By Liv Clarke
No British summer is complete without a trip to the seaside. The weather may not always be the best and the sea certainly isn’t warm like the Mediterranean, yet our coastline has a charm you won’t find in Spain, Greece or Turkey.
After all, a trip to the seaside is the original holiday destination; the Victorians were enjoying their summer breaks on the coast long before we even dreamed of flying abroad.
You just can’t beat munching on fish and chips by the sea, walking on the beach, and spending a couple of quid in the arcades. It gives you that holiday feeling without having to set foot on a plane.
At a time when we’re all conscious of spending money, a trip to the coast can provide an affordable day out.
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So as temperatures soared across the country, I ventured to Southport for the day, catching the direct train from Manchester Victoria.
With single fares starting from just £3.10 and an hour and 15 minute journey time, it’s a budget-friendly day out option for anyone this summer. Here’s what I got up to during my trip.
Visit a quirky museum
My day got off to a rather stilted start thanks to an engine fault on the train, adding an extra 20 minutes to my journey. Luckily the pleasant views of the passing Lancashire countryside and cool breeze from the open windows made up for it.
After I eventually arrived at Southport station (and pondered whether Merseyrail and the Bee Network shared the same paint supplier), I headed to my first destination and a rather surprising one at that.
The British Lawnmower Museum is not what you’d associate with the seaside, yet tucked away from the main town is this quirky attraction, dedicated to all things lawnmower.
I’d come across it while researching for my day out and with dozens of five star reviews, I just knew I had to pay a visit. The museum is actually accessed via Stanley’s Security, a hardware shop on Shakespeare Street.
It costs £3 to enter and the museum is spread across several rooms; one large L-shaped space on the ground floor, and then three rooms on the first floor, plus exhibits on the landing.
Now, I don’t really have an interest in lawnmowers, yet even I was blown away by the museum’s collection. Each room was packed with dozens upon dozens of them, in all shapes and sizes from across the decades, from the earliest types to solar-powered robot cutters.
Not a fan of machinery and horticulture? Well, if pop culture is more your thing than the museum is home to lawnmowers that have belonged to a variety of famous names including: Paul O’Grady, the then Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Brian May, Hilda Ogden and even one belonging to the hangman Albert Pierrepoint. Several items in its collection have been used in films and TV shows, including Downton Abbey.
It’s more than just a museum about lawn mowers; it’s a place that reflects our changing social history and our engineering achievements. It’s also downright surreal in a beautifully British way.
Enjoy a chippy lunch
Emerging from the green interior of the British Lawnmower Museum and feeling rather hungry, I knew fish and chips were needed. Naturally I was spoilt for choice being by the coast, so I picked up a cod and chips (£9.50) from The Sandgrounder on Nevill Street.
Goods successfully acquired, I crossed over into the King’s Gardens and took a pew by the Marine Lake. It wasn’t quite the sea view I was hoping to accompany my lunch (more on that later) although it was still by the water. Closely monitored by a hungry-looking seagull, I tucked into my feast, occasionally clamping down the lid of the box to protect my lunch.
Everything about the fish and chips hit the spot: the batter was crisp and light, the fish perfectly flakey and the chips cooked just right. Even the salt and vinegar ratio didn’t miss. I enjoyed every bite and can confidently say the seagull didn’t get a look in.
Stroll through beautiful gardens
Like any traditional seaside town worth its salt, Southport retains many features which hark back to its Victorian tourism boom. Among them are the beautiful Kings Gardens which centre around the huge marine lake.
In need of a walk after my lunch, I wandered around the gardens, which cover a space of 17 acres along the promenade. There’s no shortage of Victorian grandeur with ornate grade II-listed shelters and a magnificent Venetian Bridge crossing the lake.
I walked past a very large crazy golf course, which was surprisingly busy despite it being a Monday, although the pedalos were out of action during my visit. There was a large play ground for kids, and I also spotted a model railway village – again, sadly closed – although I’d be impressed if it was anything like this one I went to in Blackpool.
On the edge of the gardens is the Marine Lake Cafe & Bar, where I stopped for an ice cream (£3). It has a huge outdoor seating area, which was relatively busy and there was even live entertainment from a singer, adding to the holiday atmosphere as people sipped their beers in the sun.
Head to the beach
Now, here’s where things go south. Leaving the gardens I set out on a mission to see the sea. I traversed Princes Park (essentially a large field), crossed Marine Drive, and braced myself to see waves crashing into the sand.
Well, that’s not quite what I got. Now I knew Southport was a tidal beach, but I didn’t realise just how far out the sea goes – and wow, you’d need binoculars to even spot the waves. To make matters worse, Southport’s iconic pier was closed for refurbishment, adding to my disappointment.
Still, the walk beside the beach was pleasant, and there was something impressive about the vast views across the sand – I could even see the rollercoasters of Blackpool in the distance. But it just didn’t quite tick the classic seaside box for me.
Try your luck at the arcades
Feeling somewhat deflated I decided I needed a boost in the form of gambling away a quid’s worth of 2p coins. A visit to an arcade is a quintessential part of any seaside day out, and Southport has a massive one at the start of the pier, Silcock’s Funland.
It’s been a long time since I’ve used a 2p slot machine and I was slightly gutted to find they no longer have the prizes in the machines themselves. Instead you have to keep playing for the machine to spit out a long thread of tickets which you can redeem at the prize booth.
It doesn’t quite have the same thrill as trying to knock off a keyring from its precarious 2p perch, but still it was pleasing to see the long snake of tickets produced by my machine. This feeling didn’t last long though when I found out my tickets amounted to 10 points, which got me the measly prize of two Maoam sweets. Still, there’s always next time.
The beach may not have delivered, but everything else about Southport did. It felt like a nostalgic day at the seaside and reminded me of childhood trips to the coast – not bad at all for a £3 train ticket.