Seaside Kitsch

I grew up at the Scarborough seaside and still have lots of family connections there, as does my husband.

However, busy lives mean that we don't visit often, so when we do it's always rushed. This weekend then, unusually for us, we called off briefly to see the attractions of the 'South Side' on our way to visit family. It's been a long time since we've visited this part of the beach, so I was taken aback by how unchanged and familiar it all seemed.

The seafront seems to be as lively and excessive as it always was, with its abundance of brightly coloured souvenir shops, ice cream parlours and amusement arcades. It still makes me feel really nostalgic, as it evokes so many happy memories from my childhood. However, having lived in the city for over twenty years now, this area of the town also seems quite surreal and otherworldly. It's all a bit like a Yorkshire parody of Vegas, capital of kitsch.

Needless to say, we had lots of fun and my children loved it. In the short time we were there, we also amassed a rather impressive collection of plastic toys, which we won on the slot machines.

I was a bit disappointed that we didn't have time for a visit to the Harbour Bar, famous for its milky coffee's and banana splits. However, hopefully we'll be back over summer!!