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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Letters

A coast town needn’t be a ghost town in winter

Aerial shot of Porthcawl in Wales
Porthcawl in south Wales. ‘The cafe culture and local events get all-year support,’ says Val Evans. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock

I loved Nell Frizzell’s column – every salty, sweaty detail – but don’t think it has to be either no second homes or a ghost town (I love our noisy, chilly seaside towns – which is why I’d stop anyone owning a second home there, 19 October). Become a 365-days-a-year destination like my hometown.

Every day of the year, walkers, runners, cyclists, pushchairs and mobility scooters follow our “yellow brick road” on a bay-to-bay footpath that is used in all weathers.

Our cafe culture and local events get all-year support. We have a theatre with panto, Elvis weekend, comics, a Celtic festival, tribute acts and surf competitions. Honestly, the list is endless. We are not twee.

No “shoppe” shops, but pound shops, tourist shops, bargain shops, charity shops, and cracking places for cakes, veg, curries, and superb chippies. Every visitor brings their hard-won cash. Pension day is the busiest. It isn’t rocket science. It doesn’t need deep research. If a town loves itself, it will have allure and shape its visitors to treat it with respect. And all will be happy.
Val Evans
Porthcawl, Bridgend

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