Which famous faces might you spot while on a seaside break?
Ramsgate, Kent
Born and bred in Ramsgate, Brenda’s stellar career has taken her all over the world, but the place she calls home is still the Kent coastal town. She shares a house on the seafront with her husband Michael and their cockapoo, Jack.
“It’s so lovely waking up in the morning to the sea,” says Brenda. “Ramsgate has started to blossom again and is looking really nice. It has the only Royal harbour in the country, thanks to HM King George IV who bestowed the honour on Ramsgate in recognition of the wonderful hospitality he received on passing through the town two hundred years ago. ”
Padstow, Cornwall
BROADCASTER AND AUTHOR FERN BRITTON “I discovered that there was a different place, called Cornwall, and I just loved it,” Fern has recalled. “I remember running to see the sand and sea. It has been magical for me ever since.”
As a TV presenter in the 1980s, Fern was based in Plymouth, Devon, but lived in Cornwall. Relocating to the home counties for her career, she and family holidayed in Cornwall every summer. After the breakdown of her marriage to TV chef Phil Vickery in 2020, she relocated there permanently and lives close to Padstow.
“In Cornwall, I feel part of the most wonderful community,” she says.
Nice, France
ACTRESS AND AUTHOR CELIA IMRIE
Celia has a flat in Nice on the Côte d’Azur. “It is a source of total joy to me,” she says. “In the summer, at 9am I go for a swim. The temperature is breathtaking but refreshing.” She describes her apartment as “my paradise”.
“Often, I write my books in Nice. I prefer to write them there than in London, because I am surrounded by such beauty and can have a jolly nice lunch whenever I like.”
Talland Bay, near Polperro, Cornwall
BROADCASTER AND AUTHOR JUDY FINNEGAN Judy and her husband Richard Madeley have a home in Cornwall where Judy in particular spends a great deal of time. “When I was young, I went to Cornwall on holiday with my parents,” she says. “Coming from Manchester it was like visiting a different world and as a little girl, I thought it was incredibly romantic. Cornwall is like no other place in Britain. It has a spirit all of its own and it calls to you. If you hear that call, you cannot help but answer it.” Judy says the sea has first claim on her heart.
“It’s the coast that’s the clincher – the mighty ocean meeting up with magnificent beaches and cliffs. The stunning coastline and fantastic fishing villages… no wonder artists are drawn here. It’s inspiring for writ
