13/10/2026
Today would have been my dad's birthday, and I want to tell you a story about why Coast Cams exists.
Dad, you never did get your signal box, did you?
For those who don't know the story, my dad was a railwayman through and through. Railways weren't just his job. They were his life.
When Mum and Dad retired to Dawlish in 2003, it was the perfect place for him. The sea on one side, Brunel's railway on the other, and trains passing through all day long.
He had a dream of buying the old, derelict signal box at Dawlish station. Nothing particularly grand. Just somewhere he could sit with a pint, watch the trains passing and enjoy his retirement.
Sadly, that dream never happened.
Dad became seriously ill, and towards the end of 2009, I made the decision to leave my life in Nuneaton and move down to Dawlish to help Mum care for him.
I had absolutely no idea how much that decision would change my life.
During those difficult months, I found myself spending more and more time walking along the Dawlish sea wall. There was something about being beside the railway, watching the waves crash against the wall, that helped me escape everything that was happening.
Dad passed away in April 2010. But I kept going back to the sea wall.
Some days the sea was completely calm. Other days the waves were crashing over the railway. And I remember thinking how wonderful it would be if people could experience this from their own homes.
That little thought wouldn't leave me alone.
It took several years, a lot of research, some very patient people and even a devastating storm before my idea finally became reality.
On 4th March 2014, our very first camera went live in Dawlish.
Over 500 people joined us that day.
What makes that first camera even more special to me is that Dad's ashes had been scattered just metres away, years before I ever imagined putting a camera there.
And look what happened next.
That one camera became Dawlish Beach Cams, and eventually Coast Cams. What started as a way to share the sea and railway with people at home has become something thousands of people enjoy every single day.
We've made some wonderful friendships, built an amazing community and shared moments that I could never have imagined back in 2009.
And none of it would have happened in quite the same way if Dad hadn't become ill and I'd never moved to Dawlish.
It's a strange thing to think about. One of the hardest periods of my life ended up setting me on a path I never knew existed.
Dad, you never got to sit in your old signal box and watch the trains go by.
But in a funny sort of way, I think we've built you something even better.
Every camera gives somebody their own little window onto the coast. Somewhere they can sit with a cup of tea, watch the trains, listen to the waves and forget about the world for a while.
Just like you wanted to do.
So today, on your birthday, I want to say thank you, Dad.
I wish you could have seen what that little idea became. I think you would have loved it.
Happy birthday, Dad. ❤️🚂🌊
📸 Beach Cams Man
