A cool misty start to a warm sunny day in Cornwall. The beach looked beautifully clean at first sight. This beach is regularly scoured by walkers and the weather has been good, so I was not surprised.

However in 2 hours I still found and picked up the following:

• 44 tangled lumps of various plastic line
• 10 pieces of green cord
• 1 bungie cord
• 14 pieces of beige cord including knots of fishing net
• 14 pieces of thin colourless plastic compatible with cups or containers
• 7 pieces of thin white plastic as above
• 8 larger pieces of solid plastic
• 1 piece of plastic fork
• 1 piece of clear plastic bag
• 10 cable ties including a very large one
• 1 large broken straw
• 1 piece electric cable
• 2 irregular nodules of blue plastic
• 5 pieces of plastic film
• 6 pieces of black rubberised plastic
• 2 white rubberise strips
• 10 pieces of plasticised cloth
• 1 strap with plastic clip
• Pieces of long broken zip
• Thick woven binding

Plus 45 various pieces of fabric, probably synthetic, including 1 large tapering funnel (green), a pair of large cream pants with something written on them, one child’s sock, a tattered football socks, and some very thick material probably a strip of carpet shedding fibres. All tattered with hundreds of holes.

Total:   185 pieces of plastic and synthetic fabrics, carpet, etc.

I washed and sorted it for use in various art projects. The items of clothing are particularly evocative. Who owned them and what happened for them to be in the sea?