Escape to the country

ToneControl

MrTee said:

ToneControl said:

was looking at dirt cheap 8 and 12 bed hotels near the seafront in Rhyl
£240k, £260k
Lots of big houses cheap there

I wonder if Rhyl will pickup demographically in the future

I can remember considering Hastings in the 90s, but Mrs thought it was too grotty and run down, AFAIK that is very different now

They are/were throwing quite a bit of funding at developing the sea front in Rhyl with some work done already, so the pickup has been planned, although I'm sure covid has dumped all over that . If staycataions and the buzz of seeing the 'im a celebrity castle' get the tourists in though it may continue once things pick up. I suppose it'll always be Rhyl though, which is a tough sell

I need to look more widely too, just the prices were the cheapest in Rhyl

Snap

ToneControl said:

was looking at dirt cheap 8 and 12 bed hotels near the seafront in Rhyl
£240k, £260k
Lots of big houses cheap there

I wonder if Rhyl will pickup demographically in the future

I very much doubt it. A bit like Blackpool (correctly known locally as Cesspool), some places are destined to be eternal shitholes.

Iamnobody

I knew someone who went to Hastings for work reasons. He wasn’t impressed - said it was full of mutants. Gimme 6!

ToneControl

Snap said:

ToneControl said:

was looking at dirt cheap 8 and 12 bed hotels near the seafront in Rhyl
£240k, £260k
Lots of big houses cheap there

I wonder if Rhyl will pickup demographically in the future

I very much doubt it. A bit like Blackpool (correctly known locally as Cesspool), some places are destined to be eternal shitholes.

things can change
some poor parts of Manchester are now expensive

if people who WFH want to live on the coast, things might change

Kittyfrisk

Co-incidentally  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54986071

Dominic

It's funny the comments about Hastings........don't know much about it but it is a strange phenomena the way that the entire Coastal fringe of the Country has become a collection of terribly run down and forgotten Seaside Towns . There are exceptions in the "posh" vacation spots of places like Salcombe in Devon or similar in Cornwall ( The Chelsea -on-Sea locations which seem to attract Celebrity Chefs ! ).
 However ,even the upmarket locations of yesteryear like Torquay,Bournemouth etc have become festering holes of druggies,abandoned Guest Houses,burnt-out and squatted old Hotels and graffiti riddled bus stops . On the East side of the country most children are parents themselves by the age of 14 in these locations as there is a terrible lack of work ,social opportunity and poor education .A fleeting visit to Jaywick or Clacton will confirm this which is strange because they are relatively commutable to London or Chelmsford where there are emplyment opportunities . I think there is a certain mindset .
  I think France and Belgium ,Germany and Poland all have the same phenomena with Seaside Towns and Port Towns .

Danny1969

I lived in Portsmouth for years, which has a massive population crammed onto a small island. When I was a teenager it was fun with all the clubs and stuff but when you get older it's nice to get away from the city. Just moving 10 miles away changed everything with a much more relaxed style of life but I'm still only 10 miles from the beach, 3 miles from the beautiful countryside and 2 miles from a super hospital. I imagine there's loads of places just outside cities the same on the coast. 

ToneControl

Dominic said:

It's funny the comments about Hastings........don't know much about it but it is a strange phenomena the way that the entire Coastal fringe of the Country has become a collection of terribly run down and forgotten Seaside Towns . There are exceptions in the "posh" vacation spots of places like Salcombe in Devon or similar in Cornwall ( The Chelsea -on-Sea locations which seem to attract Celebrity Chefs ! ).
 However ,even the upmarket locations of yesteryear like Torquay,Bournemouth etc have become festering holes of druggies,abandoned Guest Houses,burnt-out and squatted old Hotels and graffiti riddled bus stops . On the East side of the country most children are parents themselves by the age of 14 in these locations as there is a terrible lack of work ,social opportunity and poor education .A fleeting visit to Jaywick or Clacton will confirm this which is strange because they are relatively commutable to London or Chelmsford where there are emplyment opportunities . I think there is a certain mindset .
  I think France and Belgium ,Germany and Poland all have the same phenomena with Seaside Towns and Port Towns .

near where I live the upmarket resorts tend to be ones developed more recently, the older resort towns being left behind for the poorest incomers since the 70s

zepp76

Dominic said:

It's funny the comments about Hastings........don't know much about it but it is a strange phenomena the way that the entire Coastal fringe of the Country has become a collection of terribly run down and forgotten Seaside Towns . There are exceptions in the "posh" vacation spots of places like Salcombe in Devon or similar in Cornwall ( The Chelsea -on-Sea locations which seem to attract Celebrity Chefs ! ).
 However ,even the upmarket locations of yesteryear like Torquay,Bournemouth etc have become festering holes of druggies,abandoned Guest Houses,burnt-out and squatted old Hotels and graffiti riddled bus stops . On the East side of the country most children are parents themselves by the age of 14 in these locations as there is a terrible lack of work ,social opportunity and poor education .A fleeting visit to Jaywick or Clacton will confirm this which is strange because they are relatively commutable to London or Chelmsford where there are emplyment opportunities . I think there is a certain mindset .
  I think France and Belgium ,Germany and Poland all have the same phenomena with Seaside Towns and Port Towns .

And the oddest thing about the druggie problem in Torquay is that the vast majority of them seem to come from Liverpool or at least have Liverpudlian accents, what’s that all about then?! (This is by no means a slight on the good people of Liverpool, just an observation)

ToneControl

zepp76 said:

Dominic said:

It's funny the comments about Hastings........don't know much about it but it is a strange phenomena the way that the entire Coastal fringe of the Country has become a collection of terribly run down and forgotten Seaside Towns . There are exceptions in the "posh" vacation spots of places like Salcombe in Devon or similar in Cornwall ( The Chelsea -on-Sea locations which seem to attract Celebrity Chefs ! ).
 However ,even the upmarket locations of yesteryear like Torquay,Bournemouth etc have become festering holes of druggies,abandoned Guest Houses,burnt-out and squatted old Hotels and graffiti riddled bus stops . On the East side of the country most children are parents themselves by the age of 14 in these locations as there is a terrible lack of work ,social opportunity and poor education .A fleeting visit to Jaywick or Clacton will confirm this which is strange because they are relatively commutable to London or Chelmsford where there are emplyment opportunities . I think there is a certain mindset .
  I think France and Belgium ,Germany and Poland all have the same phenomena with Seaside Towns and Port Towns .

And the oddest thing about the druggie problem in Torquay is that the vast majority of them seem to come from Liverpool or at least have Liverpudlian accents, what’s that all about then?! (This is by no means a slight on the good people of Liverpool, just an observation)

these lovely locations could all become very popular though for those who want a less urban life and can WFH in 10-20 years

I researched a lot of them 20+ years ago and could find no well-paid jobs nearby, that constraint is disappearing very very quickly

Just imagine: Sell up mortgaged house in Manchester, move to Torquay or Southport, move into same size house with zero mortgage, but keep same job, be able to walk the dog on the beach every day, etc

Snap

ToneControl said:

Snap said:

ToneControl said:

was looking at dirt cheap 8 and 12 bed hotels near the seafront in Rhyl
£240k, £260k
Lots of big houses cheap there

I wonder if Rhyl will pickup demographically in the future

I very much doubt it. A bit like Blackpool (correctly known locally as Cesspool), some places are destined to be eternal shitholes.

things can change
some poor parts of Manchester are now expensive

if people who WFH want to live on the coast, things might change

Hmm, can you ever see Blackpool being gentrified?? Really? I mean it's not impossible, true. I have many memories as a kid going in the sea at Blackpool, dodging the turds, tampons and condoms, and coming out covered in oil and sewage. Today, and quite amazingly it's got a Blue Flag. Not sure I'd go in the water though, scarred for life. 

