AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL INFO
I was born in Gorleston on the east coast of England, in the last few years of the 20th century, the first of three sons. Our parents would spend the first few years of our lives taking us to church every Sunday and for a walk along the seafront practically every day. We grew up very near the coast. But in the early 2000s, we moved away from the coast and into the more peaceful and safer countryside. My brothers and I spent the remainder of our youth in a village in the very south of Norfolk. All in all, the county of Norfolk - Nelson's county with its city of Norwich - has always been our home, and the environment we're familiar with.
THE COAST IS STILL MY PLAYGROUND
There were three particular East Anglian coastal towns my parents used to take me to: Gorleston, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. All the photos below I took myself.
Gorleston was my home for the first seven years of my life, and where I went to nursery and primary school. It was often breezy being by the sea. St Andrew's Church was where my brothers and I were baptised. Our parents were married in the early 90s not far from there and had their wedding reception on the nearby seafront, at St Edmund's restaurant. Their photos were taken in the park across the road.
Some would describe Blackpool as The Great Yarmouth of the West, and if you look at Great Yarmouth it’s easy to see why; it is a much busier civilisation than Gorleston, aimed at tourists and holidaymakers. You can still ride down the Marine Parade in a horse & cart. Along the seafront, there's the Britannia Pier with its theatre, where celebrities give performances, the Hippodrome, renowned for its regular circus and water shows, the Pleasure Beach with its famous Edwardian roller-coaster, a Sea life Centre, a cinema, a model village and many hotels, restaurants and amusement arcades. There was also the Marina Centre (recently demolished and rebuilt), basically a sport centre, but with an auditorium, nightclub and adventure play area too.
Just a short walk away from all the parade commotion, is the Nelson Monument with the statue of Britannia at the top. Built more than 20 years before Nelson’s Column in London, it’s my local national landmark and a symbol of the British coast. It's not historically certain whether or not it was intentional, but she faces inland rather than out to sea. We would visit Yarmouth from time to time even after we'd moved into the country. It was the most memorable seafront we had easy access to.
Another busy town is Lowestoft. It has a High Street with the Marina Theatre, and a road bridge that can lift up to let boats through. On the edge of the town and coast is a park with a cafe called Sparrows Nest, where I would go with my family for refreshments after a walk. It also has a small war museum and a bandstand on the green in memory of the locals who fought during World War II. The seafront was once the location of an air show disaster, when a harrier crashed into the sea. I never went to the air shows, but I did go to the same venue to see several touring circuses. Not far from the coast is the Waveney Gymnastics Centre, where I was one of the first children to go, mostly every Saturday. The problem with Lowestoft is the traffic. It's seldom easy to get round the place.
If ever I want to go for a walk, my first choice would be the coast. The seafronts and local towns are full of memories. I find that they always make me feel better. Although I have to drive 15 miles to get to the nearest coast, it's generally worth it.