Beach Huts

In my last post I mentioned beach huts which I thought were invented by the Victorians but I was wrong, by the time Queen Victoria became the reigning monarch in 1837, bathing machines had already become an established feature of seaside resorts. A whole century earlier, mobile changing rooms were in use at Scarborough, the world’s first seaside resort located on the east Yorkshire coast.

These simple wooden vehicles (basically four-wheeled sheds) were a result of the radical new fascination with the sea. Prior to this, no one but fishermen and smugglers used the beach but when doctors began to prescribe the cold sea salt bath as the latest ‘cure-all’ remedy royalty and the rich and famous "Took to the waters" for total body immersion. Before long entire families were taking to the sea.

"Mermaids at Brighton" by William Heath (1795 - 1840), c. 1829.

Depicts women sea-bathing with bathing machines at Brighton.

It wasn’t long after that the 'bathing machine’ was invented to offer greater privacy. In its original form the horse drawn carriage was towed into the sea, allowing bathers (primarily women) to change into swimwear and access the water without being seen in public, adhering to strict social codes regarding modesty. For inexperienced swimmers (which would have been most Victorian women in their billowing swimwear), some resorts offered the service of a 'dipper', a strong person of the same sex to assist people into the water and yank them out when they were done. In 1789 George III gave royal approval to the new fashion when he took a medicinal bath at Weymouth to the musical accompaniment of ‘God Save the King.’

The rules designed to keep male bathing machines at a set distance from female bathing machines were probably only in force for about 30 years, less in some places, and they were routinely flouted. By the 1890s the call for mixed bathing was getting stronger, not least because this was the norm in northern European as well as American resorts. As it became more acceptable for people to walk across the beach in their bathing costumes, a whole host of  stripy changing tents were erected on the Edwardian sands. Around the same time some of the bathing machines began to lose their wheels and other purpose-built day huts began to appear.

In the inter-War period sunbathing was the new fashion and bathing machines, though still lingering on, were outdated and antiquated. New modern-looking blocks of beach huts or chalets were built near to huge lidos and everywhere had to have a sun terrace.

The last of the bathing machines disappeared with the Second World War, and when the beaches had been cleared of barbed wire at the end of hostilities, the holiday makers came back in their millions. The 1950s was the heyday of the beach hut, dedicated fans have been keeping up their huts ever since and today there’s a clear resurgence with spiralling prices and much media interest.

With an estimated 20,000 in the UK, these candy-colored wooden structures evolved from Victorian bathing machines into popular, often expensive privately owned spots for changing, storing equipment, and enjoying the coast.

Queen Victoria used a bathing machine at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

As one would expect it was very posh!

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

A Nice Day Out

A very good friend, a very nice location and glorious weather made for a lovely day out today. We went to Osea Leisure Park situated on the banks of the Blackwater Estuary.

After enjoying a delicious coffee and blueberry muffin in the Osea View cafe

we walked along the headland 

These modern huts are very nice

but these older ones have character and a bit of charm

Some nice boats and the Tiptree restaurant at Heybridge Basin

The Jolly Sailor was busy

This sweet little cottage was for sale, it has a lovely view over the basin.

I would like to live there.

Lunch was at the charming Chequers Inn in Goldhanger

St Peter's Church. I thought it was Norman, R thought it was Saxon, turns out it's both - it's structure is "of 11th century Saxon/Norman origins featuring extensive re-used Roman flint and brick flint rubble construction".

It's been a wonderful day. We will return.

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

A Good Read

The reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing. After losing his beloved wife Naina he is living more or less on automatic pilot. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and spends his evenings watching David Attenborough documentaries. His daughters regularly keep in touch and visit but he is lonely, and he worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading. Whilst sorting through some of Naina’s belongings Mukesh finds an overdue library book and decides to return it. There he meets Aleisha, a reluctant library assistant working at the library for the summer.

Aleisha has found a reading list, a scrappy piece of paper with the titles of nine books that she’s never heard of, but, bored with her job and intrigued by the list, she decides to read every book. One by one they help transport her away from the painful realities she’s facing at home.  

Mukesh is desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, so Aleisha hands him the reading list, hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.

This is a lovely story. It does have some sadness but overall a lot of joy. Thoroughly recommend it.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day

to all us wonderful, loving, caring Mums.

My daughter and I are being taken out to lunch

by my son-in-law and grandson.

