Southwold

[Graeme]

Southwold is a very different seaside. Rolling cliffs defy Suffolk’s reputation of being all flat. I walked north down the slope to the pier. This pier is very unusual, having only been rebuilt in 2001.



You can walk down the left and right sides of the pier, either side of the central buildings. Every so often, there was an opportunity to pass between the buildings. For some reason, I really liked this architectural feature.



The owners seem momentarily at a loose end as to what to fill the buildings with. There are no sideshows, but one is a highly unusual arcade. You won’t find the typical games though - every single unit is totally custom-designed. These machines are very, very weird. An example of which is the Auto Frisk - pay your money and the figure “frisks” you! There is also a fierce dog you can put your hand in with. Very weird indeed.



In truth, reaching the end of the pier is not an epic trek. I stood on the platform at the end, the freezing North Sea wind puffing up my thin raincoat. But the cold, grey gloom does not ruin the British seaside, I feel. No, it rather complements it.

[Stu]

In truth, reaching the end of the pier is not an epic trek. I stood on the platform at the end, the freezing North Sea wind puffing up my thin raincoat. But the cold, grey gloom does not ruin the British seaside, I feel. No, it rather complements it.

I know exactly what you mean, that’s the great thing about the seaside, it’s such a British thing, and it’s only us that could pull something like it off, I think it’s the combination of the geography, the types of entertainment venues and arcades, the architecture and most importantly the climate which come together to create such unique (in respect of the rest of the world) places

The Auto Frisk sounds interesting! I like it when usually independently owned venues add their own personal touches, it doesn’t have to be as high budget as the attractions like the Tussauds install, yet they can manage to be equally as entertaining because of the novelty value, obviously Blackgang Chine and Forbidden Corner are good examples of this

Southwold looks an interesting pier, thanks for the photographs I often wondered if the seaside could make itself more appealing by modernizing and updating it’s offering, such as tidying up the piers, making the arcade fronts less industrial unit-like and overall trying to create a less gloomy and more inspiring place to visit, but perhaps in doing that you’d ruin the whole point of the seaside