Britain's seaside could be cast into darkness if its arcades and piers are not saved from the 'out-of-control' cost of living crisis which is wrecking the industry, insiders have warned.
Amusement bosses and representatives have sounded the alarm about the massive impact energy price rises are having on a sector that had just begun recovering from the coronavirus lockdowns.
Although the government announced some support today, its lack of specifics has been criticised for being too vague and its implementation too late after months of rises have hit firms unprotected by consumer price caps.
Industry bosses have warned that arcades will shut in their droves, dealing a further blow to the often economically deprived British coastline and sucking the joy out of its seafront, as the impact of inflation continues to bite.
Their bleak predictions come as the country's tourism sector struggles to limp on, with bills pushing fish and chip shops, B&Bs and pubs to the financial brink.
John Bollom is managing director of Mumbles Pier in Swansea which has been run by his family for the past 88 years, and is currently managed day-to-day by his two sons.
The 69-year-old has no confidence that the classic wooden seaside pier and its amusements will still be open to the public on its centenary in 2034.
Not only has Mumbles been hit by a "horrific" power costs that have already tripled to £15,000 a month, energy firms are asking for three months deposit.
It is unclear whether Liz Truss's energy announcement today will reverse rises that have already slashed the company's profits to close to zero.
Every area of the business is mired in woe - they have had to start making staff redundant and switched to mid-winter short operating hours already to cut costs.
Stock prices at the cafe, chippy and gift shop have jumped 50% in 12 months, timber costs to re-deck the pier have tripled in three years, and a ban on contactless payments in arcades has massively hit revenue.
Having just finished a £3million project to re-deck the pier, John fears future maintenance work on such a scale will be impossible, leaving the long-term lifespan of the structure in doubt.
"Some of the increases are impossible to swallow," John told The Mirror. "I think it would be awful if the lights go out. The vast majority of British people love the seaside, they love the piers.
"I think there will be great sorrow from most people if this went. It would be awful. If people don't maintain piers, they don't last. We've lost so many in the last 50 years. It would be heart-breaking if you couldn't maintain it properly."
In the cold, sea salt sprayed winter nights on Britain's coasts, amusement arcades have been serving as iridescent beacons of, admittedly slightly manic, light for generations.
The experience of losing a handful of change in a vain attempt to win what appears to be a perilously perched keyring is one arguably as universal as eating a roast dinner.
Yet the future of these energy hungry machines is in doubt, as energy prices rise and an above 10% rate of inflation makes the coin pushers less and less profitable.
Dave, who manages Happyland Amusements in Bournemouth, is running on a skeleton staff and is considering cutting down opening hours - although he is desperate to avoid staying shut on certain weekdays, as others in the town have already done.
The 30 year arcade owner veteran is also seriously considering switching some of his 2p pushers to 10p machines.
"The 2p coin is very heavily used, but I might start converting machines over to 10ps when things aren't so good," he said.
"I wouldn't rule that one out. One has to be very careful what they do at the moment. We have to ride the storm. I will ride the storm without a doubt, but there will be people that won't."
Joseph Cullis runs three arcades in West Scotland and is regional chairman of Bacta, which represents the amusement and gaming industry.
"Umpteen members" have contacted him over the past fortnight warning that their energy bills are out of control, with one owner seeing their yearly gas bill rise from £30,000 to £200,000.
The scale and pressing nature of the crisis is clear.
Whether the government's plan to limit per unit prices for businesses for six months is enough to avert financial ruin for these businesses is not.
"If they don't support these businesses, unemployment is going to rise rapidly," Joseph warned.
"It is going to have a massive effect on seaside towns, which are already some of the most deprived areas as it is.
"There has been a lot of talk of reducing staff hours, not turning the heating on, closing early. Where does it end? It's frightening."
No seaside operator is immune from the rises, regardless of their size.
The four-month Blackpool Illuminations and its four-million bulbs are predicted to use £200,000 of electricity this year, a rise of £50,000 it is able to swallow due to a recent switch to LEDs that has cut usage by 75% in two decades.
Bacta CEO John White, who represents a sector which employs nearly 20,000 people and contributes £845million to the economy, tells of arcade operators who have had a 1000% hike on their energy bills.
"A number of businesses are looking at how they can close over the winter months and may just open on a Saturday," he said.
"The lights are going to go off in Britain's seaside communities. They are some of the only economic activities that take place in these struggling communities.
"One member told us that at this rate he will only last three more months. Most members are saying they're doing their best to survive, but any (more of this) beyond 18 months and they're curtains."
John welcomed "any government help", but said that "a six month freeze at already significantly higher energy costs will not provide the necessary help and certainty the sector needs.
"It will certainly not help the nearly 40,000 people employed in the sector worrying about whether their employees will survive the winter."
John predicts that arcade owners will remove some of their machines and switch others off to save energy, which will "look awful".
"Half closed arcades just don't look good, they aren't bright, and they won't be providing the colour and light,"
"Walton Pier used to have a sign saying 'there is nothing greater than the sound of children laughing'.
"When you walk in and get the noise and brightness, it's a uniquely British experience. We should cherish that."
