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The advent of cheap flights made holidays within Europe affordable to most people. As a consequence, traditional UK holiday destinations became much less popula

by dazc 3y ago

The advent of cheap flights made holidays within Europe affordable to most people. As a consequence, traditional UK holiday destinations became much less popular. Over time old-fashioned guest houses, B&Bs and cheap hotels transitioned into very low cost housing for people with 'problems'. The inevitable doom spiral began... Destinations on the South Coast were not affected in the same way though and have remained a popular choice with more affluent clientele.

KineticLensman 3y ago
> Destinations on the South Coast were not affected in the same way Bournemouth (middle of the South Coast) took a slightly different path and some of the accommodation was repurposed to house students from Europe studying English. IIRC the contiguous strip comprising Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch is one of the largest non-industrial conurbations in Europe. I moved to Bournemouth in 1988 for work reasons and it always seemed to me like a large studenty-town that happened to be near the Sea rather than a 'seaside town' (i.e. one that is structured around the beach and bucket-and-spade shops). It's also viewed as Brighton's straight cousin. Christchurch, on the other hand, is known locally as 'the last resort' because of the large proportion of retirees in the population. I also can't resist the old joke that Cleethorpes isn't twinned with any other town but is in a suicide pact with Grimsby.
- dazc 3y ago
  'Christchurch, on the other hand, is known locally as 'the last resort' because of the large proportion of retirees in the population.' I must be getting old since Barton on Sea is becoming more attractive as residential destination by the day...
  - comprev 3y ago
    Milford-on-Sea has entered the chat :-)
Earw0rm 3y ago
The South Coast towns got pretty badly run down in the 80s and 90s but mostly it recovered or is recovering. Brighton reinvented itself as a party town and creative hub thanks to Norman Cook and its large student and gay scenes and its fast links to London. Worthing and Eastbourne became popular spots to raise a family for London telecommuters (two days a week in a London office is viable from there, and property is a fraction of the price). Margate and Folkestone became artistic hubs, after the last of ex industrial inner London got redeveloped. Whitstable became a foodie mecca and well-heeled daytripper spot, Borough-Market-on-sea or so. The Suffolk and North Norfolk coastal towns do a nice line in second homes for the Range Rover and XC90 set. Many, if not most of these places were pretty desolate in the 90s. Others are still to turn the corner. Hastings is on the way up but still a lot of junkies and the generally down-on-their-luck in temporary B&B accommodation. Herne Bay is still rough as. Lots of South Essex coastal towns are grim and deprived, maybe not as bad as Blackpool but definitely struggling.
- robotresearcher 3y ago
  > Brighton reinvented itself as a party town Rediscovered, maybe. It has long been a party town, from the Pavilion - a faux-Indian palace put up by a Prince Regent in a previous century for seaside parties - Quadrophenia-era nightclubs to being the gay capital of England all before Fat Boy Slim was born. It’s also the south coast town closest to London, with a direct railway line. Huge geographical-economic advantage over Blackpool. It was a wonderful place to be a student in the ‘90s.
lazide 3y ago
Isn’t a large factor the cheap vacations to Spain and the like sucking away a lot of the tourists? Some areas will still stay afloat, but the ‘tide has gone out’, as it were. Why play on the cold, stone covered beaches on the few days of sun a year when you can fly for a couple hundred UKP to Spain and have reliable sunshine, warm weather, and sand.
comprev 3y ago
Over here in Ireland the cost of staying in a B&B or “cheap” hotel is eye watering, to the point it is often cheaper to fly somewhere sunny for a longer stay.
- dazc 3y ago
  It's 15 years since I last stayed in Ireland and even then it was crazy expensive.

by dazc 3y ago

KineticLensman 3y ago

> Destinations on the South Coast were not affected in the same way Bournemouth (middle of the South Coast) took a slightly different path and some of the accommodation was repurposed to house students from Europe studying English. IIRC the contiguous strip comprising Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch is one of the largest non-industrial conurbations in Europe. I moved to Bournemouth in 1988 for work reasons and it always seemed to me like a large studenty-town that happened to be near the Sea rather than a 'seaside town' (i.e. one that is structured around the beach and bucket-and-spade shops). It's also viewed as Brighton's straight cousin. Christchurch, on the other hand, is known locally as 'the last resort' because of the large proportion of retirees in the population. I also can't resist the old joke that Cleethorpes isn't twinned with any other town but is in a suicide pact with Grimsby.

dazc 3y ago
'Christchurch, on the other hand, is known locally as 'the last resort' because of the large proportion of retirees in the population.' I must be getting old since Barton on Sea is becoming more attractive as residential destination by the day...
- comprev 3y ago
  Milford-on-Sea has entered the chat :-)

Earw0rm 3y ago

The South Coast towns got pretty badly run down in the 80s and 90s but mostly it recovered or is recovering. Brighton reinvented itself as a party town and creative hub thanks to Norman Cook and its large student and gay scenes and its fast links to London. Worthing and Eastbourne became popular spots to raise a family for London telecommuters (two days a week in a London office is viable from there, and property is a fraction of the price). Margate and Folkestone became artistic hubs, after the last of ex industrial inner London got redeveloped. Whitstable became a foodie mecca and well-heeled daytripper spot, Borough-Market-on-sea or so. The Suffolk and North Norfolk coastal towns do a nice line in second homes for the Range Rover and XC90 set. Many, if not most of these places were pretty desolate in the 90s. Others are still to turn the corner. Hastings is on the way up but still a lot of junkies and the generally down-on-their-luck in temporary B&B accommodation. Herne Bay is still rough as. Lots of South Essex coastal towns are grim and deprived, maybe not as bad as Blackpool but definitely struggling.

robotresearcher 3y ago
> Brighton reinvented itself as a party town Rediscovered, maybe. It has long been a party town, from the Pavilion - a faux-Indian palace put up by a Prince Regent in a previous century for seaside parties - Quadrophenia-era nightclubs to being the gay capital of England all before Fat Boy Slim was born. It’s also the south coast town closest to London, with a direct railway line. Huge geographical-economic advantage over Blackpool. It was a wonderful place to be a student in the ‘90s.

lazide 3y ago

Isn’t a large factor the cheap vacations to Spain and the like sucking away a lot of the tourists? Some areas will still stay afloat, but the ‘tide has gone out’, as it were. Why play on the cold, stone covered beaches on the few days of sun a year when you can fly for a couple hundred UKP to Spain and have reliable sunshine, warm weather, and sand.

comprev 3y ago

Over here in Ireland the cost of staying in a B&B or “cheap” hotel is eye watering, to the point it is often cheaper to fly somewhere sunny for a longer stay.

dazc 3y ago
It's 15 years since I last stayed in Ireland and even then it was crazy expensive.