Everyone goes to the seaside in August. Crowds, sunburn, queues for everything. The wise go in January. Whitstable in winter is all rattling shingle and woodsmoke from the oyster huts. The pubs are warm, the locals are friendly, and you can have the harbour wall to yourself. Tenby pulls off the same trick. Pastel houses, deserted beaches, and a Welsh wind that puts roses in your cheeks within minutes. Aldeburgh, Whitby, St Ives, Cromer. Pick any of them, book a B&B with a sea view, and walk until your legs ache. Then eat fish and chips out of the paper, sat on a bench, with the gulls eyeing your batter. There is something properly restorative about the British coast in winter. Bring a thick coat, a good book, and an empty schedule. The sea will do the therapy.