As a child my summer holidays would be to exotic places like Bridlington, Scarborough, Cleethorpes or Whitby. If I’d lived on the other side of the Pennines I’d probably have taken in the delights of places like Morecambe or Blackpool. That was in the 1970s and 80s. My dad was a steelworker and he’d get the usual 2 weeks off in Summer as the steel works shut down for the summer holiday. We thought it was extremely adventurous (and expensive) to travel to Spain or France for a holiday and so never did that. This was the end of the heyday of the British holiday resorts – a time when holidaying abroad became easier and cheaper and of course you could almost guarantee the weather!
Since then many of our coastal towns have gone into decline and many have significant social and economic problems.
As Brexit uncertainty hits and climate change appears to be making the British climate a little warmer, British based holidays may be becoming more popular. I am a big advocate of Britain as a holiday destination. We have some absolutely stunning parts of the country, coastal and inland, which are perfect for a weekend get away or a weeks holiday with the family.
Last weekend I visited two British coastal towns, less than 20 miles apart but light years apart in look and feel. Rhyl is a town in north Wales that appears well past its heyday and one of the most deprived towns in the UK. There are signs of regeneration there but I’m not sure it will ever get back to its hey day again.
Twenty miles further east is the town of Llandudno – quite a different type of resort. To me this brought back memories of times spent with my mum and dad on the East coast. It is North Wales’ most popular holiday destination for a reason. Its lovely grand Victorian promenade, its pier full of amusements, shell food stalls, tacky shops – just like the seafronts I remember as a child. There is even a Punch and Judy show, the material so un-PC to be hilarious. Llandudno is the sort of place that made me feel like I’d regressed to my childhood – the smell of the sea air, the tacky shops, the amusements, the buildings, the pier, the sandy beach. It was even sunny. Llandudno is what old fashioned British seaside holidays used to be and, at their best, still are. I love it and if you want to experience the British coast in all its glory, visit Llandudno.
The View from Pengeston 