Following a visit to Ross Sands with Jamie on 20^th April 2021, when there were 1000s of seals at the northern end of it, I was reminded  of my pals Julie and Shirley who also love the singing seals, and with whom I’ve been to Ross Sands on a few occasions – once we saw and heard the seals ourselves, and were in raptures of delight. Shirley headed stealthily towards them with her camera (it’s her photo on this story!) while Julie and I stayed back with their dog Morar. I decided to write a song about these singing seals and the other things we see there (Bamburgh Castle, Lindisfarne, the Farne Islands, oystercatchers, the sunrise etc etc), and dedicate it to my two wonderful pals. To spur me on, I resolved to get it ready for Julie’s birthday at the beginning of June. Here’s the result: An Hour Before Dawn …and if you stay to the end, you’ll see the video of the seals that Jamie and I saw on April 20^th.