Season: winter

Bright sunshine was the order of the day at Southwold.  The brightly coloured beach huts set the sand in relief and Southwold Pier glinted in the distance under the low winter sun.  It was a time for reflection for my interviewees, looking out to sea from their excellent beach hut vantage point, as they’ve done for years.

Phil and Lyn in reflective mood.

Winter sunshine on the beach at Southwold.

Season: summer

Southwold is one of the most popular visitor destinations in Suffolk.  This early summer visit coincided with a gentle, languid atmosphere, the air still and the sea melding into the horizon.  Beach huts were being made ready for the summer, their occupants regularly stopping to gaze out to sea, now that mild, calm weather had returned after the winter storms.  All was well in Southwold.

What the beach means to Gill and Sandra.

A view from above the promenade at Southwold.

Season: autumn

Southwold is an attractive and welcoming Suffolk seaside town with its pier, busy harbour, clifftop cannon and the wonderful beach.  It’s almost an island, bounded by the North Sea to the east, by the River Blyth and Southwold harbour to the south west and by Buss Creek to the north.  As one of Suffolk’s most popular attractions, there are many facilities to cater for visitors, such as the Southwold Railway, the foot ferry to Walberswick and the working lighthouse.

Fun and freedom at the beach for Denise and her family.

A view of the beach from next to the pier at Southwold.

Season: summer

The late afternoon sun threw shadows from the beach huts over the promenade at Southwold.  The beach was still lit from the south west and weekending visitors enjoyed the mild weather.  The relaxed, genteel atmosphere here reflects the natural beauty of the beach and the houses behind, which are set among the green spaces that give Southwold an airy feel.

Family associations at the beach for Louise.

A late afternoon scene at Southwold.