A Word In Your Ear - April 19, 2018

The birds are singing, and I’ve been struggling from the shed with garden furniture, compost and flowering seeds.

What a difference good weather brings to our holiday coast! She Who Knows and myself have cheerfully survived our winter hibernation at Great Marton. We’re now treading the tennis courts of leafy Lytham, then lounging over drinks and snacks outside cafés, people-watching. We’ve a favourite place on the high street there, where quality is good and prices right, but I only mention it to you in ‘Whispers’.

Meanwhile, at Blackpool, we’re making the most of magnificent Stanley Park and its excellent art deco café, Park’s. Instead of wind-muffled, dog-walking figures, we’re now surrounded there by strolling couples and playful children. Even the ducks seem happier, despite the end of those seemingly ceaseless April showers.

Should the rain re-appear, we’ll head as usual up the other end of the coast, to friendly Fleetwood’s historic North Euston Hotel and its elegant ballroom tea dances. What a host of facilities we have to enjoy on our diverse coast! Soon we’ll even be running trains again – and trams – from Blackpool North.

Come this Saturday I’ll hopefully be back in the sunshine, sinking a cold one or two at our resort’s nearby cricket club, as this season’s fixtures get under way. The facilities there are top notch and, like Lytham, St Annes or our other summer sports clubs, a great place for all the family to relax in safe but uplifting surroundings.

Yes, the tourists have much to enjoy along our Promenades and busy side-streets but, inland, there is even more for we fortunate locals. What’s not to enjoy?

I’ll see you there!

* For more reading or books, visit www.royedmonds-blackpool.com.