🌊 Coastal Dreams in Peril: Jean’s Story 🌊
Meet 88-year-old Jean Flick, who’s facing a heart-wrenching battle against time and tide. Her cherished home in Thorpeness, Suffolk, where she’s lived for a quarter of a century, is at risk of being swept away by coastal erosion. Having bought this idyllic seaside retreat with her late husband, it was meant to be a fresh chapter. Now, Jean stands on the brink of losing not just her home, but a lifetime of memories.
In recent years, the erosion has been relentless, even snatching away her garden wall earlier this year. The fear is real, as another home on the street succumbed to the same fate in 2022. Jean and her daughter Frances are racing against time to get approval for gabion defences—rock-filled cages—to protect their clifftop haven. But it’s not just red tape holding them back; this project must be self-funded, as past defences were washed away.
“If the cliff edge gets within five metres, the house will have to be demolished,” says Jean. Her anguish is palpable: “With no compensation, how do you rebuild your life?” It’s a sentiment shared by many along the coast, where the forces of nature are both majestic and merciless.
Living near Sizewell with its futuristic nuclear power plant, Jean recalls the wrath of Storm Babet in 2023 that further weakened the sands. Now, each day is a precarious dance with nature, as the shoreline continues its creeping advance.
The local council is working on keeping residents safe, but as Jean points out, “It’s a painstaking process getting everything approved.” Nevertheless, she and Frances remain hopeful, though the sands of time seem ever against them.
This story is not just about erosion, but enduring love, courage, and community spirit. It’s a testament to those who fight to save what they hold dear, even when the tides seem insurmountable. ❤️#CoastalErosion #HomeSweetHome #LoveThorpeness