A COUPLE who switched from bustling town life to the north Essex coastline have been singing its praises on a national TV show.

Cynthia King and her husband Ronald say the decision to move to Clacton is the ‘best thing they have ever done’.

Mrs King, 59, moved to the seaside town from Berkshire in 2019.

The couple appeared on an episode of Tonight on ITV to discuss why they decided to make the move.

Cynthia said: “The episode we were on was about the price of property in the UK.

“We saw a call out ITV did and applied to be on the show the episode focused on people moving from areas like London and Berkshire to coastal towns because it is cheaper.

Gazette:

“My husband and I moved from Bracknell in Berkshire for a number of reasons, costs, health and lifestyle.”

Cynthia is originally from the Philippines and moved to the UK when she was 23.

She has been married to Ronald for 37 years.

They lived in a three-storey town house in Bracknell where they raised their daughter, who now lives in Braintree.

Ronald, who is retired, has heart issues and had a heart bypass surgery a few years ago where he was fitted with a pacemaker.

Cynthia added: “The atmosphere in Clacton has really helped him, the town has a great seaside breeze.

“We searched for a long time in places like Eastbourne and Bournemouth but couldn’t find an affordable home.

“Clacton is the best of both worlds and our daughter lives in Braintree so we can see her more often.”

Cynthia is a support worker and says the role has allowed her to connect with the Clacton community.

She said: “The girls I work with are younger than me but they are so nice.

“My first job here was in a nursing home, we worked throughout the pandemic.

“I was also surprised to meet a lot of Filipino people here, usually nurses that work in Colchester Hospital.

“The people here are great and the town has an unfair reputation, moving here was the best thing we’ve ever done.”

You can catch the Tonight episode on ITV hub now.