LOCALS IN ONE OF 'UK'S MOST RUNDOWN SEASIDE TOWNS' HIT BACK AT CRITICISMS

Residents of a seaside town condemned as one of the worst in the country have explained why it's secretly "a great place to live".

Cleethorpes was recently judged to be the six worst coastal destination by the Telegraph, only losing out on the dubious top spot by the likes of nearby Morecambe and Skegness, and Rhyl in North Wales.

Many of those who live in the Lincolnshire settlement of around 40,000 argue that the beautifully wistful air that is afforded the place by the Humber estuary nearby confuses visitors into wrongly believing the place is bleak.

One of those people is Jo Aitchison, who was born in Cleethorpes and returned to the area after university. "The beach is beautiful, there is a lot of countryside, and lots of great cafes. My friends from London always comment on how many dogs there are," Jo told the Mirror.

Is there a UK destination you think we should be writing about? Let us know at [email protected]

"There are two sections of the beach in my mind, the fish and chip shop bit with the arcade and pier, where there are donkeys. Further up is St Anthony's Bank, which is more natural. You can walk your dog there. It is natural and rugged, and you can do paddle boarding there. It is my favourite place in the world. It is where I got engaged. It was sunrise, we got there first thing in the morning. It was really quiet, dog walkers were just coming out."

The PR manager for Pace Comms also argues that the town and its bargain £160,000 average house price is the perfect place not just for a day out at the seaside, but for young families looking to get onto the property ladder.

"It is such a great place to live around here. One of the biggest reasons is that young people can afford to get on the property ladder. It is a more affordable way of life," Jo added. Not only are house prices low, the natural riches of the town and its cheap chippies and pubs mean living there is far more affordable than other parts of the country. The average pint of a pint is around £1 lower than the national average.

A slower, more traditional pace of life is at work in Cleethorpes, where queues to get into the chippies form on a Friday evening. Jo tips Steels as her favourite, due to the experience of dining with a cup of tea and a thick slice of bread beneath the net curtains.

"There are lots of great pubs which you can walk between. Willy's is a very popular pub and Message in a Bottle sells independent beers, which you can take away or you can drink in. They are all locally owned."

While UK seaside towns can feel a little rundown or as if they are receding further and further from their glory days of the Victorian era, Jo argues that Cleethorpes has a sense of being on the up. If ONS reported wellbeing figures are to be believed, people in the broader North East Lincolnshire area in which it lies are generally happier, less anxious and more satisfied with life than the average Brit.

"We have a lot of renewable energy businesses which have come here recently. There is a really optimistic and hopeful feel to the place. It feels like Cleethorpes has been on the up for a while. There are lots of great independent shops," Jo continued.

"We have big events like Armed Forces Day and scooter rallies. There is a really hopeful air in the place. There is a very quirky area, called Fitties where there are holiday chalets and beach huts. Some are made of wood, pebble dash, and glass. Lots of people come and stay during their visits."

Jo is not alone in her defence of the town. Elaine Stones said: "Cleethorpes has its problems, but I love it, it's home and I would move back if I could. Perhaps its charm is the fact it's not drastically commercialised. It's easy to not always appreciate what you have on your doorstep. There are far worse places to live."

Jason Cutler added. "I think Cleethorpes is ace. I'm not a local to Grimsby and Cleethorpes but I went a lot of times with my late partner whose family all hailed from that area and I saw nothing to dislike at all. Very Veteran friendly there as well."

Check out more of Daily Mirror's latest travel stories by signing up to our free weekly newsletter.

2024-04-29T14:00:08Z dg43tfdfdgfd