I took this photograph of the vandalised shelter at Preston Sands because of the stark contrast it presents against the elegance and optimism of the Victorian seaside era. The beach shelters were designed as graceful refuges for leisure, health, and respectability by the sea. Along promenades like this, Victorian shelters once symbolised order, craftsmanship and the belief in the seaside as a place of wellbeing and escape. The marks of vandalism on this structure stands in sharp contrast to that past, telling a quieter, more reflective story about how our relationship with public coastal spaces has changed over time. This image contrasts a moment where history, decay and modern reality intersect along Devon’s shoreline.