A Brightlingsea beach hut is one of five finalists in the Beach Hut of the Year 2020 competition.

Despite being one of many huts that floated away in storm earlier this year, Marion Witton’s hut is in the running for a first prize of £300, a luxury hamper, a plaque and a year’s free insurance from competition organiser Ryan’s Insurance. Beach hut hire entrepreneur Vicky Gunn of Millies Beach Huts will choose the winner.

Marion’s competition entry read:

“The Best Beach Hut in Brightlingsea. Our Underwood family have had a beach hut for over 100 years. Originally huts were built a rowing boat ride away ‘over the stone’ in St Osyth. I’ve a picture of my Mum, Grandmother and Great Grandmother in their Sunday best in front of it in 1922 (pictured). As a child I spent every summer with my grandmother, cycling to our beach hut in Brightlingsea almost every day, with shrimps and salad in her basket. If it rained we played monopoly with my cousins in the next hut. In 2013 the family beach hut got swept away so cousin Ronald Underwood (95) asked if we would like the site. We named the new one ‘Underwood’, painting it pink and white. My grandchildren are following in the footsteps of all the previous generations, playing on the sand and loving having a beach hut of our own. This year the storms damaged many beach huts but ours floated down the road and came to rest by the Lido. There was some damage but inside everything remained upright including a pot of bubbles. It became quite famous and someone even wrote a poem about it.”