Photographer Charlotte Broster has embraced the calming, slower way of life she’s found on the Kent coast, a place that’s inspired her to start a new creative project that celebrates women
When I was four years old, my family relocated to the east coast of Malaysia, and palm-fringed, white-sand beaches became an everyday occurrence for me, as well as encounters with giant turtles, majestic stingrays and neon jelly fish. I returned to the UK to start secondary school and the following three decades saw me build a life inland. Last year, keen for a change of scene, my husband, three children and I escaped the hustle and bustle of the London commuter zone and relocated to the quieter, more down-toearth Kent coast where Sandwich Bay became our playground.
We’ve found real joy in spontaneously packing up our VW camper van with the paddleboard, body boards, buckets, spades and a picnic, and trundling down to the bay. Sometimes we simply snooze on a blanket, listening to the waves. It’s a privilege to take my children to the coast so often. I was a wild swimmer before moving here but sea swimming is an even bigger adventure. You’re so busy bracing the chill, keeping your head above the waves, feeling the swell, and listening to gulls that you have no space for worries. It’s a consoling place for me and has done wonders for my
