Gordon Brown 'to holiday in Chelsea-on-Sea'

The picturesque hamlet landed its nickname because it is a favoured 'bucket and spade' destination for affluent families from London.

Picturesque: The village green at Walberswick on the Suffolk coast where Gordon Brown is set to holiday with friends

Summer fun: Gordon Brown on holiday in Dorset last year

Chief Whip Geoff Hoon, Notting Hill writer Richard Curtis and his broadcaster wife
Emma Freud, and the actor David Morrissey have holiday homes there.

Last week it was reported that Mr Brown would be spending his holidays in nearby Southwold, but Walberswick locals believe their more rarified area is the real destination.

They are also quick to point out he should enjoy the village while he can as the
Environment Agency has decided to abandon its expensive coastal defences.

Mr Curtis and his wife spend weekends and holidays in Ms Freud's old family home, an 18th Century, cream-painted detached house in the centre of the village.

Next door is the home of Ms Freud's author cousin Esther Freud and her husband David Morrissey.

Mr Hoon owns a Sixties-style detached home in a cul-de-sac near the Curtis house.

The village boasts two pubs, an art gallery, two tea rooms and two gift shops.

When Emma Freud was asked if she knew anything about Mr Brown's holiday plans, she said: 'I don't want to talk about anything at all, thank you very much.'