Are Britain's seaside towns crying out for a revamp?

[AB Asks]

For many of the younger generation, Britain's seaside towns have been playing second fiddle to modern, sunnier foreign resorts and it seems that this decline has had wider consequences. Reports say that poor housing and excess pressure on social services is stretching many places. Influxes of elderly people have further highlighted the problems and tourism is apparently no longer enough. Should Britain's seaside towns accept that diversification away from tourism is the future? Or should the government work to revamp the seaside towns and encourage the British people to take their holidays here?

[Champagne]

I don't think it's a case of the glorious seaside resort being a thing of the past, but there are so many other parts of Britain which have now invested in their tourism industry that people simply have more choice these days. Also most people can afford to holiday abroad these days, so the likes of Butlins or Pontins near the sea just don't have the same appeal anymore. A week at, say, Bognor Regis is very much dependant on the weather, and we all know how reliable that is! Most beaches are easily accessible to most, so on a hot day everyone will flood to the coast.

So I guess I'm saying that investment should be made on these seaside resorts, but in order to modernise and add to the natural beauty of these towns.

Hastings, for example, is extremely dated, and although it is quirky and has tonnes of character, it's just not a nice place to live and therefore not a nice place to visit. But then just 10 minutes up the road you have Eastbourne, which has recently invested in a large property development around the marina area which is absolutely stunning! Property prices are cheap compared to South-East England prices and are now attracting southerners buying holiday homes in the UK.

[Le Chat]

I live in Southport and I am it's biggest fan. It really is a great place to live. There are excellent restaurants, great bars and fantastic shops, a great theatre and generally alot going on. There are also an array of fine hotels and loads of B&B's.
However, if I were not a resident of Southport, I would definitely not come here for my annual holiday!
Firstly, the weather - unless it is cracking the flags, then anywhere will be gloomy. Secondly, the beach is a disgusting mess! The council have allowed it to be overtaken with grass, moss and general slime, so you would not wish to sit on it! Also, the water is a murky colour and I would not want to dab even my little toe in it! There is dog muck all over the place too.
There is a large population of OAP's but they are quite entitled to live in Southport as they make a great contribution, along with anyone else who resides here.
Unfortunately, the fun fair has now gone, which attracted a lot of tourists.
Above all though, the number one problem in Southport is parking. There are not enough car parks and the place is full of pay and display, which only allows you to stop for 2 hours. Any tourist would be horrified to only be able to stay for 2 hours! Added to this, is that the streets are littered with parking attendants, who are absolutely zealous in their approach. 5 minutes late back to the car and you're hit with a ticket.
So, in answer to the question .... if the town's own council doesn't want to encourage people to come here, then I can't think why the govt, should !!

[Gromit]

As the poet Morrissey wrote:

Everyday Is Like Sunday
Trudging slowly over wet sand
Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen
This is the coastal town
That they forgot to close down
Armageddon - come Armageddon!
Come, Armageddon! Come!
Everyday is like Sunday
Everyday is silent and grey
Hide on the promenade
Etch a postcard :
"How I Dearly Wish I Was Not Here"
In the seaside town
...that they forgot to bomb
Come, Come, Come - nuclear bomb
Everyday is like Sunday

Went to Rhyl last year and couldn't get this lyric out of my head.

[kwicky]

I think most of Britains coastal towns are now being used as Gods waiting rooms for the elderly.

[pianoman81]

agree with kwicky to be honest-
seasides in uk are ok if you have a few hours to kill one day in the summer - but for an annual holiday-eeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww.

but the fact is they cannot compare with abroad where they actually take care of their beaches-

blackpool and weston s mare say it all really.

[Bloomstiles]

Many resorts are booming. Look at the Devon and Cornwall coast or my particular favourite North Norfolk.
However, the glory days of the blue collar resorts such as Blackpool, and Skegnes are over. They were built with mass tourism in mind. Thousands of people arriving by coach and train every Saturday in the summer, to stay in a B&B.
Weve all gotten posher and more sophisticated in our tastes, and wish to be seen as individuals. Look at the decline in the package holiday. Were all doing it our self because the package looks less exclusive.

[sandbach99]

Last year due to job worries some friends decided to holiday in North West Wales instead of the usual Spain much to their childrens disgust.

Some activities cost money, like seeing electic made, going round a castle, down a slate mine and the old style fairground, but many things were free, getting lost on a country lane no houses in sight and grass growing in the centre of the road and a wise old owl watching from a dead tree branch. Or going crabbing from the pier or srabbling over rocks to find what was left behind in the rock pools and swimming from a very shallow beach. Seeing the Ospreys in flight and feeding their young on camera

A foreign language with a translation, good food not chips with everything, ice cream to die for and most of all children doing things with parents.

This year money worries gone the children were asked Spain or Wales. Wales won, asked why, more to do, more fun. Yes certain parts are best avoided but most of the British Isles give children and adults wonderful holidays.

I'm not sure it's the old that have changed seaside towns, it's the people buying holiday homes they hardly use.

[shaneystar2]

I live in a small Edwardian style seaside town in Norfolk sandwiched between two bigger and better known ones and grew up here as child and have now come back here after many years absence to retire ....or wait for God as Kwicky says !
When I was growing up here in the fifties my Mum used to do B&B and she was booked up all summer year after year..now all you see is vacancy signs in the windows.
Years ago a lot of the factories and places like the steel works etc shut down for a fortnight in the summer and people would come on holiday.
The bigger town over the bridge has been given a grant for regeneration but us folks down the road don't see any of it and they spend it on what amounts to hare brained schemes in my opinion.There is no infrastructure and getting in and out of the town is a logistical nightmare.Parking is an expensive nightmare and travelling to some of these seaside resorts by train is more expensive than a flight to Majorca.Plus if and when they do get here it's not cheap .Eating out and so on .For families with young children it must be horrendously expensive for them especially if the weather is bad and they have to keep them amused. And the rain always seems wetter at the seaside ! So a package holiday with more or less guaranteed sunshine and three square a day must seem more attractive.
I like living here but I wouldn't want to spend my holidays here !

[youngmafbog]

Kwicki and pianoman81, I see you have not been to Bournemouth lately then?

Here we have massive problem with infux of imigrants and a 'thriving' night life where you can drink yourself stupid and fight until the wee hours of the morning.

Those dammed pensioners!!

[TheBaron]

I live in blackpool and I can say that the place is just the pits. All it is now is a stag and hen place and cheap dossy hotels for lager louts to come and spend a cheap weekend. the majority of the time you feel like you�re the stranger in your own town. Its full of litter, the beaches are empty and dirty and the whole place is just so dated. Recently the council are at least trying to vamp certain areas of the town up but on the whole it would take a long time to restore our �great� town to its former glory, something I personally would like to see. Back to being a place for family�s rather than passers through who use it as a toilet.

[garner]

our family find it much cheaper to go abroard ,sun,happy people,reasonable prices,different cultures and food.,nice surroundings ect ect ect

[pianoman81]

youngmafbog-
na dont fancy bournemouth- ive seen weston and blackpool- its put me off uk beaches for life -
shame but fact.

similar to the feeling of the beachgoers in the 1975 hit movie jaws.