Libi Pedder's beautiful photo essay of Felixstowe in winter is also a thank you letter to the seaside town.
I became a new resident of Felixstowe during spring 2021. I already knew the town, as a weekender, having often visited my partner’s family here. Finding myself an inhabitant was a very different proposition.
I have a lot of affection for the town. Arriving as a guest always promised a restful, happy few days, indulging in holiday treats and spending valued time with family. But, having left friends and family back in my native Surrey, I felt displaced and homesick. I missed people and so many of my familiar, established daily routines. I found myself somewhat cast adrift.
I wrote to friends and family regularly, trying to impart my sense of loss and estrangement, as well as the newness of living here and the discoveries I was making. I wanted to show them what I was seeing and feeling, so what more effective way to do that than through my own medium of photography?
As an outsider turned insider, I have a unique perspective, finding the town a refreshingly diverse, sometimes unlikely mix of places that co-exist. I'm drawn to the sea, the land and the huge, endlessly triumphant skies.
My images soon suggested postcards which seemed the perfect size to send with my correspondence. Some were delivered electronically, others posted in envelopes. The resulting body of work is a narrative of my time in Felixstowe.
I’m grateful to you, Felixstowe. Please accept my pictorial tribute. I thank you for your amity, your welcoming disposition and your extraordinary skies.
