Day: April 30, 2021

Once more onto the beach!

Which? reveals Britain’s favourite seaside destinations

Bamburgh in Northumberland has been named as Britain’s best seaside destination, as Which? reveals the nation’s favourite resorts and the top towns and villages for avoiding the crowds on holiday. 

With more people expected to book a holiday in Britain this summer than ever before as a result of the pandemic, the consumer champion sought out views on Britain’s coastal towns and villages to find the nation’s favourite seaside destinations.

The survey of more than 4,000 people ranked nearly 100 towns and villages, with Bamburgh rated the best seaside town.

It slipped from its first place ranking last year, but reclaimed the top spot after receiving a customer score of 85 per cent, and five stars for its beaches, tourist attractions and scenery. It received an additional five stars for value for money, with prices for accommodation being half those of some popular spots in Cornwall.

Visitors were particularly fond of the castle, and despite the small size of Bamburgh village, the vastness of its beach meant it received four stars for peace and quiet, allowing visitors to easily distance themselves and avoid busy crowds.

Other responses suggest word has spread about Bamburgh’s appeal, with some encouraging visitors to reserve tables in the restaurants in advance as places are often booked up, and arrive at the castle early to secure a parking space.

The good news is that this year’s reader survey of the best seaside towns and villages shows there is room on our coast for us all to find a quiet corner. Visitors rated nearly 60 British seaside destinations at 70 per cent or above, while 30 were awarded four or five stars for peace and quiet.

Tynemouth, in Tyne & Wear, took joint second place alongside Dartmouth in Devon. Both received a visitor score of 84 per cent, and five stars for their seafronts, while Tynemouth was given five stars for its beach and seafront, and four stars for scenery.

Visitors to Tynemouth praised the selection and quality of restaurants and food options on offer, as well as the market at the Metro station at weekends, while those who had been to Dartmouth recommended taking a boat trip along the River Dart or the steam train from Paignton to get there.

In third place – and taking the title of Scotland’s best beach town – was St Andrews. Busier than some of the other destinations at the top of the table, the “home of golf” earned its high ranking perhaps thanks to its five-star rated tourist attractions as well as its shopping options, which received four stars. It also received four stars for beaches and value for money. Those looking to beat the crowds were advised by respondents to visit outside of term time, when fewer students of its famous university are around.

Aberaeron was ranked fourth and named the best seaside town in Wales, with a customer score of 82 per cent. The quiet harbour town was given five stars for its scenery, with visitors commenting fondly on the painted houses in pastel colours. It also received four stars for peace and quiet – likely due to it being a little harder to reach than more popular tourist locations further down the coast in Pembrokeshire.

At the other end of the table, with a customer score of 48 per cent, was Skegness. The seaside town was also rated bottom by visitors last year, but its score has improved slightly as a result of investment and refurbishment in the town centre and higher footfall, with more people holidaying in Great Britain than abroad last summer. And while it only received one star for its tourist attractions and scenery, its beach was still given three stars.

Respondents recognised the family-friendly appeal of Skegness and its amusements, while one commenter described it as “unpretentious and a very pleasant place to visit”, and encouraged visitors to “enjoy the old fashioned 1950s atmosphere of a traditional English seaside town”.

Other destinations at the bottom end of the table included Weston-Super-Mare (55%) and Ilfracombe (56%).

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Many of us discovered the joy of a British summer holiday last year and the trend looks set to continue well into this summer. The results of our survey show that bigger is rarely better, with smaller and less crowded resorts taking the top spots over better-known destinations.

“Given the crowds and prices at some of Britain’s most popular seaside destinations, the best news from the survey is just how many highly-rated destinations we have to choose from. Whether you want a village with a beach or a big town with all the fish and chips you can eat, there is a fantastic spot by the sea for you.

“Do your research and look beyond the big name destinations – and most importantly, book with a reputable provider with a generous flexible booking policy.”

Artist shortlist for national Windrush Monument revealed

The Windrush Monument will be a permanent tribute to a generation of arrivals from the Caribbean to Britain

  • Shortlists of four influential artists to design national monument at London Waterloo Station unveiled
  • Designs will be showcased around the country this summer
  • Winning design expected to be unveiled on Windrush Day 2022

The four artists in the running to design the national Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station have been revealed today (30 April 2021).

The Windrush Monument will be a permanent tribute to a generation of arrivals from the Caribbean to Britain – from the arrival of MV Empire Windrush in 1948 and in the decades that followed. 

It will recognise how the Windrush Generation have enriched our nation’s history and made invaluable contributions to all aspects of British life, from our health and transport services to our politics, businesses, literature and culture.

The four artists shortlisted to design the monument are all of Caribbean descent and include world renowned, established and up and coming artists working across the visual arts.

