Rolling waves are the only sound... there's no slot machines arcades with pumping music or flashing lights, squeals from fairground rides or cries of eyes down for bingo. The sights and sounds that commonly permeate most East Coast seaside resorts are noticeable by their absence - and it's wonderful for those seeking a quiet break.
Here at Sutton-on-Sea in Lincolnshire, it's like stepping back in time to an old-fashioned era, a place untouched by modern holiday trappings. And it's exactly this unspoilt charm and slower pace of life that both locals and visitors love about the quaint little seaside village.
Sutton-on-Sea takes is just over a two hours' drive from Nottingham, down the A158 past villages that could exist in a detective TV series... Minting Murders or Belchford instead of Broadchurch. We visit on a Thursday, the weather is glorious, and I anticipate traffic queues but I've witnessed more gridlock on a wet Wednesday in Bulwell. It's easy to park the car and the seafront is about 200 yards away.
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Unlike the usual hotspots of Skegness, Chapel, Ingoldmells and Mablethorpe, the atmosphere is so calm and tranquil. That doesn't mean it's deserted. There are people around, a mix of locals and holidaymakers, but there's a different pace of life.
The long sandy beach is Sutton's jewel in the crown. It's super-clean with soft golden sand rather than pebbly and strewn with seaweed.
The majority of visitors are from the East Midlands and Yorkshire but the Cullen family are from Darlington. Grandmother Lynne says: "We were told that it was quieter than Skegness. We've never been here before. It's brilliant, we've had a really nice afternoon. The beach is just lovely and there's hardly anybody on it. We've been in the sea and played on the sand."
Husband David added: "It's clean and tranquil. The Beach Shop is very good. Even though we came without beach towels we were able to get what we needed."
The Beach Shop, next door to the Beach Bar and the only shop on the promenade, has everything you might need for a trip to the coast - windbreaks, buckets and spades, and that all important seaside refreshment, ice cream. Shop assistant Kate Ives, 57, jokes: "It's a very nice 'office window" as she gazes out at the seashore.
Kate, who once worked in London, returned to Sutton when she married, to have her family. "It's a lovely village. It's laid back. It's not busy, busy. We don't have arcades and things like that. It's nice and easy and I think it's lovely.
"We get a real mix of people... cyclists, families. If you want a nice relaxing time this is the ideal place to be - it's a perfect beach. It's nice and quiet."
Busier resorts can end up costing you a small fortune but with no slot machines, donkeys, fairground rides, crazy golf, boat rides or other attractions there's very little to splash out on except for food and drink. It's easy to see why it appeals to families with young children. Apart from the beach and a free paddling pool there's nothing else to do, making it a cheap day out.
As much as it's an advantage when the sun shines, it would be a bit of a nightmare if it rained with no indoor entertainment in the village. However, Mablethorpe is less than three miles down the road, with a play centre and arcades.
Sutton's main street has all the charm of an English village, blessed with a crocheted Platinum Jubilee decorations on the pillar box and bollards. If you're after gifts to take home, Yellowbellies has souvenirs such as ornamental beach huts, cushions and mugs. They're all very tasteful and there's none of the usual tat. If you're after rock in the shape of a male appendage or lady bits you really need to head to Skeggy.
Knick knack lovers will be in their element at a quirky shop in the village, appropriately named Knick Knacks Antiques Emporium. Jam-packed with breakables and narrow aisles it's definitely not a place for children or the clumsy folk.
I couldn't help breathing in as I negotiated the tight walkways while taking in vintage china, clocks, records, books, golf clubs, furniture and eclectic finds such as a mounted boar's head, a sphygmomanometer from Wyberton West Hospital, and a 1969 edition of the Grimsby Evening Telegraph reporting on Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithful's not guilty plea to drugs' charges in court.
After all that browsing we're in need of a drink. My husband has a pint of Camden Helles, while it's home from home for me finding 200 Degrees coffee at Ice Rock, a contemporary-style cafe that wouldn't look out of place in a city centre.
The seafront doesn't have the tempting aroma of freshly fried doughnuts or candy floss but there are two chippies in the village. We visited Waldo's on the recommendation of locals. There's something about seaside chips, piping hot from the fryer, with a good smattering of salt and vinegar and a wooden fork. At £1.75 for a small tray, we couldn't argue with that.
People don't go to Sutton for the nightlife - there's nothing like the Skeggy's Embassy Theatre or buzzing bars and clubs. You can get a drink at the social club, which occasionally has live music, the Beach Bar on the prom, or the Bacchus Hotel. With 23 bedrooms and five log cabins, the hotel owned by David Smith, is the biggest in the village.
David, who has spent 23 years at the helm, says "Sutton's a fantastic little village and long may it continue. It's different. There are no bright lights and arcades - that's what the attraction is. You're on the doorstep of Skegness and Mablethorpe but it's a completely different cross section of people.
"It's very, very unique and long may it be that. It's got a niche in the area and it's vital it keeps that identity it's renowned for it. I've had three kids of my own and I've done all the other resorts and Sutton-on-Sea is as good as anywhere in the country. It's a safe environment and facility-wise it's got that niche. It's got a beautiful beach, it's pristine.
"We attract those who appreciate the tranquillity of the sea, the surrounding businesses and the atmosphere. It's ideal for young families as well. If you want more, the glamour and the glitz, you've got Mablethorpe, somewhere you can let your hair down and then return back to sanity."
The majority of guests at the Bacchus come from Nottingham, Sheffield, Derby and Leicester. "It's ironic that the number of guests we get from the south bank of the Humber are very few and far between. They tend to disappear to Scarborough and Bridlington even though they are closer than people from Notts and Derbyshire," says Mr Smith.
One couple who have happy childhood memories of Sutton are John and Rachel Reynolds, from Aspley. John met his future wife when his parents had a static caravan at Sutton Springs, the same holiday park as Rachel regularly visited with her mum and dad.
When they married 26 years ago in Nottingham, they travelled to Sutton for an evening reception with friends and family at the Bacchus Hotel.
John, 57, who used to work at John Player's Horizon factory in Thane Road, says: "My parents would come down most bank holidays and a fortnight in the summer. It's nice and peaceful and quiet. You can walk along the seafront and no one hassles you. People seem friendly around here. We've got some happy memories.
"It's 18 years since we last visited. There are a few new shops but generally it's not changed. It's olde worlde."
Rachel, 49, a sister on the admissions ward at the Queen's Medical Centre, had regular holidays at Sutton from the age of five. She says the village is pretty much the same as it was the last time she visited nearly two decades ago. "It's never evolved. There are no arcades. We're on a trip down memory lane.
"It's a proper old seaside town. We're going to pop to the Cornerhouse Cafe. From the age of five, every morning we would walk from the caravan site to the caff. Mum and dad would get a paper and we'd go in there every morning. It's still the same people 40 years later so we're going to pop in. We've enjoyed reliving the memories."
As untouched as the area is, it hasn't escaped rising inflation. Gone are the days of spending a penny. The public toilets cost 40p but if you haven't got the cash you go contactless, using your debit card or mobile phone.
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