A famous seaside town which once thronged full of visitors has been left to wither away leaving locals disappointed and fearful about its future.
Residents in Southport, Merseyside, have described a “big deterioration” in the town, which was a major tourist destination from the 19th century onwards but now appears to have fallen on hard times.
Its demise is evident in the state of the Scarisbrick Hotel, a once grand feature of the town which is now a shadow of its former glory.
Former teacher, Sean Byrne, 62, said: “This place used to be a gold mine. It was a fantastic place to come for weddings, for meals out. It was the jewel in the crown of this town.”
Jean Forshaw, 79, worked in the hotel in the 1960s. Recalling her work in the cocktail bar, she reminisced: “It was absolutely brilliant. We had Americans coming in asking for Harvey Wallbangers. I didn’t know what they were to be honest.”
A lifelong resident, Mr Byrne told the Liverpool Echo: “There has been a big deterioration in the upkeep of the town. Look at the parks and the cemeteries – absolutely awful.”
He traced the town’s decline to the time when Southport ceased to have its own town hall and becamse part of Sefton. Mr Byrne said: “I am not sure that maintaining a Victorian seaside resort is their forte.”
Southport’s pier was one of the town’s major attractions along with shops on Lord Street, but both appear to be fading.
The Grade II-listed pier is the second longest in the country, but it has been closed since December 2022 due to serious health and safety issues.
Andrew Wynn, manager of the Sandgrounder fish and chip shop based in Nevill Street, said: “The loss of the pier is massive.”
He added: “It was always a big draw. People would come here especially for the pier. Obviously, they aren’t coming anymore.
“The truth is, there is just not enough to keep people in Southport all day. I call it the three-hour town. That is how long people get when they pay for parking. You watch them come in, park up and then leave three hours later.”
The Liverpool Echo reports that shop windows in Lord Street now advertise closing down sales rather than attractive displays.
Beales department store in the town is set to close, leaving some locals feeling disappointed.
Moira Clayton, 85, said: “Everybody is disappointed to see the big shops like Beales closing. It feels like there is nothing for people to come to Southport for anymore.”
She said that she used to visit with her children and it was fabulous, adding: “But the area has changed. It has gone downhill with all the shops closing.”
Mr Wynn said: “It feels like this place is just going to turn to dust and everyone will forget about us.”
