The last time I set foot on the shores of New Brighton I was eight years old.
I can still recall heading to the beach equipped with plastic buckets, Factor 50, and my grandparents in tow. Through a child's eyes, New Brighton had a certain wonder to it. The metallic clang of the penny slot machines, the familiar glow from the light of the arcade. I have nothing but happy memories.
But that was 20 years ago, so I decided to go back, relive my childhood for the day and see if anything evoked that sense of wonder I once had for New Brighton. I was looking for the kitschy summer holiday I once loved but one question remained. Could I find it?
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When I spoke to people about my intrepid adventure they would reply with one phrase: “Everything has changed and you wouldn't recognise it.”
So with that in mind I stepped off the train to the warm summer afternoon, it was a beautiful day. As I walked from the station toward the promenade the phrase crept back into my mind.
Then I saw the big Morrisons. Gargantuan, grey, and in total contrast to the beach. I decided to stay resolute and walked further along until I spotted something I recognised.
I saw the lighthouse in the distance and made my way to Fort Perch Rock. To my right, I saw the rocks I would clamber across as a child while my nan shouted at me to get down. My grandad in his shell suit tracksuit and cap with a cigarette hanging out his mouth refusing to take off even a layer of clothing.
I stopped for an ice cream and then decided I had enough energy to hit the arcade. The metallic clang of the penny slot machines and the familiar glow from the light of the arcade came back to me. I always remember my nan following me around the arcade for wanting to leave but staying for me.
There is nothing like a British arcade on a summer's day even on a Wednesday and it was just how I remembered it. After I was fully satisfied I’d recaptured a part of my childhood I took in my surroundings.
For the first time in New Brighton, I was able to appreciate the stunning vistas on offer in the distance I could just about make out where we would start our journeys in Bootle. As a child, it is not the kind of thing you notice but on a baking summer day, that was the best part of my trip.
I could see the changes all around me and New Brighton felt like a place on the up. All of the identifiable features of my old summer holidays are still there but like everywhere it is growing and changing with the times.
I left New Brighton with a sense of nostalgia and a stick of rock in hand. New Brighton has changed but then again so have I.
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