The four artists chosen to make up the final shortlist are:

  • Sculptor and painter Basil Watson has designed public sculptures and monuments across the world including statues of Martin Luther King, Usain Bolt and Merlene Ottey. He was awarded the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) in 2016 by the Jamaican government in recognition of his artistic accomplishments. His family is part of the Windrush Generation.
  • Jeannette Ehlers uses a mixture of photography, video, installation, sculpture and performance in her work. Her work addresses complex questions about memory, race and colonialism, influenced by her Danish Trinidadian heritage. In 2018 Ehlers was the co-creator of a significant public memorial in Copenhagen to Mary Thomas (a 19th century slavery freedom fighter), in collaboration with the Crucian artist La Vaughn Belle.
  • Daughter of Windrush generation pioneers, Valda Jackson works in sculpture, painting, printmaking and moving image creating complex narratives that reflect and question our past and present with intent on influencing our future. In 2017, her collaborative public art practice ‘Jackson and Harris’ won the Marsh Award for excellence in Public Sculpture from the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association.
  • Recently commissioned by Hackney Council to create a permanent sculpture honouring Hackney’s Windrush Generation, Thomas J Price has significant experience of creating public artwork. The British-Jamaican artist works across sculpture, film and photography focussing on representation and perception in society.

London Waterloo Station is strongly associated with the stories of many members of the Windrush Generation. It stands at a point where thousands of Windrush pioneers first arrived in London before starting new lives across the UK.

The monument will be an ambitious public artwork that stands as a testament to the contribution of Caribbean pioneers in communities across the United Kingdom. It will create a permanent place of reflection and inspiration and be a visible statement of our shared history and heritage.

The artists unveiled today were selected by the Windrush Commemoration Committee (WCC), chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin DBE.

Chair of the Windrush Commemoration Committee Baroness Floella Benjamin DBE said: “We are entering a really exciting stage of this project with the realisation of the monument just round the corner.

“Our shortlist contains a vibrant mix of talented artists, all with lived experience of the Windrush legacy and we will now see proposals developed into a vision for the national monument to the Windrush Generation in London Waterloo Station.

“The monument will be a permanent place of reflection and inspiration for Caribbean communities and the wider public, especially children. It will act as a symbolic link to our past, and a permanent reminder of our shared history and heritage for generations to come.”

Communities Minister Lord Greenhalgh said: “Over 70 years ago, when the first passengers on MV Windrush disembarked at Tilbury Docks, it marked an extraordinary moment in the history of modern Britain.

“The Windrush generation and their descendants have gone on to play an important role in every area of British life, helping to shape the society we are so proud of today.

“I look forward to seeing the designs that these exciting artists will produce to celebrate and honour their contribution to our nation’s vibrant history, right at the centre of our nation’s capital.”

The artists will now be asked to develop their ideas into a maquette, model or drawings to illustrate their design. Each shortlisted artist will present their proposal via a short film, which will be shared nationally with a focus on the British Caribbean community.

UP Projects were appointed by MHCLG to manage the selection process and ensure the views of the Caribbean community in the UK were sought on what would represent a meaningful legacy.

A long list of 16 artists who matched the criteria of the artistic brief was put forward to the Windrush Commemoration Committee, chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin DBE.

Over the summer the public will be encouraged to consider the proposals. UP Projects’ team includes a Caribbean Networks Consultant and a Curator & Caribbean Community Engagement Consultant, who will liaise with the Caribbean community as a major part of the public engagement strategy. This will ensure that a meaningful monument is commissioned to represent the Windrush Generation. Their views will be taken into consideration by the WCC as they make their final selection.

The winning design is planned to be revealed in Black History Month in October and the monument is expected to be unveiled on Windrush Day 2022.

Beefed-up police presence in Portobello to tackle ASB

Following an increase in antisocial behaviour in Portobello recently, local officers will be carrying out focused patrols this weekend.

Local community Sergeant Suzie Sandbach of Craigmillar Police Station said: “Officers responded to a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour involving groups of youths in Portobello last weekend.

“Dealing with disorder and antisocial behaviour is a policing priority in Edinburgh and I’d like to reassure residents, visitors and business owners in Portobello that there will be an increased police presence over the coming weekends to disrupt anyone intent on causing trouble.

“Our open spaces and beaches can now be enjoyed by the wider community and beyond, but sadly this can be ruined by the reckless behaviour of a small minority which is often fuelled by alcohol, and will not be tolerated.

“Local officers will continue to remain visible in the area, on mobile, foot or cycle patrol and I ask that if you see any criminality in the area help us hold offenders to account by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.”

Councillors yesterday gave the green light for £450K funding to install temporary public toilets in busy parks and other ‘hotspot’ areas in Edinburgh like the Meadows and Portobello.

Environment Convener Lesley Macinnes, said: “As the weather gets warmer and we ease out of lockdown our beautiful parks, beaches and other open spaces are going to be busier than ever.

“I’m really pleased Council agreed this funding today allowing us to respond so quickly to provide these much needed facilities over the summer months. We’ll publicise the list of temporary public toilets as soon as we have it.”