…for Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers photo prompt.
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Today, as I stroll along the promenade, people pass now and again. They smile, say hello. I stop for a moment, and lean on a railing.
It’s so peaceful. Just the sound of the sea and the occasional squawk of a gull.
Soon, too soon, the invasion will begin. Holidaymakers and day trippers will arrives in their hoards.
Soon I’ll be zig-zagging my way along the prom, dodging folk, avoiding push chairs, seeing off sniffing dogs. There’ll be buskers and ice-cream stalls, hurley-burley and hullabaloo!
But today, the seafront is ours, the people that live here. Ours and ours alone.
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Click Froggie to see the squares!
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PHOTO PROMPT © Peter Abbey
If only the tourists would just wire their money and not turn up in person
Given that local traders rely on their money, that would satisfy everybody!
This is totally understandable
Something we have to accept living here!
Very right
I can well imagine how the locals have a love/hate (closer to the latter than the former, for some) reaction to the vacationers.
I have to remind myself that I too am a vacationer in other people’s places!
Of course 🙂
Oh how well I can identify with this Keith. We hate the holiday season, the ignorance, filthy habits, and lazy visitors who spoil our town for the residents with their litter, bad language at their out of control brats and not clearing up after their dogs.
I couldn’t have put it better myself, Di. let’s enjoy the next couple of months before it all starts again.
Sadly we seem to be getting visitors already, but mostly day trippers.
Keith, you describe the feeling perfectly. The city leaders here keep pushing for more touristy things that draw them in, and it’s working. Thankfully we have the place to ourselves from Sept thru May.
Our council are keen to open more hotels. No, I say! Let’s enjoy the quiet season while we can.
What happens here is the townies end up being servants to the rich tourists. Something not quite right about that.
Oh, those blasted tourists. What they don’t eat they shit on.
Perfectly put, Russell!
Crowds do make it hard to enjoy your vicinity. Love the tangle of vivid images you use to drive home that point.
They do, but our small seaside town would struggle without them.
Dear Keith,
This is just a delightful piece. It made me smile and then smile some more.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I told it like it is! Thanks so much, Rochelle!
Bloody Tourists! