I went on holiday to the ‘worst’ seaside town in the UK – but it’s a great family trip and my kids loved it
WHEN I heard that Clacton-on-Sea and Skegness had been voted the worst UK seaside resorts in a Which? survey, I rolled my eyes.
Do these two east-coast towns deserve such stick or do they actually rock?
Sure, there’s nothing fancy about either place, but if you love heading to the beach with a bucket and spade, paddling in the sea or tucking into fish and chips on the prom, you can’t really go wrong.
Plus, if you’re on a budget, you can enjoy a day or two of no-frills fun in the sun without breaking the bank.
And if it happens to rain, there are plenty of arcades and indoor attractions to keep everyone entertained too.
The Upside Down House in the Essex resort of Clacton was a big hit with all the family when I visited last year and there’s a new dinosaur attraction Jurassic Pier, opening later this month, that my kids are sure to love.
Last August, we also had a day trip to Skegness on the Lincolnshire coast — which included a dip in the sea, some pub grub and a few rides at the fair. What more can you want from a visit to the seaside?
Looking at Which? you wouldn’t think much of the seaside resorts. It rated Skeggy and Clacton joint bottom of more than 100 towns and villages on our coastline.
But here’s why I disagree. Firstly, one of Which?’s nine categories for ranking the beaches is “peace and quiet”.
Now, Skegness isn’t nicknamed Skeg Vegas for nothing and it’s never been renowned for offering silence and solitude, and nor has Clacton.
So it’s really no surprise they were both given just one star out of five.
Both these resorts unashamedly thrive on being bright, brash and bustling.
My boys, aged three, eight and ten, love all the fun of the fair, the noise of coins clattering at the arcades and music booming out as you walk past the pubs.
Having said that, we also enjoyed a walk along the pebbly seashore near our holiday park without another soul in sight.
One of our favourite moments was chancing upon an old coastal defence building known as a Martello tower, which had been converted into an air museum, and being given a mini tour by two volunteers who were getting it ready for the summer season.
It just goes to show that you can find peace and quiet if you look for it, even in the busiest of places.
Another category in the survey focuses on accommodation but neither Skegness nor Clacton got a rating in this section, meaning not enough respondents had an opinion.
Either everyone who voted went on a day trip or, like us, stayed just outside of the towns.
The beaches at both resorts were given three stars out of five — and I think more people consider the beach to be a deciding factor when it comes to visiting the seaside than where to stay or how quiet it is.
We all have different ideas of what we want from a day at the coast, but what’s great about the UK is that you can always find what you like, given how varied the seaside communities are.
Viva Skeg Vegas, I say and crack on Clacton!