My rested legs were twitching to be extended so I grabbed my camera and coat and headed out to discover more of the neon and candy floss land that was now my temporary home.
Arriving at my cut and paste Premier Inn on the edge of Southport and the sea at least meant no more driving for the day. It had been just over 200 miles and counting and I had to get home tomorrow.
Southport is an important holiday destination and full of charm, even if much of it is locked in a Hi-De-Hi style time warp from the 70s. Holiday camps have been a declining industry since the British afforded en mass to swap car and train for aeroplane and ferry. It meant towns like Southport suffered badly and you could feel the vacuum of investment, as well as see it.
It was though great fun. Everyone, regardless of age, was enjoying themselves; skateboarding, bowling, walking, running, or simply watching the world go round from a freshly painted iron legged bench, there was life with smiles and laughter. And so there should be.
It was sunny, the sky was blue and white, chance of rain high and the wind speed was low. Whatever had brought people here, who knows, I only had my own story to tell there. But any place of joy is a place worth visiting and if you open your mind as well as your eyes, Southport could be that place for you.
Dad On A Bike 
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