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

A Good Read

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
“Welcome to the family,” says Nina Winchester as Millie shakes the elegant, manicured hand held out to her. Millie smiles politely as she gazes around the marble hallway. After leaving prison, losing her job and being evicted, and now living in her car, this live-in maid job is Millie’s last chance to start afresh. Every day she will be happy to clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house from top to bottom, to collect their daughter from school, and cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to her tiny attic room which only locks from the outside.
It’s hard to ignore how Nina deliberately makes a mess just to watch Millie clean it up, how she tells lies about her daughter, or how she wrongly accuses Millie of forgetting things. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. As Millie looks into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.
Millie soon learns that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than hers, but reassures herself that the Winchesters don’t know who she really is, and what she is capable of…

This psychological thriller had me glued to the pages. The end is very satisfying.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

International Women's Day

Celebrating all us wonderful women, 

past and present, everything we've done and achieved, 

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

World Book Day

I love a good read, book shops and libraries

 📚 Happy World Book Day 📚

Polly x

A Good Read

Lula Dean’s Little LIbrary of Banned Books

by Kirsten Miller
Lula Dean has always lived in the shadow of her arch-rival Beverly Underwood, but now she has finally hit celebrity status thanks to her latest campaign of ridding the local library of inappropriate books. They're not pornographic or nasty, but Lula wants to set the right example and provide the townspeople with quality reading material so she sets up a Free Library outside her home and fills it with “wholesome” books that she’s sure the townspeople need.
Unknown to Lula, Beverly’s daughter Lindsay sneakily replaces Lula’s books with the banned books but retains the original “wholesome” dust jackets. As the neighbours borrow books from Lula’s library, they realise that the content isn’t exactly what the cover promises - ‘The Girl’s Guide to the Revolution’ is wrapped in the cover of ‘The Southern Belle’s Guide to Etiquette’. A jacket that belongs to ‘Our Confederate Heroes’ ends up on ‘Beloved’. One by one they see how the right book can change their thinking, and their lives. A secret revolution is brewing, and Lula doesn’t even know that she has caused it.

The novel is set as interconnected stories from various townspeople, with each chapter coming from one specific character. It is satire at its best - thought-provoking, provocative and humorous, and at the same time rooted in reality. I liked how the book tackled serious topics in a sensible and fun manner.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

Shotley

Shotley is a small village in Suffolk. It gives its name to the Shotley peninsula between the Rivers Stour and Orwell.

My friend and I had a lovely day out on Tuesday.

The tide was out when we arrived, we strolled around for a bit 

before having a delicious lunch at the pub

We then had a walk around the marina area 

before heading for Suffolk Food Hall

River Orwell 

Orwell Bridge

 I like food halls and farm shops but don't buy much because they are usually quite pricey.

We ended our day with tea and coffee in the cafe overlooking the river.

Most of the day warm with sunshine and cloud 

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

A Good Read

The Last List of Mabel Beaumont

by Laura Pearson

Mabel Beaumont’s husband Arthur loved lists. He’d leave them for her everywhere: ‘Remember: eggs, butter, sugar.

'I love you: today, tomorrow, always’.
But now Arthur is gone. He died, softly, gently, not making a fuss. And he left Mabel a list with just one item on it: ‘Find D’.
Mabel feels sure she knows what it means. She must track down her best friend Dot who she hasn’t seen since the fateful day she left more than sixty years ago.
It seems impossible. She doesn’t even know if Dot is still alive. Also, every person Mabel talks to seems to need help first, with missing husbands, daughters, parents. Mabel finds her list is just getting longer, and she’s still no closer to finding Dot.
What she doesn’t know though is that her list isn’t just about finding her old friend, and that if she can admit the secrets of the past, maybe she could even find happiness again.

A lovely heartbreaking, uplifting story, guaranteed to make you cry and smile.

I enjoyed it.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

Random Acts of Kindness

Kindness, described as 'the voluntary, intentional act of being friendly, generous, and considerate towards others without expecting reward. It involves empathy, compassion, and action—such as helping or supporting someone in need—which builds relationships, reduces stress, and fosters a sense of belonging'.

I like kind.

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day. It's a global observance dedicated to encouraging individuals to perform acts of kindness for others. The day serves as a reminder that gestures of goodwill, whether big or small, can have a significant positive impact on someone’s day.

A few examples:

Buy coffee for the person behind you: My friend M is also a volunteer at the hospital and one day whilst she was in the queue to buy a coffee the lady in front of her asked what she wanted and bought it for her. This is a lovely gesture but I suspect there could be problems in high street coffee shops. A lot of coffee places have a scheme whereby customers can purchase an extra drink or food item in advance for someone in need, and then that amount goes into a kitty until needed.

