My family and I went to Southport last Sunday (31/7) and I have to say that compared to when I went previously, which must be 7 or 8 years since, the place has been much improved.

Last time I went it seemed tacky, unclean and frankly, uninspiring with not a lot to do and see. Yesterday, the place was colourful, lively and welcoming. It was also clean.

Am I right in thinking that it's got a totally new sea-front? And a new pier? Well, it's certainly got a pier but is it a new one as I don't recall there being one last time. Also, new buildings with restaurants, retail park and hotels. A new road right along the beach?

Whilst it's not the most interesting seafront, it's an improvement on what was there before (scrubland IIRC) and things can only get better now as more investment takes place between Lord Street and the new promenade.

Or have I got it all wrong? Maybe it was just the fact that the sun was shining!

Put it this way: last time I went I thought I wouldn't rush back and I was right. Yesterday, I actually wished that I could have stopped the night there.

There's hope for the English seaside resort yet!!:thumbsup:

Originally posted by Ousetunes
Last time I went it seemed tacky, unclean and frankly, uninspiring with not a lot to do and see.

I'm delighted that it's improved so much. I may go again next time I'm in Liverpool.

I visited it for the first time about a decade ago and found it just as you described.

As for the town centre, is it still full of near-to-death OAPS, shoe shops and nursing homes?

Originally posted by Abdul

As for the town centre, is it still full of near-to-death OAPS, shoe shops and nursing homes?

Worse than that Abdul. Our afternoon's enjoyment was somewhat spoilt by an over exhuberant (and out of tune) fella who danced around whilst he played his bag-pipes. This wasn't too bad as it ensured people continued their walk along Lord Street (any direction, just AWAY from him).

I commented to the wife that I might throw a tenner in his bagpipe case just to shut the merry bugger up!

As for the OAPs, well, any place with fish, chips and 'a bit of sea air' is always going to attract the Wallace Arnolds of this world.

(Shall we book our tickets now?)

I can confirm that Southport is stil full of OAPs :)

I think the pier is new. I noticed it a while ago, and I've never noticed it before. Either it's new or I am very un-observant. Still not a major fan of Southport, but that's probably because it's full of people and people generally get in my way and bother me. :D

I last went about 20 years ago and it was horrible. It was like a ghost town with nothing to do and the beach was shocking.

Glad to hear it's improving.

i last went in 1989 only decent place was the rock night at the floral hall , i keep meaning to go back for a weekend break or something

now where are those holiday brochures:)

The whole coast line has been vastly improved. The fact that they don't pump sewage out any more helps. Plus the beaches are constantly being cleaned and combed. I think the local council realised that the beach is quite an asset and worth looking after.

I originally come from a small town about half hour away from Southport and was a haunt as a teenager.I visited the family about two weekends ago and went for a run out there to see the changes ma & pop had told me about.

I too was gladdened to see how it had changed and yip it is still full of OAP's and I was with 3 of them myself. It is about time Southport had some money pumped into it and this has made a vast imrpovement on what was once a run down seaside resort with beautiful old buildings.

I would suggest that anyone who is in that area goes for a look see and play around of crazy golf.

Where abouts are you from Bertie? I'm from Crosby myself. :)

Originally posted by Andy78
I think the pier is new. I noticed it a while ago, and I've never noticed it before. Either it's new or I am very un-observant.
Southport's new pier (http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/piers/southport%20pier.htm) :hihi:

Oh dear,I really am that un-observant. :(

Thanks for the link, Strix.

I guess the original pier was in such a state that it was unforgettable and so nobody took an awful lot of notice! The article illustrates another case of a council getting it totally wrong. They wanted to demolish this grade II listed 'building' but were defeated in their motion by one vote.

Shame on you councillors.

So, the pier has been done up and there's a brand spanking new tram on it, so new it a) isn't yet operational; and b) still has plastic covers over its seats.

Andy78 is also correct in the beach and quality of the sea-water. I recall going on the beach in 1989 and it was nothing more than a stinking sewer. You could literally identify products and waste that gets into the sewerage system. Maybe that put me off returning?

The new seafront and beach is incredibly clean - so much so that we let our daughters play in the sand.

As I said, it is now a far more welcoming and attractive resort.

I was born in Southport and brought up in Formby, so nice to see mention of it on the SF!

Not been back there in a while, but last time I went it did seem to be improving slowly. Still full of OAPs though, I remember that!

I an originally from St.Helens and moved to Sheffield about 3 years ago, fell in love with the Peak District and never looked back.

My partner wanted to see the new pier as in his old firm he worked on it. Small world heh!

..................................

Originally posted by Ousetunes
Andy78 is also correct in the beach and quality of the sea-water. I recall going on the beach in 1989 and it was nothing more than a stinking sewer. You could literally identify products and waste that gets into the sewerage system. Maybe that put me off returning?
Are you sure this was at Southport? The beach there is over a mile away from the sea, so unless you actually hiked a mile across the sand.....

Were you actually further north or south?

Strix - the tide was in (in 1989) and although that might have meant a bit of a walk, I definitely recall going to the water's edge.

The sight of so much poo and 'rubbery items' (discarded) at a supposed 'seaside resort' has stayed in the mind ever since.

Defo Southport (it's in my diary - I've kept one since 1982. Sad ain't I?).

The Mersey estuary was the same all the way up.

You can see through the water now :shocked:

..................................

