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Salty cones of chips, the smell of the sea, children laughing and screaming in the water, the tinny music from the merry-go-round.
These are core elements of any trip to a British seaside resort, and the town of Skegness on the Lincolnshire coast is no exception.
It’s also no exception to the trend of decline over decades, as air travel became more accessible and holidaymakers started going abroad instead of staying at home.
More recently, the tourism industry was hit by the coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdowns, followed not long after by the cost of living crisis and rising inflation.
Despite that, staycations are having a bit of a moment, and coastal towns like Skegness will no doubt want to make the most of it – but years of decline have taken a toll on Britain’s seaside hotspots.
Millions of pounds have been pledged to fund various developments in the town, the latest of which is a £23 million project by East Midlands Railway to improve its trains.
These new Class 170 trains should provide a more comfortable way to travel to and from Skegness – but will holidaymakers enjoy what they find once they arrive?
Justin Tai moved to Skegness not long after the Covid-19 lockdown, and currently works as an entertainer at the town’s aquarium.
Before that he worked at Disneyland Paris for 20 years, meaning he knows a thing or two about keeping the kids happy while on holiday.
While he hasn’t lived in the area long enough to have witnessed long-term changes, he said there are ‘lots of little projects’ on the go right now which are improving the town.
A new Travelodge is being built right by the aquarium, and the Embassy Theatre, which has been open since 1926, is getting a major makeover due to be completed this month.
Justin, 43, told Metro: ‘Skegness definitely needs a lot more trains bringing people in, and the train station is quite small, so we definitely want more people coming in.
‘A lot of the accommodation needs to be a bit better. There are some lovely places, the Savoy is very nice, but I think we need nice places for people to stay in.’
One of the major drawbacks for Skegness is that it is very seasonal, with most of its businesses and attractions winding down considerably or closing completely outside of the summer months.
‘Living here is very difficult off-season, wages go down but rents are going up,’ Justin said.
‘If only there were enough going on during the rest of the year to keep it open – people here are astonished when I tell them Disneyland Paris doesn’t close for winter, it’s open every day of the year.
‘Maybe the people who have lived here for so long think that’s the way to do things and they won’t change, but I think more people coming in and more stuff going on would improve things.
‘I think it’s on the up because they’re doing work towards making things better. A lot of places struggled after Covid but there seems to be a positive attitude.’
One thing Justin would like to see in Skegness is a gay bar, after the area’s first pride event, East Coast Pride, was held last year – and would prefer to see more live entertainment over arcades.
It doesn’t help that Skegness has a bit of a rubbish reputation, being ranked bottom in Which? Magazine’s 2023 poll of Britain’s seaside resorts.
The town was given low scores for its scenery and noise levels, and two stars for its food and drink, shopping and attractions.
But there is now more for families to do along the seafront, with the Fairy Dell paddling pool providing a safe place for young children to explore the water, for example. It’s free to visit and was refurbished last year, Justin said.
Other free attractions include The Village Church Farm, which is Lincolnshire’s only open air museum and takes visitors back in time to see agricultural life through the ages.
The water quality at Skegness is classified by the Environment Agency as excellent, the highest possible rating, and has been since 2021 – if you’re brave enough to get in the chilly English sea.
But what does Justin really think of Skegness – and what would he say to convince someone to visit?
‘I honestly think it’s a lovely seaside town,’ he said.
‘It’s got a very lovely sandy beach, there’s lots of stuff to do even if it’s raining, and there are lots of places to visit like the nature reserve for walks.
‘There are plenty of nice drinking holes with live music and entertainment.
‘I would say give it a go and have some cocktails in Olivia’s with me.’
Ups and downs, mostly downs: my teenage trips to Skegness
Growing up in the middle of rural Lincolnshire there weren’t many options for entertainment, so as soon as I was old enough I would take the rickety train to Skegness with friends.
The ticket was cheap, and I’ve always loved the seaside, even if I’d never swim in the sea – too cold for me!
I have fond, sweaty memories of being crammed onto the train, standing room early, on one of the rare British summer days where we actually had sunshine.
It would be so busy the ticket inspector couldn’t make their rounds through the carriages – let’s hope I’m no longer on the hook for fare evasion.
But while Skegvegas offered a change of scenery, there wasn’t actually all that much to do if you were a skint teenager.
We’d hang out on the beach and play tinny music on our phones, yes, spending our meagre cash on dinky doughnuts or a cone of chips.
But I never had the money to go to the amusement arcades or theme parks – although I do have fond memories of visiting the seal sanctuary many times.
I understand I wasn’t the target market for Skeg back then – they were focusing on families with young kids, or older nostalgia-driven day-trippers, with a bit more cash in their pockets.
But I could clearly see that the town was looking rough around the edges back in the late 2000s and early 2010s. I fear things haven’t got much better since then.
Getting people to Skegness on a more pleasant train journey will no doubt be a boost for the local economy – but if cash isn’t spent bringing the town up to date, visitors will have no reason to return.
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