Compliment someone: I often compliment people on maybe a nice outfit, hair, makeup, shoes, and more than once at the hospital men who might be dressed a little quirky, wearing a kilt, a nice bow tie or cravat.

Someone left a few Christmas decorated stones around the village which made me smile.

If someone in customer service has been especially kind or helpful take an extra five minutes to tell their manager.

Try to make sure every person in a group conversation feels included. This is very important. We have a lovely 94 year old, highly intelligent lady in my WI group and sometimes she gets overlooked because she has a very quiet voice and we don't always hear her, so we try to ensure that she is included in all the conversations.

Smile at five strangers. 

Everyone is important. I always smile and say "Good morning" to the bus driver, and then "Thank you" when I leave.

Thank a retail store worker. They work all year round for us. I often say "How are you, I hope people are being nice to you"

 

Write a gratitude list in the morning and again in the evening. I do often say a quiet thank you to myself for everything I have.

Let someone out into the traffic. I often do this.

Buy a plant. Write positive words that describe a friend on the pot. Give it to that friend! I like this.

   
Leave a kind server the biggest tip you can afford.

   
If you know a friend is going through a difficult time cut out a few paper hearts and on each one write something that is special about that friend. Put them in a box, give them the box and tell them to pull out a heart anytime they need encouragement.

    

Donate dog or cat food to an animal shelter.

Practice self-kindness and spend time doing something you love. I think it's important to remember ourselves as well.

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day, celebrated annually on February 14th, is a widely recognised day for expressing love and affection through gifts, cards, and romantic gestures. While rooted in ancient Roman fertility festivals and Christian traditions, it has evolved into a global, modern celebration of romance and companionship. It's also a huge money spinner for Hallmark cards and red rose sellers! 

A Morrisons heart shaped crumpet was delicious with fruit, yoghurt, orange curd and a sprinkling of chopped hazlenuts.

And yesterday there was a heart shaped crisp in my cheese and onion packet! 

💘

I read this below online somewhere which I thought was lovely, and if I had a significant other half I would love to do this for them:

Make or buy some paper hearts. On each one write something that is special about your partner. Put them in a nice box and present it to your loved one on Valentine's day. Tell them to pull out a heart anytime they need reminding just how special they are.

💘 Happy Valentine's Day 💘 

A Good Read

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

The Fairway Players are in the midst of rehearsals when tragedy strikes the family of director Martin Hayward and his wife Helen. Their young granddaughter has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. When they hear that a very expensive experimental treatment is available their castmates rally to raise the money to fund it. But not everybody is convinced of the experimental treatment’s efficacy, or of the good intentions of those involved.

As tension grows within the community, things come to a shocking head at the explosive dress rehearsal, and the next day, a dead body is found, and soon after an arrest is made.

In the run-up to the trial, two young lawyers sift through the material - emails, messages, letters - with a growing suspicion that the real killer may be hiding in plain sight. The evidence is all there, between the lines, waiting to be uncovered.

The format of this won't be for everyone's liking - the plot is told through the emails, texts, letters, and essays that the lawyers are sifting through and the narrative often shifts voices and perspectives. When I started the book I didn’t think I could continue with it but I did and I enjoyed it.

I regularly had to refer to the extensive list of characters given at the beginning of the book, and make notes. The characters are well crafted and it’s a good plot. I did pick up a couple of clues but not who the murderer was!

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

The Garden

I don't often venture into the garden at this time of year because I know it's such a dismal sight. After weeks of frost and rain everywhere is dank. But a couple of days ago the sun was shining, it was quite mild so I had a look round. 

Hellebores can be relied on to bring a bit of cheer.

Every year I tell myself to get more of different colours, then I forget!

The pyracantha

with the pretty winter clematis climbing through it has been lovely.

And a young winter clematis is looking good

The same cannot be said for the buddleia, it's feral. Grown from bird droppings or wind blown it has loads of straggly branches with feeble flowers at the end of them. Every year I hack it right back and every year it just keeps growing.

This year I'm going to ask my son-in-law to chop it right down.

The viburnum has been loaded with blooms but it will need a good prune.

Miss Hawaii, Mr Otto and Duke enjoying a bit of sunshine.

My daughter bought me these, they are my favourites.

Mr Happy is still looking good, Mr Bashful is ok

Mr Jolly is looking decidedly anything but and has given up! 

I can't remember the one on the right.

I think they will both be replaced this year.

I don't know what has happened to Mr Pink.

Elsewhere there are lovely welcome signs of spring

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x