Chris Haslam, chief travel writer for The Sunday Times, joins the Country Life podcast to talk about the best beach in the Britain, and how his dog got fooled by a northern rabbit.
A few days ago, the mercury had just gone past 30 degrees. The cat was melting. Steam was coming out of the taps. My laptop fan was spinning so fast I could barely hear my own thoughts, and from outside the sound of children splashing in a paddling pool came in through the open window. And I was stuck inside, recording a podcast about a topic which only made the pain more acute: beaches.
I remember first visiting a beach in Cornwall when I was 10. I remember miles upon miles of beach on an island called Rügen in Germany. I contemplate a sunburn I received on a beach last year in Portugal. I have been to many beaches.
But one man has been more beaches than anyone in the country — probably, anyway — and his name is Chris Haslam. He is the chief travel writer at the Sunday Times, the man responsible for over the past 16 years for compiling the newspaper’s list of Britain’s best beaches, and he joined me on the Country Life Podcast to go through his findings.
Inspiringly, in an era when Chris didn’t trawl reviews or simply look at pictures: he jumped in his Land Rover with his Jack Russell, Dave, and spent seven weeks driving more than 5,000 miles to visit 543 places.
Along the way he found answers to many questions. What makes a beach great? Where is a beach that will make you feel like you’re in Game of Thrones? What happens when you get stranded by the tide? How does a rabbit trick Dave into running off a cliff? And most important of all, what is Britain’s best beach?
Chris Haslam and Dave on the beach at Dave and me on the rocks at Gwythian Towans, North Cornwall. Credit: Courtesy of Chris Haslam
All these and many more topics are covered in the conversation; and by the time you listen to our talk, it will very likely be raining again. But take your mind back to that blazing hot sunshine last week, get a little ice cream out of the fridge, and let us take you by the ears on a grand tour of Britain’s coastline. And then read Chris’s full list at The Sunday Times.
Episode credits
- Host: James Fisher
- Guest: Chris Haslam
- Editor and producer: Toby Keel
- Music: JuliusH via Pixabay and the Fly Guy Five via Epidemic Sound
- Special Thanks: Adam Wilbourn
