At the end of September, the harbour at Ferrymoor looks like a held breath. The pontoons are mostly empty, the café has put its chairs away and the last day-trippers are walking back to the car park. Then, a few days later, the town begins its second year.
A coastal region that depended almost entirely on summer is trying to build an economy for the other nine months. A group of harbour towns has joined a scheme to keep ferries, cafés and workshops open through winter, with shared marketing and a seasonal loan fund.
Winter as an offer
The pitch is unglamorous and specific: a ferry on Tuesdays, a repair café on Fridays, a weekend of storm-watching with a hot meal. Organisers say bookings are small but steady, and they are spread across the year instead of squeezed into August.
Critics worry that the model leans on volunteers and subsidy. Supporters reply that a town which is alive in February is a better place to live in July. For the people who stay, that matters more than the season’s takings.
