Save the beach

Pubblicata da neil · 596 giornis fa ·

It seems the traditional beach hut is experiencing some form of renaissance in the UK, the chalets holding their own in the face of an economic downturn. The huts, which are selling for more money than houses in some areas, are an integral part of the British coast, going hand in hand with ice cream, sandcastles and the unreliable British weather at the epicentre of the seaside experience.

Until recently, the beach hut was languishing in the depths of unfashionability but has suddenly been swept up on a tide of nostalgia to recapture its place in English folklore. But what makes a beach hut “fashionable” and “cool” as it were? Previously we spoke about the beach being a blank canvas for creativity and the same principal applies for beach huts. While many opt to brighten up the coast by painting their own blend of colours on their bases, others have gone further with a range of artistic creations plastered along the exterior and personal touches lining the interior (indeed one such owner coined the term ‘shelldelier’ to describe the creation hanging from her ceiling). Such is the popularity if the initiative, it has been recognised on a wider scale with Mablethorpe beach for example hosting an annual beach hut festival, rewarding the most decorated and beautiful frontages as well as commissioning a range of avant-garde huts.

The growth of the beach hut represents an ‘escape’ from the daily drudge of work, computers and officespace and replaces it with a sense of youthful carefree frolics, a seamless tide of chit-chat and endless reading. Barbeques are fired up on warm days, heated flasks come out in the cold and are shared about the cluster of wooden houses in timeless world of freewill. Ah, to be young again…