I grew up 25 miles from Blackpool, it's always been scummy and rough, can't see that changing in my lifetime really.

Gentrification of Manchester is a very different thing. For a start, Manchester has an underlying big and varied economy, and it's an interesting place, with lots to do. Even when it was rough and gritty, as recently as the 80s and early 90s, there was still a very big draw to go to the city. The music scene and nightlife alone. 

boogieman

Seaside towns got the death knell when foreign travel and particularly package holidays got cheaper than holidaying at home. Add in the transient nature of seaside resort employment and you’re bound to get trouble... the staff work for peanuts, so have no spending power, and have no investment in the local community. Once the town starts circling the drain, property prices drop through the floor, attracting lower income people. Rinse repeat.

Our move to the country got one step closer yesterday as we finally exchanged on the sale of our place. Should be moving to a little Kent village soon... even before Xmas with a bit of luck. Can’t wait. 

ToneControl

Snap said:

ToneControl said:

Snap said:

ToneControl said:

was looking at dirt cheap 8 and 12 bed hotels near the seafront in Rhyl
£240k, £260k
Lots of big houses cheap there

I wonder if Rhyl will pickup demographically in the future

I very much doubt it. A bit like Blackpool (correctly known locally as Cesspool), some places are destined to be eternal shitholes.

things can change
some poor parts of Manchester are now expensive

if people who WFH want to live on the coast, things might change

Hmm, can you ever see Blackpool being gentrified?? Really? I mean it's not impossible, true. I have many memories as a kid going in the sea at Blackpool, dodging the turds, tampons and condoms, and coming out covered in oil and sewage. Today, and quite amazingly it's got a Blue Flag. Not sure I'd go in the water though, scarred for life. 

I grew up 25 miles from Blackpool, it's always been scummy and rough, can't see that changing in my lifetime really.

Gentrification of Manchester is a very different thing. For a start, Manchester has an underlying big and varied economy, and it's an interesting place, with lots to do. Even when it was rough and gritty, as recently as the 80s and early 90s, there was still a very big draw to go to the city. The music scene and nightlife alone. 

agreed, Blackpool is too big to change fast
Then again, surely Brighton developed as a suburb to London

Manchester is great, I lived there for 20 years through the 80s and 90s, fully agree it was the best place to go, but not everyone wants to live in the city, when I got a bit old for clubbing and had kids I moved out to leafy Cheshire (beyond the expensive bit on the edge of Manchester), houses are cheaper than Manchester, healthcare and schools are better, less crime, more trees etc.

VimFuego

Brighton had/has the whole student scene, a vibrant arts scene etc. Not sure what the scene is in Blackpool, but I suspect they couldn't even spell vibrant. 

Nitefly

VimFuego said:

Brighton had/has the whole student scene, a vibrant arts scene etc. Not sure what the scene is in Blackpool, but I suspect they couldn't even spell vibrant. 

Even if they could spell it, they wouldn't know what it meant.  And I speak as a native "sand-grown'un", though I don't live there any more - left years ago.

I go back now and then for a look - it doesn't get any better, and they seem to knock more bits of it down every time I go.

ToneControl

Nitefly said:

VimFuego said:

Brighton had/has the whole student scene, a vibrant arts scene etc. Not sure what the scene is in Blackpool, but I suspect they couldn't even spell vibrant. 

Even if they could spell it, they wouldn't know what it meant.  And I speak as a native "sand-grown'un", though I don't live there any more - left years ago.

I go back now and then for a look - it doesn't get any better, and they seem to knock more bits of it down every time I go.

never say never though

the bits of Manchester, London and Bristol that were scary and awful in the 80s are now very expensive

Moominpapa

Snap said:

Hmm, can you ever see Blackpool being gentrified?? Really? I mean it's not impossible, true. I have many memories as a kid going in the sea at Blackpool, dodging the turds, tampons and condoms, and coming out covered in oil and sewage. Today, and quite amazingly it's got a Blue Flag. Not sure I'd go in the water though, scarred for life. 

