Beach Hut 22

The theme tonight was star and the hut was classically designed with a black backdrop and a very interesting cracked mirror star as the centre of attention.

The star came from St. Luke's church Prestonville where it can be seen during any of the Christmas services, hanging at the front of the church. It's made of lots of shards of mirror which reflect any light or image projected into them creating a varied effect which changes as you move around the star.

The display tonight was put together by Martin Poole who heads up the Beyond team as Alison who owned the hut has recently been in hospital and is still convalescing and unable to get out to prepare something herself.

The mirror effect of the star was given additional detail by the addition of half a dozen laserpods and a rotating star ball. As the lights glittered and flashed around the hut we were reminded of the words of John 1 - "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it".

Next is our penultimate hut - number 341.

Beach Hut 21

One of the comments people have made about the Beach Hut Advent Calendar is that for them it is a kind of Christmas pilgrimage. The walk along the seafront to find the hut each night in a different location alongside the journey through the month as we get closer to Christmas all form part of a path to Christmas.

Beach hut 21 put some of this thinking into practice and invited people to consider their own personal journey up to the present in the same way that Mary and Joseph had to travel on that first Christmas. There was an interesting juxtaposition tonight with the fact that so many people currently are unable to travel because of the weather situation but that didn't stop lots of people coming down to the beach from as far away as Bournemouth.

There was not only lots to look at but also lots to do at this hut. There were travel themed items in the hut and alongside it a huge map of the UK and the world and a chance to plot your journey from birth to today using pins and lengths of wool. In addition people could also write the name of a person who had been important to them in this journey on a star and add this to the overall display. By the end of the evening the map was a mass of wool and stars acting as a testament to the pilgrimage of our lives and those around us.

As we continue our pilgrimage towards Christmas we want to make everyone aware of a goal we have set for Christmas Eve. We want everyone who comes to hut 395 to dress as a nativity character as we're hoping to break the world record for the largest live nativity. So if you're close to Brighton and don't mind coming out in a dressing gown and tea towel, come and help us make history.

Next hut is not far away at number 357a.