There’s something about being at the seaside that makes you reminisce about times spent there as a child. The magic was potent back then, and now the inner child in us benefits from being there again. It reconnects us.
So, when a friend suggested visiting Broadstairs Beach on a warm, sunny day in early April, I jumped at the chance, having never been there before. They wanted to revisit the place they’d enjoyed as a child during most summers, with their family.
My memories are more of the northern beaches, such as Morecambe and Blackpool, but Broadstairs is lovely and sandy. The sky was bright blue, the gulls swooped overhead, and children were building sandcastles.
I find the sea inspiring in its expanse and power. You’re reminded that over two-thirds of this planet is water, yet we cannot interact with it much without equipment. It’s quite humbling. Its stillness belies its volatility.
The seaside is usually a very laid-back scene, with a calming, relaxing vibe, as it was today. The cooling sea breeze is rich in negative ions that neutralise our body’s positive charge. You feel the difference immediately, and it felt great, breathing in rhythm with the waves.
The sun’s rays provide a good dose of vitamin D, which has so many benefits for our bodies that it is now seen more as a hormone, not just a vitamin.
The ebb and flow of the waves are soothing and hypnotically relaxing, easing away bodily tensions and any lingering mental agitation. Being here shifts one’s consciousness into something quite different from everyday street life, which is cool.
Classic seaside traditions – fish’n’chips, multi-coloured beach huts, the timber-beamed pier, wooden boardwalk, amusement arcades – stir nostalgia and simple joy. All of this magically links the past to the present moment, and this sense of timelessness is so relaxing for mind and body .. you feel it deep within your soul. The fiery sunset was stunning.
I’ve been to some of the finest beaches in the world, like Waikiki, but the ones here have a sweeter emotional and cultural pull.Â
It was a pretty uplifting day, and while I’m not usually sentimental, taking the train back home was with a bit of a heavy heart.
Pics by Kail.