Ousetunes,
Southport has improved greatly since yours truly and his better half moved here in 1996. Bit pushed for time today, but I enjoy living here. There are some beautiful villages like Croston nearby, access to countryside similar to Lincolnshire, the people are generally friendly and civilised and there are some good pubs and excellent restaurants. Try Lal Qila for some of the finest Indian cuisine in Britain.

On the downside, the town is dominated by the Labour/Lib Dem alliance on wretched Sefton Council, and the Lib Dems under John Pugh do not do enough for the townfolk. We effectively 'sponsor' Bootle [also part of Sefton] through punitive levels of Council taxation. The town is a bit 'out in the sticks' as the nearest motorway is several miles away, but the trains run with greater regularity and efficiency than any others in Britain; the Southport to Liverpool line is now very reliable. We have our problems with unwanted, angry young Liverpudlian asylum seekers [usually failed playwrights], and the octagenarian bowling crowd cause rakehelly mayhem in the tea rooms.

Overall, with easy access to Manchester and Liverpool [where I work], Southport is a decent place to live. Mind you, there are days when I miss the sonorous accent, the hot pork breadcakes, proper Fishcakes, Henderson's Relish , and unique humour of my native Sheffield. Today is one such day...

I do agree that Sefton council is about as effective as a chainmail condom!Hung councils are a very bad idea indeed. :mad:

Timo - I quite like the journey to Southport passing through, as it does, Ormskirk. It's that stretch between Ormskirk and Southport that for some reason, seems to last forever. It's only about nine miles aswell!

I've stopped at The Stanley Gate near Ormskirk before, a nice pub indeed. I've done a load of pubs in Ormskirk, back in 1988/89, such as The Windmill and (is it) The Bird I'the Hand. Also, as I mentioned to you before, The Brahms and Liszt which is no more.

As for Southport, I've only been to a couple of pubs: The Coronation (used to sell Newquay Steam Beer in those huge bottles) and The Heron (?).

I think I'll certainly make another visit, stop the night and maybe try the Indian you mentioned - I'm a bit partial to a ruby after a skin-full.

Originally posted by timo
Ousetunes,
Southport has improved greatly since yours truly and his better half moved here in 1996. Bit pushed for time today, but I enjoy living here. There are some beautiful villages like Croston nearby, access to countryside similar to Lincolnshire, the people are generally friendly and civilised and there are some good pubs and excellent restaurants. Try Lal Qila for some of the finest Indian cuisine in Britain.

On the downside, the town is dominated by the Labour/Lib Dem alliance on wretched Sefton Council, and the Lib Dems under John Pugh do not do enough for the townfolk. We effectively 'sponsor' Bootle [also part of Sefton] through punitive levels of Council taxation. The town is a bit 'out in the sticks' as the nearest motorway is several miles away, but the trains run with greater regularity and efficiency than any others in Britain; the Southport to Liverpool line is now very reliable. We have our problems with unwanted, angry young Liverpudlian asylum seekers [usually failed playwrights], and the octagenarian bowling crowd cause rakehelly mayhem in the tea rooms.

Overall, with easy access to Manchester and Liverpool [where I work], Southport is a decent place to live. Mind you, there are days when I miss the sonorous accent, the hot pork breadcakes, proper Fishcakes, Henderson's Relish , and unique humour of my native Sheffield. Today is one such day...

I lived in southport for over 3 years, Bath St, Queens Road and then Shakespeare St.

Having my back door open onto Stanley's Keg was a handicap (if Stanleys Keg is still there), worked many seasons at the Scarisbrick Hotel, silver serving in the 1st floor restaurant (food was BAD), hitching to Ormskirk every morning and generally being a student.

What do I miss about southport? The Giant Prawn on a stick, Nivens late bar, 'Happiland' forever surrounded by razorwire (like some Stephen King scene), a Pier, which even at high tide, stands in about 3 feet of muddy brackish water, and a beach where the lads take their novas to do pull donuts and generally corrode their running gear.

As a venue for ego-dissolution, on a clear weekday morning in April, the beach was amazing.

When I lived there it seems to be equally populated by Golfers, Teachers, Successful Drug Dealers, Footballers, OAPs and Students.

And I hear they revamped the pier, which is a shame, as the place at the end was like a museum, where very little had changed in 30 years. That was the last time I saw a TAITO Space Invaders machine, which I played whilst drinking a cup of insipid liquid that was 'almost but not entirely quite unlike tea'

The thing that really gets me about that whole area is its total flatness.

I then moved to Hull. A friend quipped "what have you got against Geography?" (nothing except it's not a real subject, is it?)

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
The thing that really gets me about that whole area is its total flatness.

Other than Parbold Hill!

When I first moved to Manchester in 1999 I thought Southport was their equivalent of our Cleethorpes. But when I went I was pleasantly surprised. The beach is hard and flat, and the sea front is very odd, but the new bridge over the lake is tremendous, theres a welcome lack of amusment arcades, the shops are great and it's generally a nice town with some great places close by. Formby and Ainsdale Sands have glorious beaches. The Wirral penninsula is also a very nice and underrated place too.

Ever since I was a young-un I always dreamed of being able to cycle to the seaside. This wasn't really a reality in Woodhouse, but because there are no hills between my house and Southport or Liverpool, it's now a real possibility.

It's also really nice to see so many other forummers on here speaking well of the place!

When I was In Southport I found Lord St shops to be very good. Got most of my Christmas Presents there with very little hassle. Mind you the shop assistant did say--- I'll close upyour carrier bag for you cos you never know who you may meet.!


hazel

................................