Hi There,

We have had my hut for a couple of months now.  Its been lots of hard work and many trips backwards and forwards to D I Y shops! Now we have the inside finished (just the finishing touches) we can at last sit and enjoy!


 
Katrina and Steve

Dear Beach Hut people...here is my story.

When I was a child we had a beach hut. I moved away from the Kent coast and lived in London, got married and then moved to Durham. Three years ago we moved back to the Kent coast with two children. No beach huts to be had. Beach huts had become like gold dust. I was sad. I wanted my children to experience the 'smell' and 'feel' of beach huts.

I had met an artist through my work and we often talked of life and art. One day I was in the street and met my friend. It was hot and I said to him that what I would like now was to have a beach hut so that my family could spend the day at the beach. He put his hand in his pocket and brought out some keys and gave them to me saying that he had a beach-hut which he didn't use. He gave me the keys. I think that there is an angel of beach huts and it is that man.

Best wishes, Christine

His name is Stan.

No smart remarks for this one. I find it enchanting and heartening.

Editor

POETRY CORNER?

Have any of your readers ever been to a more enchanting beach hut than HM the Queen's, on a starry night when all you can hear is the sound of gentle lapping and all you can see is the reflection of stars on still water? This beach hut is more like a small cabin than a shed but it's still very traditional; it's not actually on the beach, but is set back in the forest; you can see the sea by a channel that is cut in the forest, this frames the sea in a canopy of pine trees..............Simply Heaven.

Ben, Norfolk

It sounds like the beach hut that dreams are made of. I wonder if SHE rents it out?

Editor

SNOBBERY?
Sir,
I believe that your reticence to allow allotment holders to air their views on your web site is nothing but good, old-fashioned snobbery.

A beach hut is, after all, little more than a large potting shed with a seafront view. Why not allow the amateur market gardeners of England to have their say on your electronic forum?
In fact, I would go further. The beach hut is simply a subspecies of that Great British architectural triumph, the shed. Surely you would be better served by hosting a site called greatsheds.co.uk that would also allow the electronic community to discuss their love of potting sheds, greenhouses and even those sheds with wheels that are the prime summer habitat of village green cricket score book keepers?

While I would be the first to defend the grand tradition of the beach hut, it seems to me that you are attempting to elevate this classic design well byeond [sic] its station while misguidedly excluding all manner of interesting semi-permanent wooden structures.

Sir, I call on you. Abandon beach-huts.co.uk or be swamped, King Canute-like, in a sea of broken shed planks. Let us unite - after all, an Englishman’s home is his shed!

With kind regards
Eric Claythrow

Your puritanical architectural culture is quite refreshing, and not a million miles from our own, Claythrow. However, some of us prefer a chilled Chablis to flask-conditioned tea, and we’d rather catch a leisurely ray or dandle rosy-cheeked babies than break our backs digging, or smoking pipes amidst the Phostrogen and leaking tins of Sodium Nitrate which characterise the Great British Shed.

Yes, most huts are sheds, but they’re a cut above the pottin’ shed, don’t y’know.
I’ve got a great idea, Claythrow. Why don’t you potting shed types come round and maintain our huts? There’s always a fringe of grass that needs trimmin’, and almost always a sod that needs flingin’ into the foaming brine.

That way, everyone would be happy.Fraternally yours,

Editor Chappy.


ALLOT MORE FUN?

Dear Editor,

In reply to Tom Lewis's letter: -

I too read the article in 'Space' about Allotments and beach-huts, and yes you're right there must be some alliance between the two. Maybe it's the romantic notion of controlling your own destiny, growing your veg and living near to nature!!!

I'm interested to hear from anyone out there who is currently living in a beach-hut, to pass on stories about what life is like living in one.

CATHY


I hope I wasn't too hard on Tom. It's just that I see beach huts as play houses and allotments as places to work. Yes, they are both therapeutic·.and, yes, independent,,,,and, OK, healthy. Er, maybe you're right after all!

If anyone does send you their stories, Cathy, we'll forward them to you - and, who knows, might even ask permission to publish them.

Editor



Hi there

I've just been offered a slab of concrete for a hut in Sussex but don't know where I would start in looking for and buying the actual hut to go on it.  Is there anywhere you could recommend or do most people but a decent shed from a garden centre and spruce it up.

 
Any info to a (possible) new hut owner would be very much appreciated. 
Thanks
Sandie Reed
 

ps - Hope you don't mind some feedback - your website looks great, very easy to navigate but it could do with more hard facts and info to keep people coming back.

I'm not interested in buying or renting a beach-side beach hut, but what I would like to know is the details of any manufacturers of beach huts so that I can put one up in the garden. Would you know of any UK manufacturers who sell direct to the public ? I would be very grateful for any information you can provide.

Tim Hather

THE NAME GAME
 
I've just come across your website and had to drop you a quick email to say how thrilled I was to find that there are many other enthusiasts out there.
 
My husband's parents owned a beach hut at Hayling Island for many years until the early '80's when my mother in law sold it to a distant relative as no one in the family had used it for several years.  Hayling Island was considered a naff place to even admit to going to in the 70's, as everyone was going abroad to Spain etc. 
 
However, I am a sea and sun worshipper and also love the idea of being away from the usual routine at week-ends.  About five years ago myself and a group of girlfriends rediscovered Hayling Island as a great place to have a day at the seaside.  I drove them mad each year saying "next year I'm going to have my own beach hut".  The sight of locals and holiday makers disappearing inside their own huts to make a brew, or even to shelter from the inevitable odd downpour spurred me on the do something positive before we start our weekly trips in May this year. 
 
