I have always been drawn to Great Yarmouth - mainly due to some good memories from childhood and the fact that many of my ancestors come from the town.
But any visit to the place will show what a mixture it is of the good, the bad and the ugly and I can never work out whether there is more of the good or more of the bad and ugly. Certainly the whole place seems to need a clean-up and I believe there is news of a regeneration.
It was a cold day so most people stayed away from the seafront and radiated around the market place and Regent Road. Trying to describe Regent Road is an art form in itself. Full of rock shops (that's rock as in the sweets with Great Yarmouth written through them as opposed to rock music), cheap CD shops playing grotesque country music and cheap restaurants. Sadly the House of Wax seems to be empty and falling to bits. It gained notoriety when it was voted "the worst waxworks in the country" by a national newspaper. Apparently there was little competition as Cliff Richard had once been mistaken for Margaret Thatcher - that's how bad it was.
We took the grandchildren because they love the place. So lets look at the good:
But all that is balanced by the bad and the ugly which include
Those are just some of the bad points. There are many more. But for now we had a good day. Joyland is fun with its rides suitable for very young children (the snails have provided entertainment for generations of our family - myself as a child, our own children and now our grandchildren).
I will write much more about Great Yarmouth in future blog entries.
But any visit to the place will show what a mixture it is of the good, the bad and the ugly and I can never work out whether there is more of the good or more of the bad and ugly. Certainly the whole place seems to need a clean-up and I believe there is news of a regeneration.
It was a cold day so most people stayed away from the seafront and radiated around the market place and Regent Road. Trying to describe Regent Road is an art form in itself. Full of rock shops (that's rock as in the sweets with Great Yarmouth written through them as opposed to rock music), cheap CD shops playing grotesque country music and cheap restaurants. Sadly the House of Wax seems to be empty and falling to bits. It gained notoriety when it was voted "the worst waxworks in the country" by a national newspaper. Apparently there was little competition as Cliff Richard had once been mistaken for Margaret Thatcher - that's how bad it was.
We took the grandchildren because they love the place. So lets look at the good:
- There's always something to do there
- Kids love it
- It has a very strong history as a fishing port of importance
- The market has the best chips imaginable
- The Tide and Time Museum is excellent
- It has an extremely good hippodrome circus which has a national reputation.
- There's plenty of car parking (at a price), although there's plenty of off street parking if you don't mind a walk.
But all that is balanced by the bad and the ugly which include
- Dilapidated and run down buildings
- A rundown sea front that seems to be wrestling with its identity.
- Some seriously awful flats and apartments
- Some of the most rundown areas in the entire country
- Picturesque Winter Gardens on the front which are just being allowed to go fall apart
Those are just some of the bad points. There are many more. But for now we had a good day. Joyland is fun with its rides suitable for very young children (the snails have provided entertainment for generations of our family - myself as a child, our own children and now our grandchildren).
I will write much more about Great Yarmouth in future blog entries.