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the traditional summer holiday
lemonjelly
Posts: 8,014 Forumite
Whilst I haven't had a proper holiday in 10 years, I decided this year to go on some day trips or something. Have a little fun & a break. This all stemmed from me realising a year ago I hadn't seen the sea for almost 10 years!
So, since the kids broke up from school, I've visited Torquay, Paignton, Caenarfon, Beaumaris & Rhyl. It's a proper lemonjelly UK tour!:D
However, a few things stood out.
First, I heard a lot of foreign languages. Now that isn't because they wor speakin Black country, but they were not speaking english. Virtually all the voices of the visitors I heard were foreign.
Are the british not going on holiday in the UK anymore?
Second, I recall as a child that in the evenings the towns & seafronts were teaming with life. They weren't this time. In fact, Rhyl had shut up shop by 5pm! I have since heard the town has a bad rep for drugs etc, & I can see there is a need for regeneration, however for the entire town to be shut & deserted by 5? Come on!
I went onto a number of beaches. There was a much smaller number of people about. I remember beaches being crammed. Some beaches were almost deserted!
Now, the kids have broken up. For seaside towns, this is the busiest time of year isn't it? So what is going on? Where is everyone? I didn't see holidaymakers. I didn't see daytrippers. Where are you all? Is everyone on t'internet all the time instead?
Am I mis-remembering?
Is foreign travel meaning everyone is going abroad?
Is the recession so bad that almost no-one is on holiday?
Has our tourist industry died?
Has the great british seaside holiday died?:(
I only wanted to have a nice paddle & that on the beach, but I really am wondering now what happened?
All feedback welcome!
So, since the kids broke up from school, I've visited Torquay, Paignton, Caenarfon, Beaumaris & Rhyl. It's a proper lemonjelly UK tour!:D
However, a few things stood out.
First, I heard a lot of foreign languages. Now that isn't because they wor speakin Black country, but they were not speaking english. Virtually all the voices of the visitors I heard were foreign.
Are the british not going on holiday in the UK anymore?
Second, I recall as a child that in the evenings the towns & seafronts were teaming with life. They weren't this time. In fact, Rhyl had shut up shop by 5pm! I have since heard the town has a bad rep for drugs etc, & I can see there is a need for regeneration, however for the entire town to be shut & deserted by 5? Come on!
I went onto a number of beaches. There was a much smaller number of people about. I remember beaches being crammed. Some beaches were almost deserted!
Now, the kids have broken up. For seaside towns, this is the busiest time of year isn't it? So what is going on? Where is everyone? I didn't see holidaymakers. I didn't see daytrippers. Where are you all? Is everyone on t'internet all the time instead?
Am I mis-remembering?
Is foreign travel meaning everyone is going abroad?
Is the recession so bad that almost no-one is on holiday?
Has our tourist industry died?
Has the great british seaside holiday died?:(
I only wanted to have a nice paddle & that on the beach, but I really am wondering now what happened?
All feedback welcome!
It's getting harder & harder to keep the government in the manner to which they have become accustomed.
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Comments
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We do our bit in the SW every summer for the British seaside holiday!...much enquiry having been made concerning a gentleman, who had quitted a company where Johnson was, and no information being obtained; at last Johnson observed, that 'he did not care to speak ill of any man behind his back, but he believed the gentleman was an attorney'.0
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This all stemmed from me realising a year ago I hadn't seen the sea for almost 10 years!
Strangely, you are (supposedly) never more than 75 miles from the sea in the UK, which means you haven't been very far in a straight direction for a very long time!
Mind you, I have no idea if the 75 mile figure is true.Virtually all the voices of the visitors I heard were foreign.
I don't know about seaside towns in particular, but the UK is a huge tourist market, one of the top globally, which we often forget about. Also with the pound now so weak a lot of foreigners are taking the chance to visit when it has been so pricey over recent years.Second, I recall as a child that in the evenings the towns & seafronts were teaming with life.
Most touristy seaside towns, particularly the 'old-fashioned' ones, are really pretty grim and have been for as long as I can remember. There are plenty of nice places near the sea too, but they tend to be less 'resorts' and more places with either real economies or genuinely quite rural and unspoilt. The places with the early C20th infrastructure are on their last legs.Has the great british seaside holiday died?
Yes. Why would I not fly to france for guaranteed weather at a price that is, frankly, cheaper than a UK train ticket?
I actually do go to the South coast myself to a really nice beach somtimes, but it was never a resort, just a beach, near a town that has jobs (mostly around yachting and so on), links to London and was never a 'great british' holiday style location.0 -
When I was a kid we had dozens of holiday camps in our town let alone the whole Torbay area. Only 3 small ones left now.
OK you were basicly staying in a shed but they were full all summer long.
One camp (now a mixture of luxury appartments next to HA shoe boxes) had a beach below it with cafe, boats for hire, deckchairs etc. All gone now. More beautiful without it IMHO but 20 or so jobs no longer there.
I think people expect more sophistication than we have to offer these days, we just haven't kept up with elsewhere.
Went to Agatha Christies house the other day full up with Yanks and ofcause the plumby voiced people that show you around.
We do tend to attract more of the blue rinse brigade these days. Sorry LJ
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Most people I talk to are having 'staycations', so maybe they are not jetting off somewhere, but just havent ventured near the seaside?
We are lucky over here as we have Norfolk beaches 20mins drive away so not really worth staying in the local vacinity....0 -
princeofpounds wrote: »Most touristy seaside towns, particularly the 'old-fashioned' ones, are really pretty grim and have been for as long as I can remember. ......The places with the early C20th infrastructure are on their last legs.
Definately agree with that. The only town that still seems to have a critical mass about it is Blackpool and even that is still in a long slow decline.
Its a shame, I have such fond memories as a child of Rhyl, Scarborough, Whitby, Blackppol etc but now whenever I visit these places it saddens me.0 -
As a child we used to go on day trips to Greatstone and Camber Sands - both still great fun...much enquiry having been made concerning a gentleman, who had quitted a company where Johnson was, and no information being obtained; at last Johnson observed, that 'he did not care to speak ill of any man behind his back, but he believed the gentleman was an attorney'.0
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I regulary pop to barmouth, Caenarfon & pwhelli. I think places like that still seem to be doing great, no empty shops (Caenarfon had a few in april not sure now) really etc.
But the more traditional holiday places like rhyl, blackpool etc are a bit rough now.
But like you said you did day trips also, I think people are more likely to go to blackpool etc for a few days now not a full week.
I think people now want to get away from the rat race. so places which are big towns or near big towns are not doing so well.
my take on it anyway.0 -
The fact that beaches are an hour to an hour and a half away means that you can visit them as day trips during your staycation.Most people I talk to are having 'staycations', so maybe they are not jetting off somewhere, but just havent ventured near the seaside?
But to be honest most people I know do as I do and go down to a beach on a weekend day or a day off work, and spend their stay cations exploring the local area.I'm not cynical I'm realistic
(If a link I give opens pop ups I won't know I don't use windows)0 -
neverdespairgirl wrote: »As a child we used to go on day trips to Greatstone and Camber Sands - both still great fun
Rye is much nicer, although the sea has long gone. Camber beach is still ok but not as sandy as it use to be due to shingle drifting.
Still find plenty of coins and jewellry on the beach with a metal detector.
Money saving at its best. 0 -
There are nice beaches near Rye, too....much enquiry having been made concerning a gentleman, who had quitted a company where Johnson was, and no information being obtained; at last Johnson observed, that 'he did not care to speak ill of any man behind his back, but he believed the gentleman was an attorney'.0
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