The blue plaque attached to the front of this Bournemouth seafront beach hut commemorates the first council-owned hut. The 7x7 foot "shed" - (number 2539) along with others, nearby - was built in 1909, and although some more modern pieces have been added over the years, the structure is largely original. It is the oldest public beach hut in the UK.
There are some 20,000 of these huts around Britain's coast - 1900 of which are situated along Poole bay, Dorset. This British institution is a development of the Victorian bathing machines, and by the 1920s they were firmly established as part of the seaside holiday experience. The huts are still rented out to tourists on a daily, weekly or yearly basis - £12, £55 and £1,375 respectively. There is, however, a five year waiting list for the privately owned ones.
24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/6.3. ISO 200
© 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment