Anyone been to Skegness?

I not overly fond of the place.

I like it. A lot. I've been there once. In 1995 I made a spur of the moment decision to stay in Lincoln. Whilst there I visited Skegness, Boston and Waynflete (stopping off in Sleaford, but only to change trains). I liked Skeggy because it was an old style seaside place with donkey rides, kiss me quick hats and so forth. Whilst there I visited the seal sanctuary and had some whelks - the only time I've eaten any.

My Gran used to go on holiday to Skeggy every year. Whenever I went with them it rained.
I last went when I was 6 - I went on a ghost train and it was scary.
I'd be there like a shot if you listed all/any pinball tables around town.

I can see how what attracts somebody to a place as a visitor can be exactly those things that repulse someone who lives there. Have to mention those old railway posters with the fisherman: "Skegness is SO bracing". Wtf? Make a plus point out of a minus why don't you? It's cold and windy = you'll love it!

The words; 'wears', 'soon', 'the', 'novelty' and 'off' spring to mind. The seal sanctuary is a cracker though.

when I was there, a baby seal was taken away for medical treatment in a cage and another one was having its flippernails cut. The keeper was wearing waders and I wondered why since baby seals were in an enclosure with little or no water. Howver, the seal didn't like its manicure one bit and started biting the keeper's leg!

I would go to Butlins there when I was a bairn. Been several times since, but always confuse it to Bridlington.

I holidayed in Lincolnshire this year (going on holiday with bicycle as only mode of transport limits the choices somewhat. I learnt this last year when my bike and I holidayed in the Peak District) and I spent a day in Skegness. It is quite staggeringly ugly in the town, but the beach is clean and sandy. The weather was ace, so we just paddled and then went back to Boston in the evening, which felt like a cultured sophisticated place in comparison. As an East Midlandser, I suppose I am compelled to say I love it there.

...and Boston is a HORRIBLE place.

Many years ago in elementary school, maybe 5th grade, a girl wore to class a t-shirt that bore the slogan "Skegness is so bracing." I had no idea what it meant, and it haunted me for years. I cannot believe someone mentions that slogan here. I still don't know where Skegness is; you think I would have looked it up by now. Making a plus out of a minus is ace, btw.

Secretary Advancement Association!

Advance secretaries, you have nothing to lose except yr RSI!

I went quite a few times when I was very wee as our neighbours went to the Butlins (Pontins??) every year and I went occasionally. The last time i remember going, the arcade seemed absolutely huge and all glowing like Christmas and then I bought the two sets of monster top trumps which were fantastic. On the way home me and John played spaceships in the back of the car until we fell asleep.

two words: Richard Body

two more words: Peter Tapsell

very much 1950s Tory survivor country

though Labour are getting close now ...!

I went to Skegness after a wedding once. It was pretty poor, yeah. The thing I remember most is putting some mustard on a veggieburger I bought on the pier. It was in one of those squeezy yellow bottles that made one assume it was mild, American type stuff. In fact it was hotter than anything I have ever tasted in my life. My nose was in much pain.

I went to the Skegness Butlins when I was 9. It wasn't fantastic. My main memory is this - there were two sections to it, both split up by a main road. To get to either side you had to walk through a tunnel under the road. At the start of the week it rained so hard that the ground of the tunnel was like a pond. I waded through it and when I got back to the chalet I found my feet had been stained blue from the dye from my trainers.

Also there was an annoying experience when we were in the funfair bit of Butlins and I expressed my fear at going in the flight simulator thing. Some Northern lads, about my age, overheard me and started mocking me. I was furious and started chasing after them on this slide (how this happened I can't remember) - they were faster than me so I couldn't catch them, and eventually they ran off laughing, leaving me at the top of the slide, shaking my fists in impotent fury.

I also learnt how to program a ZX Spectrum 128K+ there. I made a lunar lander game in four days.

I'm a complete lurker here from the States (I generally only read ILE) but I recently visited Skegness while whipping through Great Britian. Why? I'm a coaster enthusiast.

Anyways, as a city, Skegness has little to offer. No arts of any kind that I could see, the lame "win up to 15 pounds!" casinos, overall, pretty tacky. Reminds me of Great Yarmouth in that respect (for the Americans, think Wildwood, NJ or Ocean City, MD). Various stores sell cheesy postcards with sexual jokes, and there's loads and loads of crappy tourist souvenirs.

As a coaster enthusiast, there are attractions for me, quite obviously. Nothing truly spectacular in terms of rides; Odyssey Jubilee wasn't open, but everyone I know says it sucks, Millennium Coaster is totally forceless but not rough, and everything at Botton's falls under the "ome more for the track record" category. However, it must be noted that the Waltzer at Botton's is the best in the nation, and among the elite spin rides in the world.

And if you go to Fantasy Island for some reason, yes, I rode Jellikin's Coaster. No, it was not comfortable.

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Alan

Skegness is a relatively small town, not a city. If Skegness were a city, our country would be in an even worse state than it already is.

Whatever. I refer to just about anything over 10,000 people and with more than 4 places that can provide travellers accomdations a city these days. Point still stands. Its basically a cheesy shoreline "resort town".

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Alan

Thats exactly what its meant to be. (oh, and the 'Casinos' are arcades. They are not places for you to go to win your fortune.)

Until the government relaxes the gaming laws and Blackpool becomes 'The British Las Vegas' ha ha ha.