the value of urban design – pier and park

If ever you think about wanting to visit a seaside resort that is a little bit old fashioned, I would recommend Southwold in Suffolk (800 people in the 2013 census). Since my last trip I heard someone describe it as the snobbiest seaside resort in the UK. This may send people there in droves! It certainly has a lot of top end designer shops which considering it is miles from London and off the beat and track must mean they make a living somehow. We couldn’t find any sign posts until we were 4 miles away!

I am sure Southwold is famous for a lot of different things which I am not going to mention. I was introduced to it by FH and we originally went because he was in to real ales and they have their own brewery, Adnams there.

When I think about it, I think about the beach huts, set in a long, long row along the front all pastel shades and thoughtful names. When the local estate agents advertise beach huts as sealed offers starting at £120k you get the idea. The price of the beach huts is way out of synch with the price of local houses which after London and its environs are quite reasonable.

This visit I went and ate outside on the pier. I don’t remember the pier from previous visits, but I don’t remember it being so hot and sunny either. The lovely thing about the pier, other than the food and the service in the restaurant there (which was totally unpretentious, but beautifully presented and not expensive) was all the little plaques on the balustrade commemorating marriage proposals, lives, holidays, life quotes etc. There must have been thousands of them, no doubt commissioned to pay for the refurbishment begun in 1999, but so well done. The only comparable thing I have seen is the paving slabs at the Globe theatre in London that have been purchased by individuals.  There is also a fantastic sculpture clock where a chiming feature is little men in a bath tub spitting water at each other which sounds gross, but isn’t. They also have some lovely gun metal seating areas. The design elements are superb.

It was lovely to sit and be mellow in the sunshine. It was lovely to see all the families of every age and colour enjoying themselves on the beach. We meandered about for hours.

The day before I had been supporting at a ‘Peabody Big Picnic in the Park’ at the Olympic Park. Apparently London parks want to encourage Londoners to use them as much as the tourists. I visited the Olympic site during the build and failed to get tickets for any events so this was my first visit back. Again, the design elements are amazing – the big wobbly red sculpture (the Arcelormittal Orbit) they are now turning in to a helter skelter, the massive fountain in the shadow of the main stadium which was a magnet for children (pictured), the fun fair with the huge temporary beach. It reminded me of the Olympic summer when they ran a huge beach along the south bank.

After Cameroon, where urban design elements are so sadly lacking, you begin to realise how essential they are in making places where people can flourish and be aesthetically replenished rather than just live.