Speaker: Dr Nancy Stevenson
Have you ever wondered about the people who choose to spend summer days in their beach huts? Maybe you’ve taken pictures of the huts and chuckled at their cheeky names? Perhaps you’ve peeked inside their open doors? Possibly you paused and said hello to the people sat chatting and drinking tea outside?
In this talk Nancy Stevenson will reflect upon beach hut culture in Essex and explore the stories collected for her book Beach Hut People. You will hear about her journey to discover more about the people who inhabit these ‘sheds by the sea’. Nancy will share memories about the olden days, best days, childhood, family traditions and the feelings evoked by a day at the hut. She will tell you about the things that people collect and display in their huts, the way they choose to style them and the origins of beach hut names.
Dr Nancy Stevenson is a writer and researcher. Her research centres on people’s engagement in leisure activities and is embedded in local landscapes. She has written about festivals, walking, writing and wellbeing and the importance of pleasure and play in community life. She spends her time between North London and the Essex Coast, and hosts writing retreats in Frinton on Sea. Beach Hut People was published in May 2023.
Please visit https://www.essexrecordoffice.co.uk/visit-us/ for details of our nearest public car parks.
