Beach of Dreams 2021 Blog

Ali John and Kevin waving flags at the start of their long journey on Lowestoft beach

Beach of Dreams 2021 Blog

Read the daily reports from the Beach of Dreams 2021 walks from writer and journalist Kevin Rushby.

In addition to his blog posts, read Kevin’s insightful articles about the project via the buttons below.

 

The Guardian Part 1 The Guardian Part 2 The Guardian Part 3 The Guardian Part 4 Backstory Article

Kevin's Blog

Horses on the edge of Tilbury credit Kevin Rushby

Grays to Tilbury Fort

Day Thirty-Five. The last day's march is something of a procession: five miles through Tilbury to the fort where

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Bola and Remi at the graffiti wall credit Kevin Rushby

Purfleet Beacon to Grays

Day Thirty-Four. I almost died of shock. There it was. The pop-up tent abandoned and empty. No sign of Hobblin' John Hogweed...

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Steve on the footpath in Purfleet credit Kevin Rushby

Purfleet-on-Thames to Purfleet Beacon

Day Thirty-Three. My legs are zinging like I've just had some kind of extreme depilation. In my hand is a stick...

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Part of Capability Brown's Serpentine pond at Little Belhus credit Kevin Rushby

Ockendon to Purfleet-on-Thames

Day Thirty-Two. A lot of people have been asking how this 500 mile walk might affect me to which I say I have no idea

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Plotlander museum house at Langdon Hills credit Kevin Rushby

Langdon Hills to Ockendon

Day Thirty-One. I suppose there was an assumption, at the start of the walk, that by the end things would get easier.

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Pylons near East Tilbury credit Kevin Rushby

Thameside Nature Park to Langdon Hills

Day Thirty. Hobblin' John Hogweed is up early this morning rubbing ibuprofen gel into his shins and reading the leaflet...

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Sunflowers near Mucking credit Kevin Rushby

Benfleet to Thameside Nature Park

Day Twenty-Nine. We left John on something of a cliffhanger last night. He had been ordered to ice his right shin within an inch of frostbite...

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Bear the dog on Canvey credit Kevin Rushby

Canvey Island

Day Twenty-Eight. We start the day on a high, a breakfast bagel with coffee outside the Golden Bagel next to Benfleet Station..

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Sally on the footbridge credit Kevin Rushby

Shoeburyness to Benfleet

Day Twenty-Seven. Thunder is rolling across Shoeburyness as we convene for the next walk, starting on the seafront...

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Gina passing pink unicorn near Barling credit Kevin Rushby

Rochford to Shoeburyness

Day Twenty-Six. As we move ever closer to the end, there is a growing sense of the importance of health.

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Horses at Hullbridge credit Kevin Rushby

Hullbridge to Paglesham

Day Twenty-Four. Just when you think it's going to be okay, when the aches and pains have faded..

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Boat awaiting restoration on the River Crouch credit Kevin Rushby

Burnham-on-Crouch to South Woodham Ferrers

Day Twenty-Three. Today I had a delivery of new socks. This is not something I would normally get excited about..

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Sea wall on the Dengie credit Kevin Rushby

Bradwell to Burnham-on-Crouch

Day Twenty-One. There are so many things that we humans collect for fun...

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Brithnoth statue at Maldon credit Kevin Rushby

Maldon to Bradwell

Day Twenty. We are going to hit 300 miles today, but the weather is going to make us work for it.

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Michael the oysterman near Tollesbury credit Kevin Rushby

Tollesbury to Maldon

Day 19. Every morning for over two weeks now, we have eaten porridge for breakfast, but today..

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Old Hall Marshes Tollesbury credit Kevin Rushby

Peldon to Tollesbury

Day 18. The day starts with sunshine and a long quiet walk around the vast Abberton Reservoir on a broad grassy path

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Brightlingsea model boat club credit Kevin Rushby

Brightlingsea to Peldon

Day Seventeen. Every day we begin again where we left off, not missing a single step. But today we are immediately diverted.

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Mersea Island

Day Sixteen. There are always going to be a few bad apples on a long trek like this one...

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Snail on the sea wall

Jaywick to Brightlingsea

Day Fifteen. Back at Jaywick Martello tower this morning for the start of our walk. There we are joined by...

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Sunrise behind the old lighthouse, in Dovercourt Bay

Harwich to Walton-on-the-Naze

Day Thirteen. We have had a day off. The only day off in the 35 that will take us to Tilbury. But...

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Wreck buoys at Trinity House in Harwich credit Kevin Rushby

Wrabness to Harwich

Day Twelve. Sit down in a comfortable chair in the dark and close your eyes. I am going to say a word and I want you to allow...

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From left - Daisy, Tallulah, Olivia and Sorcha at Wrabness beach credit Kevin Rushby

Dedham to Wrabness

Dedham to Wrabness Day Eleven Some mornings you wake up and the world flinches. It takes a good look and […]

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Ali and flags with unexplained wolf print

Shotley to Dedham

Shotley to Dedham Day Ten The rain is lashing down at the quayside in Shotley as the ferry to Hook […]

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Hogweed

Ipswich to Shotley

Ipswich to Shotley Day Nine Some days the wheels fall off. Your feet ache and it spreads to your calves […]

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Mile 98 by Jamie Limond

Sutton Hoo to Bawdsey

  Sutton Hoo to Bawdsey Day Seven Some days there is something in the air. In Borneo, when the hunters […]

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Orford Quay credit Mike Johnston

Orford Ferry to Sutton Hoo

Orford Ferry to Sutton Hoo Day Six We set out from Orford Quay in sunshine led by Harry, a Scotsman […]

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Hare on Orford Ness

Orford Ness

Day Five. I wonder what attracted the Ministry of Defence to Orford Ness back in 1917?

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Mile 59 Kevin on a sofa credit Ali Pretty

Aldeburgh to Orford

Day Four: In a thin drizzle we arrive for the start of Day 4 next to the Jacobean Moot Hall on Aldeburgh seafront.

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Mile 41 by Arabella Marshall

Halesworth to Aldeburgh

  Halesworth to Aldeburgh Day 3 Deep in the reed beds of Walberswick marshes a bird is calling vociferously, but […]

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Colin our guide on day 2 credit Kevin Rushby

Southwold to Halesworth

Day Two. The church at Blythburgh stands above a shimmering world of reed and rush, three miles from the sea.

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Little tern egg credit Kevin Rushby

Beach of Dreams Begins

It sits at my feet, a marvel of fragility and camouflage. Just over an inch long and carefully mottled in greys and black on a faintly bluish background.

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Beach of Dreams Story Map Sea People Project Credits