Thurrock Youth Cabinet, Pennant 623

"I have always been fond of beaches and little hidden gems of places you can find, and i definitely found one on a strip of Grays beach by the River Thames. The crisp fresh air and the tranquil and blissful sound of the waves calming crashing against the pebbly sands, made me feel so relaxed. Especially with a picturesque view of the golden glow of the sunset dropping below the tide. I was really drawn to the elegant mystery that the shipwreck posed and once i was told the story going back to 1514 intrigued me so much. i loved experiencing this hidden gem.

Mollie

I've lived in Thurrock my whole life and growing up I've always liked the water. How the waves crash against the shore, the sound, the smell of salt and the crisp waterside air. I'd never been to this part of Grays before, I never knew how beautiful something in this area to be. When I stepped foot on that shelly floor and I smelt the crisp, damp air I looked out across the Thames to a beautiful sunset, the colours melted into one to frame the gorgeous view, boats lined the horison and buildings littered the wides of the river. And as you turned to the wide you could see a shipwreck despite its troubled past it still looked majestic. It never lost its original shape and its stature. You'd never see this area and think of something so beautiful. This just shows how somewhere so dull can house something so extraordinary. The secret shipwreck.

Mia

1. To recognise that animal rights as well as river rights are intertwined.
2. To stop being so ignorant to the damage we are causing from the pollution we create