I had my first taste of a traditional english seaside town this weekend. The Grogan clan took me to Yarmouth.
Pics are here: http://www.flubu.com/various_pics/yarmouth-aug2006/
Apparently, the place hasn't changed. It's hard to describe. Well, actually, it's not :) Tacky comes to mind. Every shop by the seaside sells deep-fried, salty or deep-fried sugary food. All the side-streets are packed with shops selling the same old cheap and nasty souvenirs that they've always been selling and that you'll find in every other seaside town (except the name printed on the crap will be different). It's tawdry, it's touristy, and people love it :)
Katy's IQ and mental age practically dropped by half as soon as we got out of the car. While I don't have the historical background to fully appreciate the seaside experience, I had fun. The SeaLife center was amusing (though I was disappointed that it was no longer possible to pet the manta rays) and the crazy gold (North Americans, read mini-putt) was a good laugh (except for the small child that kept getting on our putting greens and made me lose by a swing when I had to pull a shot to avoid hitting her. I should have, because Katy's dad won and was unbearably smug about it. I do have the bragging rights for the first hole in one though, but I digress).
I was disappointed by the fish&chips, but that's because the place we had lunch was apparently crap. Still, Katy won me a Tasmanian Devil plush toy from one of those grappling-claw type games (and one another toy for her dad, which impressed the hell out of me because I've never seen anybody win anything from those machines, let alone twice).
It started pissing it down with rain at one point, but it didn't last long and cleared the air. All in all, after a good day's walk and generally goofing off and eating too much crap (though I now want to get a waffle iron for home!), we all headed back home. I'd do it again, but I honestly don't get the same out of it as a true Brit :)