CLACTON ON SEA

Before visiting Clacton, the only fact that I knew about the faded seaside resort was that Frank and Pat Butcher from the quality drama Eastenders 'met' at Clacton Butlins.
Now, having visited Clacton I realise that my Frank Butcher story is the only fact that is remotely interesting about the town.
Well, and that the annoying bloke from 'Airport', you know, the guy with the goatie and glasses, is from Clacton.

HARWICH

Harwich, now you're talking.

"Harwich is a town of hurry and business, not much of gaiety and pleasure; yet the inhabitants seem warm in their nests and some of them are very wealthy". - Daniel Defoe

Due to its small size Harwich has a fantastic architectural heritage, and the whole of the older part of the town is a conservation area.

I'm in good company at Harwich as none other than John Constable painted the Harwich lighthouse in 1820.
I choose to paint the quayside.

FELIXSTOWE

In need of some love!...not me, Felixstowe.

Over the last twenty years part of the pier has been demolished due to being unsafe, the 137 year old Railway station has been demolished as being unsafe and part of the beach has been fenced of as being, ermmm, unsafe.?

The B&B’s are boarded up and the hotels either burned down or surprise, surprise demolished.

Seafront parking is 20p for an hour, 50p for a day and £1.00 for the nest seven years.

I did however manage to paint on of my favourite studies!

ORFORD

Lovely, sleepy village – looks like Miss Marple might live here. Great view of the Ness and lighthouse.

Orford Ness has an unusual history having been used as an airstrip testing facility and the site of a scarily powerful radar station during the Cold War as a defence against being attacked by low flying aircraft.

Today it is a nature reserve run by my friends at the National Trust.

Orford village has yet another Adnams pub, millions of day trippers, and the best filling station/sweet shop in Suffolk.

ALDEBURGH

A gorgeous little town, fantastic, individual shops – loads of space – enormous shingle beach, just huge, great skylines, loads of galleries. I paint the town skyline from the beach.

Met a dog walker from London on the beach at Aldeburgh.

“Lovely innit!?, I come up every weekend, somfin about the place innit?, You from round ere?”

“No, I’m up from Penzance”

“Oh, thass nice too, but there somfin different about the East coast and the West, I fink its that bleedin Norf sea”.

WALBERSWICK

Just a fantastic spot, literally a painting everywhere you look, slimy posts, boats, tarred cottages and huts, nets and chains. Daphne du Maurier would have loved it.

I paint from the slippery, mud banks looking down stream using the ramshackle jetties as composition.

Chug, chug, chug of the small fishing boats and crabbers passing by amongst the silent graceful yachts.

SOUTHWOLD

Can’t write – so cold.

Bright sun but freeeeeeeeeeezing – beautiful, beautiful town.

A stunning, well used pier, fabulous beach, beach huts, superb houses and cottages, galleries, deli’s, wellies, even the milk bottles left on the doorstep for collection look like a still life.

Southwold also has the most handsome lighthouse right in the middle of the town – and the Adnams brewery – any further requests?

During World War II, Southwold gained the status of "fortified town" due to the cannons on Gun Hill, despite the fact that they were filled with concrete and unable to fire.

Southwold therefore became the target of many bombing raids by Germany.

There is little evidence of Southwolds bombing though, as the whole town looks as quaintly beautiful as a cheap Christmas card (and I mean that in a complimentary way).