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.

Original Seaside Poster Auction

Here at New England Lifestyle we love to flick through the monthly Coast Magazine which, in their own words, “celebrates the British coastline in all its spectacular, quirky, life-affirming glory.” Each month features a selection of stunning seaside homes, suggestions of wonderful coastal places to visit and great shopping ideas.

This month Coast are reviving the classic seaside poster for today’s generation, in an effort to celebrate Britain’s seaside towns and beaches and tempt new visitors to discover the wonders of a day at the seaside.

They have teamed up with seven leading contemporary artists including  paper-cut maestro Rob Ryan, Red or Dead founders Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway, printmaker Angie Lewin, and Biba creator Barbara Hulanicki. Each artist has designed a modern poster to advertise their favourite seaside resort; the resorts include Dungeness, Boscombe and ‘Delicious Paignton.’

These original artworks are all fabulous, and would be a real investment.

The  Seaside Poster Auction is now live on eBay, and runs until Sunday 16 May at 9pm.

All proceeds from the sale of the posters will go to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) the UK charity for the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife.

CLICK HERE to go directly to the auction site, and GOOD LUCK in bidding for your favourite seaside poster!

Coast Magazine is full of fantastic ideas not only for the beach, but to bring the seaside feel into your own back garden. They feature a selection of affordable brightly coloured deckchairs from Habitat and Southsea Deckchairs, eye-catching zesty coloured hammocks from John Lewis, and stylish windbreaks  from The Seaside Company. Inspiration indeed for those crucial accessories to make the most of the summer months in comfort!