A town with a surprise attraction and a stunning beach has been named the 'worst seaside' in the UK.
Rhyl, in Denbighshire, north Wales, has been given the title in the Telegraph's latest Seaside Gentrification Index. They looked at 20 classic resorts to see how they've adapted, or not, over the past three decades, considering high streets, renovations, and 'cultural clout'.
The paper described the place as 'no fun' currently, however they said that it could be on the up as it's just been awarded a massive £85m worth of investment. This includes £25m as part of the Welsh Government's Transforming Towns.
A reporter at the Mirror spent a day there to find out what it's really like and to speak to the people who called it home - and while some say it's lost its spark, others insist it's still a great place to live.
The only giveaway that we're by the sea when stepping off the train is the squawking seagulls above. The town centre is just like any other struggling town, with bargain shops, charity shops, and the odd takeaway and beauty salon.
However, once you get to the beach, there is a beautiful coastline with the picturesque Welsh mountains hugging the shore hiding behind the large concrete car park and concrete turrets shielding the closed fun fair. Locals love walking along the two-mile stretch of sand - but it's what lies behind that they're not proud of.
Michelle Clarke, who is originally from Manchester but moved to the area five years ago, enjoys taking photographs of the seafront at least once a week. She said: "I just love the calmness of the sea. It's beautiful."
Gesturing towards the hills, she added: "You can even see the I'm A Celebrity castle. It's amazing when it's all lit up at night."
The mum-of-one says the community meets every month to carry out a beach clean-up - and at the moment it is looking pristine.
Crime, however, is an issue, Michelle says, particularly with drug use. She added: "There is a bad reputation with druggies, too many shops are shutting, it has gone downhill. But if it had the money, Rhyl will be back on the map again."
Dog walker, Allan Jones, from Hereford, was visiting whilst looking after a cat for a friend in the area. The 77-year-old said: "It's all very well along the front but once you get beyond, it's all very dowdy."
A dog-walking couple, Malcolm Husband, 69, and Elizabeth Husband, 70, agreed. They are from the nearby market town of Abergele, and Elizabeth, who has visited Rhyl since she was six, says the beach is "beautiful" but rarely would they venture into the town as it's "not a very nice place anymore."
A man, who wished not to be named, was walking with his 93-year-old father by the mini concrete amphitheatre on the promenade, which showcases photographs of the seaside town from 1794-2006.
He grew up here, while his father has lived in Rhyl since the age of 22, and says it has changed over the years, but not for the better.
Gesturing toward the mini theatre, which looks disused, he complained: "It used to be nice and open, you could see through to the seafront, now there are all of these buildings."
He talked about the town's heyday when busy hotels and guesthouses overlooked the sea, but they have since been taken over as multi-occupancy flats. The man added: "When you've got adverts in the prisons in Manchester saying 'go live in Rhyl by the sea'...
"It's the same as any other town centre, no worse no better. Every area has got one.
"We've had investment before but the council spends money on daft things. They don't know how to spend money properly.
"You won't get the guesthouses back on the front, you can't turn the clock back. It's just one of those things."
The Telegraph awarded Rhyl a score of five out of 100, placing it 93 points below its favourite resort, St Ives in Cornwall.
They summed up the town as having "no past, no arts or entertainment, no fun" and said it was the perfect example of "how not to do things" - after bringing up that it was once described as 'Blackpool after a neutron bomb'. It highlights how it's lacking a grand pier, with North Wales' oldest pier demolished in 1973, while efforts to attract visitors with the White Rose Shopping Centre in 1984 and a museum and library complex in 1986 both failed.
The write-up added: "The Ocean Beach funfair closed in 2007. A Sky Tower ride was decommissioned. There were plans to make it a light show; it's now a pay-and-display car park."
During the visit on a Tuesday lunchtime in March, it was a struggle to find a traditional fish and chip shop. Fairground rides were at a standstill, while shutters remained drawn on ice-cream parlours along the promenade - which apparently only open in the summer months.
But things could be on the up for Rhyl, as in recent years the council has made an effort to turn things around. It was awarded £25m as part of the Welsh Government's Transforming Towns initiative and more than £65 million in investment has also brought in projects like the SC2 Waterpark, Pont y Ddraig bridge, and harbour improvements.
While at one end there is a huge The Range store and an Aldi, at the opposite end of the beach sits the swanky new restaurant, 1891, which is adjoined to the renovated Pavilion Theatre. Over in the town centre, work is underway to open Queen's Market in the summer, which will operate as an indoor market hall and events space.
The Rhyl Air Show has always brought in visitors each August, and they've attempted to draw in more footfall with tourist attraction Zip World's Skyflyer, which is a passenger-carrying blimp that takes thrill-seekers 400 feet up in the air, however, it's failed to take off three times.
An anonymous NHS worker, 56, says Rhyl is improving and disagrees with its unofficial title of the worst seaside in the UK. He walks his dog every day along the beach and says it would be 'paradise' if you could pick it up and drop it into a major city.
He said: "You could put Rhyl into any major city, Manchester, London, and it would be paradise. It has a bad reputation but as far as I'm concerned, it's a nice place. There is never any trouble in the town, prices are reasonable. There is good and bad in everywhere. Rhyl is turning the corner."
Lewis Guerrero, 22, can also see change for the better. He is the manager of the Pro Kitesurfing school and believes that there have been noticeable improvements thanks to the cash injection in the past few years.
Lewis, who also chooses to hang out in Rhyl as well as work, doesn't see why it gets the brunt of the criticism, as he compares it to other seasides along the North Wales coast. He said: "I think Rhyl has its bad parts, but everywhere does. Rhyl gets a bad rap but it does have a lot of hidden gems.
"People are surprised at how nice it is down here because they've only heard bad things. We have people that travel from Birmingham, Leeds, just to come here to kitesurf.
"I think it's beautiful. I'm here every day and it has some of the best views and especially at sunset. Everyone comes here in the summer to watch the sunset, and have a beer in the cafe."
He added: "There is plenty of opportunity here, it is a growing town at the minute. Within the last five years, this whole coast has completely changed.
"I can definitely see change happening".
Councillor Jason McLellan, leader of Denbighshire County Council, has vowed to continue the work of securing investment in Rhyl.
Rhyl Youth Centre opened this week, which he says will create a "comfortable, modern environment for young people to develop skills and access tailored support through activities and training."
Mr McLellan added: "As part of a business offer the newly redeveloped Costigan's building provides modern, high-quality business accommodation serviced by ultra-fast broadband and is a flexible base for a whole new generation of small businesses, encouraging them to set up and use the town centre as their base, so Rhyl can be a hub of entrepreneurship.
"The Council is also currently in discussion with a number of external investors who all see the opportunities in Rhyl and are willing to invest.
"The town centre has been struggling recently, as has been seen up and down the country, however Denbighshire County Council and all the hard-working Rhyl Councillors are committed to long-term development and overall, the aim of this huge regeneration project is to invest in the town for the benefit of our residents."
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