Valerie Drew / Messages in and around bottles…

In preparation for our trip to Glen Prosen I decided to go for a walk down the coast last weekend.  It was a bright, if somewhat cold day, as we walked along the beach, with only the sound of the wind and waves to accompany us.  The pale, wintery sun welcome after a week of rain although the sea was grey and foreboding, relentlessly unleashing waves onto the rocky shore.    On first encountering a bottle lodged in the sand you cannot but help wonder if perhaps there is a message inside, a story  from some far flung shore… but closer inspection revealed an empty vodka bottle only recently dumped judging by the condition of the  label.  As we round the headland the scene begins to change, the pale sunlight acting now as a spotlight on the waste scattered along the high tide line. Bottles, mainly plastic, of all shapes and sizes carry many messages: of our careless habits, our lack of concern for resources and complete disregard for the environment.

Further along a rusting fridge, a set of tyres and an oil drum spoil the East Lothian shoreline and serve to remind us of the long term impact of our lifestyle choices.  

I wander amongst the rock pools noting how clear the water is despite our filthy habits, the sea having done its utmost to spit out the jetsam, flotsam and other detritus back onto the shore.  But I think this masks the unseen damage we have inflicted on the seas around our shores, less obvious at times perhaps but much more insidious.

The sea washes over the footprints I left in the sand… leaving no trace, no imprints, no impressions…

I look forward to walking and spending time in Glen Prosen with the group.  I think about the messages we might take from this project, and what we might do with these messages, what changes we might make?  What traces will we leave?