Yes, we have reserved our own plot and and are having one custom made by a local builder who normally specialises in summer houses and garden sheds.  It should be on site by the end of April. We cannot wait.  We're planning an "open day" for family and friends and other hut enthusiasts.
 
I'm looking for a name for our hut.  Can anyone suggest a suitable name or give me ideas?  Also any tips on what essentials we should keep in it?  We are not permitted to sleep overnight nor will we have any services connected.  Any ideas will be welcome.
 

Colleen Jennings

Dear Colleen,
 
Thanks for your e-mail and comments.
 
A great letter!
 
Lots of people ask us how they can get a hut built. Do you feel like writing about your hut experience and telling us about the builder? We might want to publish your piece, too.
 

HUTFANS - please send in your name ideas - we'll publish the winner!

Keep on huttin' and keepin touch.

Editor

NOT DROWNING, BUT WAVENEY

We are looking to rent a beach hut for a week in June in Southwold, Suffolk, where's the best place to look?

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated?

Chris Martin

Southwold is certainly one big jewel in the beach-hut crown.

I think you should try:

Southwold Tourist Information Centre
High Street
Southwold
Suffolk
Tel: 01502 724729

Failing that, you might email touristinfo@waveney.gov.uk

Please remember to mention beach-huts.co.uk when you contact them.

Hope you get your rental in June!

Editor

NON BIODEGRADEABLE HUTS?

I am writing an article for the Eastern Daily Press on beach hut vandalism in Sheringham, Norfolk - and one of the items brought up at council level was the idea of introducing plastic ones. What do you think - do you know anything about it?

Orla Moore


Dear Orla,

Thanks for your e-mail.

As hut owners ourselves, we share the concerns about vandalism.
But there is one important observation on this. Huts are an aesthetic way to enjoy the seaside and the coastline. If we wanted sheer practicality, we'd have a caravan, or rent a flat, wouldn't we?

Half of the appeal of a beach hut is is its traditionalism - sometimes expressed in vernacular style - but always with a kind of very British cultivated amateurism about them.

We don't actually seek out-and-out efficiency.
Then there's the look of wood. It captivates artists and us ordinary people to see sun-faded paintwork and bleached gingham. Huts look beautiful when undergoing a kind of controlled decay. The Nottingham based artist Simon Withers (see Arts Page) has made a celebratory study of them. And did you see the state of Tracy Emin's hut when Saatchi bought it for his gallery?

So - no, our souls recoil from the civic impersonality of plastic huts. Besides, plastic doesn't breathe like wood - think of the condensation when you boil a kettle. How would your cotton curtains look after a winter of mildew?
Sheringham, Cley, Blakeney and all those captivating Norfolk nooks would be destroyed by plastic huts - after all, they don't biodegrade. In fact, this council 'initiative' would itself be vandalism.

Actually, the Council, bless 'em, are taking a typically rigid, artless view of the problem. The solution is to deal with the root cause.
Increasingly, in co-operation with their local councils and Neighbourhood Watch, hut owners are forming hut owners' associations to keep an eye on each others' huts and, in some cases, to raise money for CCTV.

A reasonable compromise is to invest in sturdy shutters to deter vandals. If, of course, Sheringham's vandals are pyromaniacs - well, nothing burns so acridly as plastic.

Well, that's the official beach-huts.co.uk view. If there was time, we could
always conduct an internet/e-mail poll on the subject.
Keep in touch, won't you - and let us know when your article is due to appear.

Editor

 

PS Any comments readers?

DUNSTERGETTABLE THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE!

I am not sure if your readers are aware of a gorgeous beach hut site near Dunster in West Somerset, called, believe it or not, "Dunster Beach"? My mum has owned a "chalet" (as most owners sadly prefer to call them) there for 3 years now and although I only live a couple of miles up the road in Minehead, my family is totally in love with the place.

The site was built in the 30's on land owned by the Luttrell family and was occupied by troops during the war. Some families have owned a hut for years and passed it on through the generations. A good number of huts (which sleep up to 5 in most cases and have loos and kitchens) are available for rent between April - October at around £200 per week.

Our local TV station, HTV, made a programme about Dunster Beach last year (which featured our Hut - "Annie's Hut") which is being aired on HTV at 7.30pm on Thursday 19th and 26th April. It's title is currently "The Beach". I imagine it will show the eccentricities, loves and loathings of the "typical" beach hut owner, if there is such a thing!

Do you have any other correspondents from Dunster way?

Amanda Baker

EXECUTIVE HUTS

I've just come accross your fantastic site, exactly what the web should be used for, Its a great idea.

I run a design team that specialises creating things for outdoor living, from gardens to art. We have recently just finished a commision for a client in the USA who has a small stretch of private beach and wanted his own version of a beach hut. (he is a Brit and wanted to be reminded of his Littlehampton home)

Now this is a rather grand affair, no bigger floor space than the largest UK huts, but it does have a second level.

Although this was a one off the plans stayed with us. Is there a market for the executive hut in the UK.

George Liddell
Sophisma Ltd.

Well, is there??

Editor

LITTLE DEUCE COUPE

Hurrah!!

At last a site covering one of my favourite subjects - beach huts.
For years I've regarded a beach hut as my ideal second home - forget houses in Florida or the South of France!!

Ideally I'd like one in Southwold, where you'll find truly the guv'nors of beach huts, but the price is prohibitive. So, could someone out there let me know about huts in Mudeford - price, availability and what's the score on painting `em.

And I see you're looking at hut apparel etc. I'd be interested in what sort of car people use to get to their huts - I'd favour a big 50s/60s American estate. But what do other readers think?

 Richard Barnett

Richard, log onto www.mudeford-beach-huts.co.uk

Good luck

Editor

PS A Morris Minor Traveller