low tide

This was my first visit to England’s north-west coast since resettling in Manchester. I chose the resort of Southport on the Merseyside coast, famed for its long, graceful pier.

The day was anything but promising, with a chill wind and a thick cover of cloud. It looked likely to be a day of moody photographs, with flat skies and little sunlight. But something else happened. The tide gradually ebbed away, leaving beautiful expanses of sand and the pier entirely exposed.

The colour palette was grey and a pale blue, giving a serenity you wouldn’t expect from a busy seaside resort. I’ll just have to go back when the sky is screaming blue and the sunshine is cascading down…

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A little section of the Kent coast in south-east England has a magical little secret. At low tide off a beach in the charming resort of Whitstable, a shelf of pebbles slowly reveals itself, creating a pathway that leads out to sea. The urge to take a walk along ‘the street’ is irresistible, and visitors to this part of the seaside enjoy it in their droves.

It is a photographic gift to capture as it slowly grows and alters its shape. I was lucky enough to see it from a nearby beach house where friends exchanged their marriage vows, adding to a memorable occasion.