My Britain: Great Yarmouth
Perhaps Norfolk's most famous seaside resort, Great Yarmouth has been welcoming seekers of sun and fun since the 1800s, when the opening of the railway and its two piers marked it out as an ideal holiday spot for Victorians seeking the fresh sea air.
Today, it's the Pleasure Beach, Sealife Centre, Hippodrome Circus, Winter Garden and warm community spirit that tempts visitors back every summer. Not to mention its 15 miles of sandy beaches, variety of eateries and traditional seaside accommodation.
Great Yarmouth has so inspired its visitors over the years that it's appeared in a number of literary works, perhaps most famously as the setting for Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. And for those sick of the seascape, the town borders with the Norfolk Broads. A national park since 1988, the Broads are known for their wide open skies, rolling hills and plethora of wildlife, including common harbour and grey seals.
We spoke to two lifelong residents of
Great Yarmouth, who are also fundamental players in the town's tourism industry, for an insight into what makes the seaside spot so beloved by locals and visitors alike.
I was born in the James Paget Hospital and have many fond childhood memories living in the Great Yarmouth area. The thing I love the most about Great Yarmouth is the beach and the sea. I love walking my dogs on the beach, with the sun beaming down on the sea. It's very peaceful. I hold a great deal of pride being from Great Yarmouth, as the town has an enormous amount of history and my family's roots here go all the way back to the 1950s. The spirit of Great Yarmouth, especially during the spring, summer and autumn, is a very vibrant one with smiling faces covered in ice cream and sugar from the those round things with the hole in the middle.
I think people's preconceptions of Great Yarmouth are mostly really good because they've got lovely childhood memories of coming on holiday here. On the other hand, I have heard some people with the view that Yarmouth is a run-down, somewhat deprived area of East Anglia's coastline. It frustrates me when people have that view, as the town has improved so much, especially in the last few years. I think with the considerable amount of funds being invested in the area, it'll continue to improve and surprise many people who perhaps previously held an unfavourable opinion of the town. By people coming here and seeing what we have to offer now, I believe we would overturn many of those more negative preconceptions.
The Pleasure Beach is a family-run business based at the south end of Great Yarmouth's golden mile seafront. It's a special part of the town as it holds so many happy memories for families over the generations. You see grandparents bringing their grandchildren to us, and years prior to that day, their grandparents would've brought them along as children. It's a special place with lots of traditional fairground rides, but we also believe that it's very important for us to keep bringing some newer rides in, to keep the place looking fresh and cater to all audiences. Everyone knows how special the Scenic Railway is and this year marks the 90-year anniversary of the ride being in the location it still sits in today.
My favourite spot in Great Yarmouth is the area of sandy beach directly opposite Barnard Bridge. My grandparents lived in the house on the corner facing the sea, and I spent a lot of time on that area of the beach as a kid. It's a special place for me.