I have been coming to this gorgeous place by the seaside for at least 35 years….the first time was as a family of three …my husband and our little boy about 3 yrs old. We stayed in the original old cottage that belonged to my families friend who was a farmer. He & his brother had built alongside each other these cottages for their families to come for summer holidays by the seaside. Then one cottage was demolished with the niece building a beautiful home and attached ceramic/pottery studio. Having loved her Uncles cottage so much she had kept many artefacts from the cottage so that when she built a little cottage to replace the old one she incorporated these artefacts into the cottage. It is in this newer cottage that we continue to come ….the inside is mostly white and has beautiful artworks throughout including beachside finds.

The first thing I do when I arrive, is unload the car, shoes off and roll my jeans up, cross the road and sigh with the smell of the seaside and walk…..it’s like loads drop off me with no thinking just absorbing the loveliness of the sand between my toes and fresh air…..depending on the season I come..often there is no one on the beach except for the occasional walker with their dog…come summer it’s just abuz but in a nice way as it’s never crowded like some of the European seasides/beaches.

It doesn’t matter how many time’s I walk the beach I still enjoy collecting shells, driftwood, coloured seaweeds….finding a use to make collages for photographs with arty things I bring with me. I usually have enough things to do for three weeks not three days which is usually how long we come for…..what with a pile of books, embroidery, painting, sketch books and knitting…what better time than to immerse oneself in creativeness and loveliness with no interruptions and timelines….also popping into Alisons Studio and seeing her working away with her pottery with so many interesting pieces picked up like me from along the beach…yet Alisons collection grows every day…..

These precious restorative times are highly recommended amidst a pressured life……