What’s on in Seabrook

Swimmers enter the sea from the beach on the morning of New Year’s Day and leave it again shortly afterwards. The swim is best watched from the sea wall. The Council reminds those taking part that the water is cold.

The quiz league meets at the Gull and Lantern through the weeks of the year when there is least else on. Teams enter at the bar. The league table is kept on the wall beside the fireplace, and the table beside the fireplace is taken early.

Seabrook Town Council sets its budget for the coming year in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public and the agenda is posted a week beforehand. Residents wishing to speak on car park charges are asked to give notice in writing.

The pancake race is run along the High Street on Shrove Tuesday, which falls in February or early in March. Each competitor carries a frying pan and a pancake. The High Street is closed to traffic for the race, and delivery drivers are asked to make other arrangements.

The Cliffside Hotel serves a Valentine’s dinner in its restaurant on the evening of 14 February. Tables are laid for two and should be booked in advance. The hotel is on the cliffs, and those attending are advised to book a taxi at the same time as the table.

The arcade on the pier opens at weekends and the guesthouses begin to take bookings again. The pier itself may be walked in any month of the year, and is, by a number of residents and their dogs.

A service is held at All Hallows on the morning of Mothering Sunday. Afterwards the tea room and the hotel dining room are busy from noon until they close, and visitors intending to take a mother to either are advised to arrive early.

The first visitors of the year arrive at Easter and the season is held to begin. Services are held at All Hallows on Good Friday and Easter Day. The pier, the shops on the High Street and the guesthouses are open throughout, and the car park on Harbour Road fills by the middle of the morning.

The Seabrook Historical Society holds its annual general meeting in its room above the library. The chairman presents the report for the year and the Society’s photographs may be inspected afterwards. Members of the public are welcome, and those with photographs of the town taken before 1956 are especially so.

The May Fair is held on the Recreation Ground, on the football pitch and round its edges. Stalls and sideshows open at eleven. The pitch is out of use for the day and, as a rule, for some weeks afterwards while the grass is put right.

The first concert of the season is given at the bandstand in Seabrook Gardens. Seating is not provided, though the benches may be used by those who reach them first. Concerts continue on Sunday afternoons through the summer, weather permitting.

Seabrook is busy on both bank holidays. The pier, the arcade and the shops on the High Street keep their usual hours, and the Thursday market is not moved. Bus passengers should read the notice at the stop before relying on the timetable.

The summer fete is held in Seabrook Gardens. Stalls are set out on the lawns round the bandstand and teas are served from noon. In the event of rain the fete goes ahead, since it has been found that postponing it does not improve the weather.

Seabrook Secondary holds its sports day on the school field. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend. The results are sent to the Seabrook Chronicle, which prints a school sports report, and competitors are advised to check the spelling of their names.

The allotment holders show the early produce of the year at the allotments above the harbour. Entries are judged in the morning and the public is admitted in the afternoon. The date and the classes are posted on the noticeboard near the entrance.

The annual sailing regatta. Racing takes place off the harbour and in the estuary through the week, and is best watched from the harbour wall. The Commodore’s Cup is raced on the Sunday and is presented by the Mayor.

Each summer, Seabrook residents race tiny handmade boats from North Bridge to the estuary. Entries are left beforehand in the biscuit tin on the counter at Finch’s Tea Room. The rules are few and are given here in full.

The lifeboat station holds its open day. The boat is launched for a demonstration, tide and weather permitting, and the crew answer questions afterwards. Collections are taken on the promenade and along the harbour wall throughout the day.

A week of events across the town, ending with the procession of floats along the promenade. Seabrook Caravan Park is full for the week, and visitors arriving without a booking are advised to enquire at the guesthouses.

Cut flowers, pot plants and vegetables are shown in a marquee in Seabrook Gardens. Exhibits are staged by ten and judged before noon. August is the marrow season, and the winning marrow is photographed for the Seabrook Chronicle together with whoever is holding it.

The competition is held on the beach at low tide. Each entrant is given a marked plot and one hour. Buckets and spades may be brought or borrowed. Judging is completed before the tide returns.

Concerts are given at the far end of the pier on evenings through August. The string of lights along the railings comes on at dusk. Audiences are reminded that the end of the pier is exposed, in August as in any other month.

The harvest festival service is held at All Hallows. Gifts of produce may be left in the church porch on the Saturday. Tins and packets are as welcome as vegetables. All Hallows is the church on the hill, with the square tower and the clock.

The Seabrook WI holds its autumn produce show in the church hall. Some thirty sponges are expected, with a marrow class and the judging of the jam. The hall opens to the public once the judging is finished, and not before.

The end-of-pier concerts are over and the guesthouses shorten their hours. The arcade on the pier stays open until the end of October. Dogs are permitted on the beach again from 1 October. The harbour carries on as before, and the tea room continues to open at eight.

The autumn fete is held in the assembly room at the Town Hall. There are stalls, produce and a tombola. The Seabrook Chronicle reports the fete each year, with a photograph of the largest exhibit.

October is the season for house clearances, and Marlowe’s Antiques holds an auction of furniture, clocks, pictures and household effects. Viewing is on the morning of the sale. Books are sold by the box and may not be sorted through beforehand.

The schools are closed for the week. The beach is open to children and dogs alike, the library sets out a table for younger readers, and the shops on the High Street keep their usual hours. Parents are reminded that tide tables are available without charge.

The bonfire is lit on the Recreation Ground at half past six and the fireworks follow at seven. Spectators are asked to keep behind the rope. Residents are asked not to add to the bonfire in the days beforehand, however convenient that may be.

The service is held at the war memorial in Seabrook Gardens at eleven. Wreaths of poppies are laid on behalf of the town and its organisations. Those attending are asked to be in their places by a quarter to eleven.

The Christmas market has been held in Market Square since 1957. Stalls fill the square, the Mayor opens it, and the lights on the big tree are switched on at dusk. The Thursday market is held as usual that week, in what room is left.

The Seabrook Players give their annual pantomime. The title, the dates and the venue are posted at the Town Hall in November. Booking is advised for the Saturday matinee, which is the first performance to sell out and the loudest.

Carols are sung at All Hallows on the Sunday before Christmas. The church fills early, and those arriving on the hour should expect to stand. A collection is taken at the door.

The second sea swim of the year. Swimmers enter the water from the beach in the morning, and spectators keep to the sea wall. Fancy dress is traditional. Towels are not provided.