Originally uploaded by darrenstarr

Entries for the 2010 Beach Hut of the Year competition are already flooding in – have you entered yours yet?!! The winners will not be decided until later in the year, but the current entries can be viewed on the competition’s website where you can rate the beach huts your self – it really is worth a look!

There are four categories for the 2010 competition:

Best Kept Hut

Best Beach Hut Design

Best Beach Hut Name

Beach Hut ‘Hero’

There are an estimated 23,000 beach huts in the UK, most of which can be found on the south and east coasts of England. There are lots of beach huts to be found at various beaches near to our West Sussex Showroom, including those pictured at Littlehampton Beach!

It is known that purpose built beach huts – a development of the 18th century bathing machines – were in use at Felixstowe, Suffolk in 1895 although due to the their very nature and situation it is very unlikely than any of those will have survived until today! The first municipal huts were built by Bournemouth Corporation in 1908, and their original design is little changed today. If you are planning a holiday to Bournemouth, why not visit Bournemouth Beach Hut Rentals and hire one out for yourself?!

If you are lucky enough to own your own beach hut, cool coastal colours are a must! Our New Harbour Outdoor Chairs and matching New Harbour Ourdoor Side Table would not only look great outside your beach hut on a glorious summer’s day, they are so comfy – just the thing for a relaxing day at the seaside!

If like us you are in love with the seaside, you will love flicking through Coast Magazine; always full of great articles, locations and coastal style.

Beach Huts at West Wittering Beach

If you ask anyone in the area to recommend the best nearby beach, and the answer is always West Wittering!

The natural, unspoilt sandy beach at West Wittering has been a favourite family day out for generations. West Wittering Beach offers wonderful views of Chichester Harbour and the South Downs beyond, and is a “must visit” location all year round.

On a crisp wintery morning, a walk around East Head (the sand dune spit to the far western end of West Wittering Beach) is sure to blow the cobwebs away. Play in the sand dunes, watch the boats as they moor up, and jump in the “sinky sand” as it is known to my family!!! Further up the beach be inspired by the wind surfers, kite surfers and awesome kite buggys shooting up and down the expanse of sand!

In the summer months a dip in the sea is a must… and as a Blue Flag Beach, West Wittering is a safe choice for families. As the tide goes out we love to swim out to the sand dunes and play in the shallow water. For those who are lucky enough to own one of the 156 Beach Huts (or at least know someone who does!!!) West Wittering Beach really is the place where you can wile away many a happy hour with the whole family.

Elmer Beach - Photograph by Simon Carey

As a family we spent every weekend and every school holiday there from Easter through until the end of September, and my father would take two weeks off in the summer and come and join us. As a child I always remember the times spent in Elmer much more than the times spent at home in Weybridge, Surrey. My parents sold the house when I was 14, but then retired down to Aldwick when I was 21. I have had contact with West Sussex for the whole of my life. When I decided to move out of London I ended up buying the house right on the beach in Elmer in front of the house my parents built.

West Sussex is a great county. It has some of the best beaches in the country – such as East Head at West Wittering. The historic city of Chichester with its beautiful cathedral and great shops and restaurants, and of course Chichester Harbour for boating and picnicking.  We have the best of both worlds; the pleasure of living by the sea with beautiful countryside just a few minutes away in the form of the South Downs. My children in particular love going to the Trundle and being able to run wild across the open countryside. We have the famous sporting events at Goodwood including the horse racing of Glorious Goodwood, the Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival Meeting at the motor circuit.

It is also great to enjoy the benefits of the beaches and countryside, but still be only 60 miles from London.

My interest in design and beach style furniture was borne through my life long enjoyment of the beach and surrounding area, inspired by beach huts and traditional Sussex barns.

Photograph © Copyright Simon Carey licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence