It seems our call for stories about Grandstand viewpoint has brought back some truly happy memories. Visitors have contacted us from far and wide recollecting happy moments on our most accessible cliff edge platform overlooking the North Sea.
Caroline from Suffolk told us she was thrilled at the prospect of seeing puffins off the Yorkshire coast but she arrived to find a sea-fret shrouding the cliffs. Fortunately this quickly dispersed and she was soon peering out over the edge of Grandstand, trying to spot a puffin on the sheer cliffs below. Her experience prompted her to write a poem, 'A Chink in the Sky', which was later published in an anthology, 'A Pocket Full of Spring Fever'. Here are the first couple of verses:
Flashes of amber appear in the spray:
puffins return through a chink in the sky,
flaunting their costumes like clowns in a play,
making a splash as they flutter and fly.
Guillemots gather and kittiwakes cry:
puffins are pairing and waiting to lay,
fanning their feathers as partners stand by.
Flashes of amber appear in the spray.
Another visitor, Alice, has visited the reserve on dozens of occasions over the years to see the amazing seabirds that make their home on the cliffs. However, her most enduring memory at Grandstand is not of of the wildlife but of the weather. On the last day of her honeymooon in 2011, she and her husband witnessed the most amazing sunset that seemed to feature every shade of red known to the world. Alice said It was the perfect end to a magical holiday!
There's still time to tell us your story - and be in with a chance of winning an original viewpoint name plaque.
Email your words and pictures to bempton.cliffs@rspb.org.uk. Or post them on our Facebook page - RSPB North Yorks and East Riding - where you'll also find full terms and conditions for the competition in the 'Notes' section.