New Brighton, 'lungs of the Mersey'
As part of a series of features studying the UK's seaside towns, the spotlight falls on New Brighton in Merseyside.
Maps of New Brighton found on boards dotted around the seafront tell a sad story.
There's the former site of the pier, the former site of the Tower and the former site of the open-air swimming baths, once one of the largest in Europe.
Also long gone are the Tower Ballroom, the amusement park and the ferry terminal, where thousands used to disembark at this seaside town on the north-east corner of the Wirral peninsula, after coming across the Mersey from Liverpool.
The attractions may have gone but this is not a derelict town and there's a spring in the step of the hundreds who brave a blustery Wednesday to enjoy the wonderful views and the sea air.
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The long promenade is busy with walkers, while families huddle into the dilapidated Grade II-listed shelters to eat their fish and chips.
An amusement arcade and mini-golf provide the staple seaside provisions while the old fort offers a reminder of the past.
Lifeguard Paddy Maloney said the beach had been busy this warm summer, although nothing like it was in the 1950s.
"It was a different world then, a complete eye-opener, absolutely vibrant. People used to pour off the ferries in absolute swarms. It was unbelievable.
"It was a holiday resort when I was a kid but things have changed in the country and in society as a whole.
"In the 60s everyone bought Ford Populars and Morris Minors and headed to Wales or the Lake District or to Benidorm. These places started taking a nosedive them."
Parr controversy
Mr Maloney is relieved that a £73m development, including a supermarket to be built on the marina lake, has been rejected by government planners who overruled the council.
He would like to see a plan more sympathetic to the town's natural assets, such as a marina, and developer Neptune is believed to be keen to spend the money on an alternative project.
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In 1986 photographer Martin Parr provoked a storm with his book The Last Resort, which drew accusations that he contrived to depict New Brighton in an unforgiving light.
But 20 years later, although the shelters are neglected and vandalised, there is little evidence of social deprivation, just a few boarded-up shops near the station.
Australian Bob Williams, 51, has returned to the town for the first time since leaving it 32 years ago.
He said: "I'm really impressed with the place, how clean it is, the lack of graffiti and it's safe to be walking round. My parents emigrated because they didn't like the atmosphere.
"But I can see now it has a lot of potential and I don't think people realise what they have here. It's wonderful walking along here with no cars. We don't want to go home."
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Fred Haygarth danced at the Tower Ballroom
Although many can remember the town's post-war heyday, some can even recall another golden era, between the wars.
Fred Haygarth, 81, from Hoylake, loves taking a walk on the promenade every Wednesday.
"When I was young there was a big tower and dancing in the big ballroom, which was as good as Blackpool, but I don't think commercially it was viable to keep it up," he said.
"People come here now to have a walk. There's no traffic, a wonderful view, the air is fresh. I'm glad it's clean and I like coming here but it's not making any money for the town."
Another resident described the town as the "lungs of the Mersey".
Aviation museum
One of the few attractions to survive the tough times is the fort. It was built in the 1800s to defend the Port of Liverpool, and the town grew up around it.
The houses on the seafront were modelled on Brighton in Sussex, hence the name.
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http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/...t_quote_rb.gif People flock here every week http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/...d_quote_rb.gifDoug Darroch - Owner of Fort Perch Rock
The fort is now a museum exhibiting an impressive array of artefacts from planes which crashed in the war, and it is also a venue for opera, jazz and rock concerts.
Its owner is Doug Darroch, 45, who is adamant the town is thriving just as it is.
"People flock here every week, from Australia, America and Europe. New Brighton is never going to be a Southport or Blackpool but it can fit a role for people who don't want an expensive day out.
"It has fantastic views. People say 'We need an iconic structure' but perhaps we already have one - the river.
"People say 'It's not what it was in the 50s' and 'My mam put me on the ferry with my sandwiches and bottle of water.'
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The fort was completed in 1829 and pre-dates the town
"It was an escape from the backstreets and terraced houses and that can still apply."
A Wirral council spokeswoman said unforeseen disasters had destroyed the ballroom and the baths, while other attractions suffered due to "natural changes in the marketplace". But £13m had been spent on sprucing up the seafront and shopfronts.
New Brighton is a town that's been knocked in the past but - maybe as a direct consequence - remains a great source of pride for its inhabitants.
Even the young people, who are usually a very critical bunch, are enthusiastic.
Jenny Foulds, 17, who works in a dancewear shop on the main parade, offered a typical comment when she said: "It's nice to have somewhere quiet where you can go for a walk and just chill."
Population: 10,927
Famous visitor: The Beatles once played the Tower Ballroom
Interesting fact: The Tower was taller than Blackpool's
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