Ainsdale once lived in the shadow of surrounding villages and town centres, sandwiched between Birkdale and Formby.
Now, the village that is dominated by one main road, is a bustling and booming seaside resort, one that rivals the likes of Formby, Birkdale and Southport. The once quiet and subdued haven has turned into a vibrant hospitality hotspot, as a number of bars and restaurants have put their mark on the village that used to be somewhere that people would simply travel through on their way to somewhere else.
Speaking to a number of businesses, the village that would once rely on people flocking to the beach to prop up business now has its own community, a community that floods the village come summer or winter. The Northern Line that connects Southport to the centre of Liverpool and down to Hunts Cross runs through Station Road, the road where the majority of bars and restaurants sit, is the backbone that keeps the village thriving.
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Pontins, although not everyone's favourite destination, also gives the village a boost, as well as the vast golden beach that attracts thousands on a hot sunny weekend. What would have been the cause of a busy afternoon in the village is now just an addition as Ainsdale makes a name for itself in Merseyside.
People now travel from the likes of Crosby, Formby and even Liverpool to have an afternoon or an evening down the winding road. Speaking to the ECHO, Leah Lynch, manager of Dukes Wine Bar, one of the longstanding establishments in the village, said: "I moved here from Liverpool 10 years ago.
"I've just bought a new house in Litherland and want to move back already. I hated the thought of living in Southport but I'm a convert. The village has changed so much over the years. There used to only be two bars when I moved here but now I think there are about seven.
"You can have a whole night here. I've always enjoyed a night out, and I used to love going out in Liverpool, but I would much rather spend a night in Ainsdale now. My friends love it here as well. When the sun is shining it's like you're at a holiday resort."
Leah puts it down to the community spirit that encapsulates what Ainsdale has become. Now lined with upmarket bars, there is a sense that atmosphere might be hard to come by, but you couldn't be more wrong. Station Road is a microcosm of the changing landscape of hospitality.
20 years ago pubs would line main roads and high streets, whereas now the go-to is wine bars and eateries. Ainsdale hasn't only embraced the changing times, but it is thriving off the back of it. Walking into the Golden Monkey on a drizzly Thursday afternoon, the drinkers would be what you expect in a working man's pub, but look no way out of sorts in a modern bar.
They laugh over a pint of lager, or even IPA, as the warmness of the pub has been transferred into the new-look bars that dominate the village. Luke Upton, manager of the Golden Monkey and son of the owners, Alan and Sue, who also own the sandwich shop Graysons next door, told the ECHO he thinks the older demographic is a positive for the area.
He said: "More people in the area enjoy coming into the village in the evening. A lot of people have said it's become a real community. I don't think people want to get like Birkdale either. They're happy with the majority of people being a bit older, mainly 35+. It's a younger area in Birkdale which is great for people who drink there but here it's a lot more relaxed and we never have any trouble. People are moving to the area as well. People are moving from the likes of Formby, Birkdale and Crosby."
When asked about Ainsdale's biggest strength, Luke said: "The greatest thing for us is the train station, it's right there. People will get off the train and have a drink. There are about seven bars for people to choose from, they can spend an entire day here.
"Ainsdale is such a great place. There's no other place like it. There's nowhere like Ainsdale for me."
Walking down Station Road away from the sea, on the left is Dolce Vita which has proved to be a staple for the village for almost 40 years, opening when there was little to no footfall, but now it is surrounded by a number of busy businesses. Co-owner Stefano Cardillo, 36, told the ECHO: "My dad opened Dolce Vita in 1986, the year I was born. Everyone thought he was mad because there was nothing in the village.
"In 2008 he opened Bar Mio, where Dukes is now. Then more businesses came into Ainsdale. Slowly, more and more places began to open. My dad died three years ago and he would be amazed to see the village how it is now.
"People told him he was crazy when he opened the restaurant, now look at it."
The idea that a restaurant has been in the now warm and modern village would be unthinkable when speaking to people, with each and every bar, restaurant and cafe having a modern feel to it. But Dolce Vita has its own air importance in the village. It stands out with its black and red colour scheme and sits boldly in the middle of Station Road.
Taking the leap and opening a business in Ainsdale may have seemed daunting 10 years ago, but now it's something people would love to do. With almost every unit in the village filled with either a bar, restaurant, shop or salon, there is no need to travel out of Ainsdale for day-to-day necessities. The village has found its feet and doesn't look to be losing balance anytime soon.
Manager of Tipple, 24-year-old Tom Grimshaw, brings a youthful and energised bar to the metaphorical table. Although only small, like the majority of venues in the village, Tipple, slightly further away from the station than Dolce Vita, seems to offer something a bit livelier.
The day-to-day demographic of the bar has a younger air about them than other bars in the village. Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things, but it definitely adds another level of the community and demographic to the village. Something that other bars haven't quite tapped into. Tipple completes the village in the same way each bar does.
Combined, the bars and restaurants cumulatively cover all bases. Each serves its purpose and results in a diverse village that attracts all age groups, giving it a past, present and future.
Tom told the ECHO: "It's the place to be at the moment. We almost have everything you need. We're like one big family. Everyone chats to each other and we all work together. We're a thriving bar in the middle of a thriving village."
Once in the shadow of Birkdale and Formby and grouped in with Southport, Ainsdale is now standing alone, brushing shoulders with busy villages and towns in the area. Ainsdale is definitely "the place to be".
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