As a family, we’ve been visiting Southwold for many years – used to have a tradition of driving up there on New Years Day, taking in Walberswick and Snape Maltings on the way back, but too many freezing, windy ‘wash-out’ trips where no one wanted to get out of the car, put a stop to that tradition.
Where’s the sun?
I braved the weather last November because I knew I wanted a picture of Southwold Pier on the cover of my book. The brilliant cover designer Berni Stevens managed to make it look pretty and not so wintry so that my cover looked as if it was just made for summer reading! Coincidently there was a rather handsome man having photographs taken against the groynes – with a guitar slung over his back! It would have been perfect, except that my daughter more or less threatened me with a fate worse than death, if I approached him to see if I could take some photos. Such a shame as I’m sure The Fates had put him there just for me.
The little brass plates that are set all along the balustrade on the pier, where loved ones can be remembered or special occasions recorded, made me realise that Southwold would be the perfect setting for my lovely Dylan and Scarlett to fall in love (yes, she was lovely by the end of the book!) You can just see them, in the bottom corner – the brass plaques not Scarlett and Dylan!
And how could I not include the awesomely crazy Under the Pier Show with its rabid dog who dribbles and snaps at your fingers 
and the fearsome prisoner, Crankenstein who roars and bares his teeth!
These were videos but they don’t appear to be working so if you really want to see Crankenstein and his friends, here’s a link. http://www.underthepier.com/
My dream, even before I became a ‘proper’ writer was to own one of the beach huts along Southwold seafront until I discovered how horrendously expensive they were. I even decided I’d call it Dormouse House (my nickname, when I was little, was Dormouse) – but then if PDJames could buy one, I don’t see why I can’t! #reachfor the sky
ONE DAY!
Ooh look, there’s me waving from my very own beach hut! One day indeed!
jackieladbury.com 