I love the English summer. I also love the traditional seaside towns and I absolutely adore the idea of beach huts. These little pieces of Anglicana have long represented something peculiarly English. They aren’t of course ancient they really began to exist and become popular in Edwardian times as a way of retaining modesty whilst bathing.
Over the years they have become much sought after and as with allotments, there appears to be a huge waiting list for every set of huts. The fact that people are prepared to wait is a testament to the solitude, security and seclusion that they seem to offer their owners.
These shots taken at one of my favourite English beaches, West Wittering, one year apart. The first seems to capture the sense of naivete that exists around the the way the huts are decorated by their owners. I love the different colours that each one has and the way that building them on the beach makes each one sit at a slightly different elevation. This creates a joyous jumbled snaking feel as the row of huts embraces the topography of the dunes; the colours provide a wonderful kaleidoscopic contrapuntal visual effect.
The photo is made complete by the single family sat outside their hut enjoying the grey sky; the indomitable spirit of the English seaside lover.
The second photo is just a lovely coincidence, with the union jack flag being lined up in this way it looks like it is attached to the hut (it’s actually behind on the cafe) it looks like a piece of Dad’s Army brought to life; the last line of defence for these sceptered isles…
There are many pics of this beach on Flickr and many are beautiful but I was really pleased with the simplicity of these pics. The beach is a simple pleasure, the huts are a simple pleasure so why complicate the photos?
Posted by Visitor Stats and popularity « Picture This! on September 28, 2008 at 5:30 pm
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