would win.

A big crowd had gathered. Proud mum and dad were there. At last, it was time for the Mayor of Scarborough to judge the competition. He’ll surely see our sandcastle last and realise it’s the best.

There were a lot of sandcastles, so it was a long job, and the mayor was very slow. “He has to be fair,” said Steven, “so everyone has an equal chance. I know we are going to win. Noone else’s can beat ours.”

Wait a minute! Something was wrong. The tide had turned and was beginning to come in quickly. Oh no! Steven had built his sandcastle too far to the north of the bay where the tide comes in first. The mayor would not reach Steven’s sandcastle in time. It would be washed away by the tide coming in. What could anyone do?

Suddenly, Steven had an idea. The mayor was too old to run, but he could be carried.

Quick as a flash, Steven jumped on to the back of a nearby seaside donkey. Steven had courage. He rode the donkey fast to fetch the mayor.

Everyone on the beach was shouting now.

“Quick!” said Steven to the mayor. “Jump up! Go to the other end of the beach. See the best sandcastle in the world... ever, before the sea washes it away.”

Just in time! The donkey and the mayor reached the wondrous sandcastle, with Steven running behind. What would he say?

“This is marvellous! This is magnificent! This is the winner!” Everybody cheered.

“Quick!” said Mum. “Someone take a photograph before the s...” Too late! The tide splashed and sploshed in all over the sandcastle, and it was washed flat in a moment. But never mind. They had built the best sandcastle in the world... ever, and they had won.

The proud family plodded back home. They looked back at the beach. The tide was now right in. Everybody’s sandcastles were flattened. Soon, the tide would go out again. A flat beach would be ready for new sandcastles tomorrow. A new day always brings a new start.

All the seaside donkeys plodded wearily back to their home field. Another lovely day on North Bay.

•Photo

of a runner-up sandcastle, by Joe Coates.