Home at last! I drive through the gates of Elmer Sands, to be greeted by the postman, as well as a man who is mowing his grass. The sun is shining and I get that Sunday feeling again – how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful friendly place!
I continue past neat houses fronted by colourful flowerbeds. A couple are walking their dog and a young mother watches over a small child on its bicycle. They all smile as I pass. How many places are there left where you’re in first name terms with your neighbours, the postman and the milkman, where children can still play in the street and you can see the stars at night
An early booklet describes the estate “Elmer Sands is not for those who seek the thrills and excitement of crowded resorts. It is a peaceful quiet spot, where the amenities of up-to-date residential life are linked with the beauties and restfulness of the countryside and the health and pleasure of the sea.” How true it still is today!
I discovered Elmer Sands quite by accident one rainy day in 1980. Out for a walk, rain dripping down my neck, I walked through the gates to find this lovely place where time seemed to have stood still. That day I swore I would eventually live there. The rest is history.
There’s something about the place that gets under your skin – the beach and the woods, in storm and sunshine, in winter and summer. The boats on a rough sea, the infinite stars on clear nights, sunsets over Bognor Regis, low tides, high tides, the bats at dusk, the owl in the woods and the sea birds circling overhead, but most of all the people.
Linda Smith
Middleton-on-Sea Parish website: https://middleton-on-sea-pc.gov.uk/