Author Archives: manonabeach

About manonabeach

On a beach…welcome to manonabeach.com, where I’ll regularly add video of my beach visits, so you can enjoy a flavour of the beach, even when you’re not there.

Worthing beach

Season: spring

Worthing has a vibrant artistic community, but it also attracts visitors from far and wide, such as interviewee, Christine. The town caters for all tastes, with shops and restaurants a stone’s throw from the beach and the pier. There’s a positive ambiance with a wide promenade to stroll along and numerous cafes and restaurants, from which to enjoy the views of the sea or for some people watching.

Beaches as “home”.

Flat sand below the shingle at Worthing on a low tide.

Season: winter

The beach and seafront at Worthing are centered around its historic Pier. There are five miles of palm tree lined promenade and the exciting Splash Point attraction. However, the overriding impression here is of a serene and idyllic beach. The Pier offers plenty of opportunity to stop and watch the world go by, while enjoying all that the seaside has to offer. This visit showcased the thriving artistic community by the beach.

The inspiration of the beach for shell artist Jessica.

A view from Splash Point in Worthing.

Shoreham-by-Sea

Season: spring

The beach at Shoreham-by-Sea is easy to access from the road and the houses that lie behind it. Shoreham itself is nearby. The shingle has a satisfying crunch as you walk along, this being less steep than other shingle beaches in Sussex. Convenience and relaxation are the order of the day here, a chance to regain perspective and balance in today’s hectic lives.

Family times at the beach for Natasha.

On the beach at Shoreham-by-Sea.

Season: winter

Shoreham Beach is a haven of tranquility in the long, summer months. Typically for West Sussex beaches, it has a shingle higher reach, with plenty of sand beyond, which is only revealed at low tide. With three miles of pebbled shoreline at high tide, the beach is superb for walks, for exploring or for just relaxing and taking in the sea air. Shoreham beach is also part of the Vegetated Shingle Project, set up in 1999 to encourage the renewal and maintenance of indigenous plant life among the beach shingle.

Victoria and her grandmother Eileen reflect on the importance of beaches to each of them.

The scene on the beach at Shoreham-by-Sea.

Brighton beach

Season: spring

Also known affectionately as London-by-the Sea, Brighton has a buzzing feel, with the beach’s appeal permeating the town and its fashionable boutiques and bistros, due to its proximity to them. Populated predominantly by young people, the promenade was shared on this re-visit by those exercising, like my interviewee Hannah and day trippers, who milled around the Brighton Wheel by the pier. There’s a rejuvenating feel to the town and beach, a real tonic.

The many faces of Brighton and its beach, according to Hannah.

Looking down on the busy scene at Brighton’s beach.

Season: winter

Brighton and its beachfront cool are legendary. Famous Brighton Pier serves as a backdrop, daytime traditional seaside fun mixing seamlessly with a night time, funky beach-side club culture. There’s a cosmopolitan atmosphere, but this is also a Blue Flag beach, where you can try your hand at one of the many water sports or sailing activities. After dark, Brighton’s seafront clubs and bars take centre stage, nestling underneath the Victorian beachfront arches, for some of the best club nights in the country. Highly recommended.

A view from under the Brighton Wheel.