A Liverpool-based journalist has fired back at the Which? survey which saw a seaside town in her region ranked in the bottom 20 of the country. The survey carried out by the consumer champion saw New Brighton rated as one of the worst options in the nation when it came to visiting a seaside destination. Over 3,800 people were asked about their experiences of UK seaside destinations in the last year, which gave insight into what the visiting public thought about coastal settlements.
The study asked responders’ views on a range of criteria including the quality of the beaches, scenery, food and drink offerings, accommodation, tourist attractions and value for money. This resulted in Which? formulating a top 20 list and a bottom 20 list, that saw New Brighton ranked among the worst — alongside Bognor Regis, Southend-on-Sea and Blackpool. Liverpool Echo content editor, Emilia Bona, headed across the Mersey River to the Wirral-based town and spent the day there to check for herself before passionately defending New Brighton, which had only achieved an overall score of 52%.
Emlia passionately declared: “Honestly, my visit to New Brighton this week left me furious that it could ever be scored so poorly – especially in the categories of scenery, food and drink and shopping options. The views are fantastic, it’s a classic coastal town with all the elements you could ever want from a traditional British seaside destination.
“The tide was in when I visited the town, and the views were dramatic, industrial and exactly the sort of seaside vista I enjoy.
“New Brighton’s outlook might not be to everyone’s tastes, but I think the scenery is provided with a real character thanks to the presence of the shipbuilding yards and cargo ships that form part of the view, in addition to the lighthouse and crashing waves.”
The journalist added she had previously visited the spot on several occasions and rebuked the findings of the survey.
Emilia praised the area, stating: “I’ve seen my fair share of faded, struggling and depressing seaside towns – New Brighton is not one of them. Every shop, café and restaurant I popped into was buzzing with people and had a warm familiarity once you stepped inside.”
She also championed the number of independent shops, street art, local pubs and activities on offer within the New Brighton community. The journalist’s final consensus on the seaside destination was one of fury because it had been ranked so unfairly.