on the Naze

We had a weekend in Essex with friends and were introduced to the unexpected delights of the Naze Tower. Overlooking the Naze peninsular, the Tower combines tea shop, art gallery and viewing platform. I liked this glass by Daphne Sandham, made with beachcombed pieces, and the cow prints in the tea shop.

It was very windy at the top, but lovely views out to sea and towards Harwich.

We walked along the coast into Walton-on-the-Naze and were treated to all the icons of gentile british seaside, including beach huts, seashell walls, out of place architecture and municipal shelters...

and hints at Walton's possible revolutionary past with the ruins of modernist villas and the socialist realism cinema... We wanted to rescue the house from the creeping uPVC.

We were rewarded on Walton pier with fairy cakes and a game of bowls. The pier is dominated by an uninviting shed that covers much of the structure, but once inside I grew to like it. Mainly I think from the sight of some real fairy cakes for a change, not this cupcake nonsense!

The bowling alley is at the end of the 'shed' complex, through a desolate arcade and fair. It's a fab location, with a view of the waves as you bowl and lanes named after planets. I really like the design of the chairs. They are common in lots of bowling complexes. I also liked Super Sonic! Like most arcade games, they are nothing like their names, but have big dreams and what's wrong with that.