Eastlife Spring 2020

A beach hut is an icon of the British seaside scene. A few
years ago a beach hut was not much more than a colourful
shed and somewhere to put your feet up, however today
they’re sleek, stylish and highly sought after.
There’s nothing better than spending a lazy summer’s day
on the beach, and on a warm Sunday, I had the pleasure of
experiencing a beach hut for the first time on Mersea Island.
Hired from Cool Coastal Huts (@coolcoastalhuts), this
delightful hut offers everything you could need for a full day
at the beach. The interiors are simple and stylish. Clean lines,
fresh and contemporary, inspired by the insanely expensive
huts of Mudeford, Dorset. It comes with a simplistic kitchen
worktop, sink, gas hob and essentials for those all-important
cups of tea!
Owner Jo Lowery, who purchased the hut last year, has
excellent attention to detail. Her love for interior design
shines through and she has thought of every little detail
to help create the perfect beach day for guests. From the
comprehensive guide she sent via email prior to my arrival
detailing the location, parking and facilities to the extra
storage unit at the back of the hut full of beach basics;
buckets and spades, games, inflatables, crabbing lines, extra
chairs, wind breakers and more.
I arrived at 10am. The beach was calm and blissful. I took
a quiet 10 minutes in the deckchair before my family
descended for a day of fun. We enjoyed snacks, paddling
and a BBQ lunch. We bought along few extra chairs and
picnic blankets and there was plenty of space surrounding
the hut to accommodate 10 of us.
A few of us enjoyed a long leisurely walk along the beach
towards the fishing sheds and seafood shacks, while the
others watched water sports. After a long walk, it was back to
the beach hut for a snooze, followed by afternoon tea and a
competitive game of bat and ball!
We finished up the day around 7.30pm (the beach hut is
available until 8pm), with sandy salty hair, sun kissed skin
and a bundle of family memories!
I will certainly be hiring this beach hut again…I’m quite
tempted to hire it for the day by myself. Imagine sipping a
glass of wine on a little deck while the waves gently lap the
shore or settling down with a book and cup of tea while
feeling a gentle sea breeze. Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it?
No.213 at West Mersea is available to hire via Cool Coastal
Huts for £60 per day. Their more traditional Frinton-on-Sea
beach hut is £50 per day.
www.facebook.com/coolcoastalhuts
49