I grew up 25 miles from Blackpool, it's always been scummy and rough, can't see that changing in my lifetime really.

Gentrification of Manchester is a very different thing. For a start, Manchester has an underlying big and varied economy, and it's an interesting place, with lots to do. Even when it was rough and gritty, as recently as the 80s and early 90s, there was still a very big draw to go to the city. The music scene and nightlife alone. 

@Snap Really interested to read your comments. I wonder what period your childhood was (you don't have to say if you don't want to!)  My family moved to Poulton-le-Fylde in 1970. At that time, my impression was that the seafront & Pleasure Beach areas were still pretty much in 1960s mode - ie, very much catering for the traditional clientele of Geordies & workers from industrial Lancs  towns coming in during the fortnight factory breaks. But at the time I thought Blackpool town centre itself wasn't too bad. John Lewis was a reasonable department store; there was at least one decent bookshop; there were some mid-to-upmarket clothing stores, etc. It was still a town centre catering for quite a wealthy middle-class of civil servants, well-to-do farmers, and retirees. For sure, the sea front areas could be tacky, but I think on the whole Blackpool in 1970 was quite a bit above scummy. There were large residntial suburbs which were the epitome of upper-working/lower-middle class aspiration: very neatly kept little bungalows and semis.  (And the Blackpool / Lytham St. Annes I saw in 1970 was pretty much the one that Ian Anderson had grown up in since 1959.)

Of course, right at that time was when the era of cheap flights and package holidays to Spain, Greece, & Portugal were exploding, so it all went downhill. By 1980 the changes were profound. A lot of the 'nice' shops had gone, town council services had declined and the whole place looked run down. By then I had left home and moved away, and on each subsequent return it just looked worse and worse. I haven't been back for at least ten years now bugt from everything I've read it's really in a bad way - which is a shame, because it used to be not-too-bad. 

Dominic

Quite interesting to see how the Spanish low-end Package holiday Seaside resorts like Benidorm are rapidly decaying and are deteriorating  as a result of Covid in a slightly similar parallel .I watched a documentary on Thailand where the wholly dependent sleazy Pattaya type locations have become tumbleweed ghost towns with the opportunist shop and brothel keepers returning to their valleys and their subsistence farms many hundreds of miles away . Strips of low-rent tourist bar streets just boarded-up and deserted ;not a decent looking Lady-Boy to be seen .

Rob1742

An area I really like is Seaburn in the North East. It’s a fabulous seaside resort that has had loads of money spent on it. Old attractions have gone, but restaurants have opened up and the beach is outstanding.
Just this year a complex of bars and eateries have opened up called The Stack and a new hotel is about to open.

Its a little gem, with it being not very known because it’s attached to the not so nice City of Sunderland.

However, you are about a 30 minute metro ride to the wonderful Newcastle and there are so many fabulous places like Durham on your doorstep.

I actually purchased two houses on the sea front I loved the area so much, but I sold them recently as it’s just too far from where we live to make it a viable option to visit often. 

The North East is an amazing area, the friendliest people in the UK and all the restaurants and shops in the area are independent so it’s got a great vibe to it.

We were looking to buy a holiday home in the UK, we visited loads of destinations, but we always ended up enjoying our time up there the best hence the decision to buy up there.

Sunderland isn’t a nice town centre, it’s the place to avoid really, but so many places nearby it really is a great location. 

We might go back one day, the missus didn’t like the house as it was more a party house than a home, which along with the distance was the reason to sell. A couple from London move in soon, and it will be great for them.

So Seaburn may not have been heard by many people, but it’s terrific and you won’t get a better beach anywhere in the Uk