The Beach Cafe (31 page)
‘Cheers to us all,’ Ed called out, raising his glass in the air. ‘Cheers!’
‘CHEERS!’ everyone called back in a joyful roar.
Ed leaned down and kissed me, and I kissed him back. And I knew that even though I’d just had the best summer of my life, the following autumn and winter and spring were going to be every bit as good, with this man by my side. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.
Lucy Diamond’s five favourite beaches
Like Evie, I’m a beach bum at heart and can think of nothing better than swimming in the sea or soaking up the rays on the sand. Here are my favourite beaches, and the reasons why:
Coogee Beach, Sydney, Australia
I lived a stone’s throw from this beach for three months while I was working in Sydney, and will probably never live anywhere as beautiful again! As well as sunbathing and beach barbecues, I also loved swimming in the open pool carved into the rocks at one side. Oh, and of course, raucous nights at the famous CBH bar too.
Brighton Beach, Brighton, England
We lived in Brighton for five years and I have a very soft spot for this beach. Perfect for people-watching, strolling along the prom or whiling away a sunny afternoon at one of the many funky beachside cafés and bars. Fab.
Haad Rin Beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand
I stayed in a wooden shack on this beach for a couple of weeks while I was travelling. It was wonderful opening the little shutters every morning and seeing the sea just metres away. I went to one of the legendary Full Moon beach parties there too, dancing till the sun rose. Unforgettable.
Sennen Cove, Cornwall, England
My parents went here for their honeymoon and took us back to Sennen for many family holidays when I was growing up. I have happy memories of surfing with my dad, swimming and sandcastle-building. And fish and chips for tea, of course!
Lyme Regis, Dorset, England
My husband proposed to me on the Cobb at Lyme Regis and it was one of the most romantic moments of my life. A lovely beach with an old-fashioned seaside feel and lots of character.
How to make the perfect Cornish Cream Tea
C
LASSIC
S
CONE
R
ECIPE
(serves 8)
350 g self-raising flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
85 g butter
3 tbsp caster sugar
175 ml milk
1 beaten egg (to glaze)
Heat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Cut the butter into cubes then rub in to the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, then make a well in the mixture.
Warm the milk then pour it into the dry mix and stir to combine to a dough.
Sprinkle your work surface and hands with flour, then tip out the dough. Fold it over a few times, then pat into a round approximately 4 cm deep.
Take a 5 cm cutter and dip it into some flour. Cut four scones from this round, then reshape the remaining mixture to cut another four. Brush the tops with the beaten egg, and put on a baking tray.
Bake for 10 minutes until risen and golden.
Serve your scones warm or cold, with butter, clotted cream and jam, plus a pot of tea and your nicest crockery. Sea view preferable but not essential. Enjoy!
L
UCY
D
IAMOND
is the author of several internationally bestselling children’s novels, written under a different name. She lives in Bath with her husband and their three children.
The Beach Café
is her fifth novel
By the same author
Any Way You Want Me
Over You
Hens Reunited
Sweet Temptation
Acknowledgements
Huge thanks to Jenny Geras for her editorial input, and to the rest of the team at Pan for being so wonderful – Thalia, Chloe, Ellen, Michelle and Jeremy. Thanks to Simon Trewin at United Agents for helping me develop the original idea, and to Imogen Taylor, who said that all-important first ‘yes’ to this book.
Finally, my thanks as always to Martin, for the pep talks and support, for the willingness to discuss my characters with me as if they were real people, and for holding the fort so admirably when I went off to Cornwall to research the perfect beach and write about it. Did I tell you I’m planning to set my next novel in the Seychelles?
First published 2011 by Pan Books
This electronic edition published 2011 by Pan Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
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Basingstoke and Oxford
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www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-4472-0520-3 EPUB
Copyright © Lucy Diamond 2011
The right of Lucy Diamond to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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