"I have been following the coverage of the devastating erosion problems at Stockton beach, and the distressing sight of that amazing coastline disappearing at such an alarming rate," Gary said.

"It saddens me and at the same time evokes some strong memories of happy times spent on the sand and in the surf at the beautiful beach."

Just like his father, Gary was born at Stockton at the old hospital on the corner of Mitchell and Monmouth streets.

He spent a lot of his youth and teenage years at Stockton beach.

"My dad was a member of Stockton Surf Club as a teenager until he was called up for service in World War II," he said.

When his dad returned from war, he took up his club duties again, including a stint as club secretary.

"My parents were living with my grandparents in Roxburgh Street when I was born, and some of my earliest memories are of time spent at the beach with my parents. I think I had my first ride in a surfboat when I was about one," he said.

"We lived at Stockton until I was about eight years old, and then we moved to a brand new house in Cardiff South.

"I grew to love our new home, but I remember missing Stockton and the beach badly for a while."

He would visit his grandparents at Stockton often.

"On those visits, after spending some time getting fussed over by my grandmother, dad and I headed straight for the beach," he said.

"As soon as my parents thought I was old enough to catch a bus into Newcastle and a ferry to Stockton on my own, I spent most of my weekends at Stockton and the beach."

Of course, his grandmother spoiled him terribly while he was there.

"I also had many mates at Stockton. Those were wonderful times and generate many nostalgic memories."

He continued to surf at Stockton in his teenage years.

"When I got my first car, my mates and I tended to venture a little further up and down the coast, with surfboards strapped to the board racks [on the roof].

"However, I always came back to Stockton."

Gary later returned to live at Stockton with his wife.

"We lived with my grandmother in that old house for quite a while," he said.

Stockton has changed somewhat since those days, but his memories of a "close and friendly community" remain strong.

"I can understand the sadness and frustration of the residents when dealing with the current threat of losing their beach and the minefield of buck passing and official red tape that they have to negotiate to get help in saving it," he said.

Gary has seen Stockton beach at its best and at its worst over the years.

"It is not the first time the beach has been threatened by Mother Nature. We were living there when the Sygna storm hit us, and the beach was severely damaged in places back then as well."

On a philosophical note, he said: "The sand recedes and the sand comes back".

"It is a cycle as old as the oceans themselves. However, the damage that this current natural cycle has caused has been exacerbated by man's actions (or lack of them) over many years," he said.

"I don't think anyone has seen the beach as damaged as it is now. It requires urgent action from government bodies to help save it from disappearing altogether.

"That means action now, without procrastination and without feeble excuses."

Did anyone catch the first episode of Frayed on ABC TV on Wednesday night?

If you're up for a good laugh, it's well worth a look. The six-part series is set in Newcastle in the 1980s.

Sarah Kendall, who grew up in Merewether, plays the main character Sammy Cooper. She's also the creator and writer.

Sammy grew up in Newcastle but moved to London and married a rich man, who died of a heart attack during a romp with a prostitute. She's forced to return to Newcastle penniless, but she's ashamed of her home town.

Check out ABC iview for a repeat of the first episode. It's absolute quality.