Bournemouth Beach Hut Described as Piece of Heaven on Earth

A beach hut at Alum Chine in Bournemouth has been voted the Best Beach Hut In The South in a national competition in the UK to find the best beach hut in the country.

A beach hut is a one roomed building, often made of wood, that stands on the promenade at the top of the beach, and which provides the owner not only shelter from the elements, but somewhere to store all the beach chairs, towels and other items that are useful to have when you go to the beach.

Most beach huts have electricity and running water, with fridges and stoves too, making a day at the beach much more comfortable, and you also don't have to lug everything down to the beach and back every time! You can read more about beach huts on this page about Bournemouth.

What makes this beach hut special, is the owner, a 76 year old grandmother called Jean McCloy.

She not only takes good care of her beach hut, which has been painted blue and white to give it a nautical theme, but when she is there for the day, she puts plants of matching colours outside, to let people see that she is at "home".

It's more than the plants and the pain scheme though, as Jean also dresses in colour co-ordinated clothes. Even the coat hangers, mugs and ornaments in the beach hut match the theme colours.

Since she lost her husband, Jean has been very lonely, but she is never lonely when at the beach hut, and can often be found there in bad weather. There is always something different to see at the beach, and there are plenty of people walking along the promenade to talk to.

She had no idea that the photographer was going to pay her a visit, but as always she was ready with a chair, and a cup of tea and biscuits.

Jean will be getting a plaque to put on her beach hut for winning the competition, and I think she is a very worthy prize winner too. You can see a picture of Jean and her beach hut HERE.

Source:

The Bournemouth Echo