Splish splash, 2017

In Southend, or Westcliff and a bit of Chalkwell really, if the wind’s up and the tide’s in you get the waves splashing up and the spray blowing onto pavement.

You should be able to hear the sea in the background churning away, with every now and again a thump as a wave hits the seawall. The hissing is the spray being blown onto the pavement. There’s a stretch in Westcliff and Chalkwell where the tide covers the beach, and that’s where this happens. It’s not uncommon, but I don’t think it happens in many other places. Thorpe Bay has a section where the tide comes right up to the feet of the beach huts, but I’m sure it wouldn’t go under them; the seawall is much higher there as well.

I’m not sure what it’s like further up the coast; I’ve only really seen spray going up where there are boulders set down for sea defence.

This was recorded at about 12.20am, but of course in the daytime there’s always someone who wants to try and dodge the spray or gets caught out.