Home from Home | It may be cold and past its prime, but the English seaside still has a special place in my heart – even as a returnee from Hong Kong
- The English coast’s glory days were during the 19th and early 20th century, and many coastal towns developed to cater to the new visitors
- Cheap overseas travel and the UK’s weather drove the tourists away in the 1960s, and the seaside towns are now faded, deprived, but still lovable
I do like to be beside the seaside, as the old music hall song goes. One of the delights of living in Hong Kong was to be so close to the sea. It was a constant presence.
A day out, soon after arriving in 1994, involved sitting on a “doughnut” pulled by a speedboat and being taken for a thrilling ride off Sai Kung.
Life in Hong Kong often involves a boat trip. The Star Ferry was one of my favourites. Commuting by ferry from Discovery Bay was much more enjoyable than using London transport. And the sea views were spectacular.
This is why I was determined to live close to the coast on returning to England last year. I ended up 16km from the pretty little seaside town of Rye, on the south coast. I take at least one trip to see the sea every week.
The seaside has a special place in the hearts of British people. But many of the once-treasured resorts have fallen on hard times.
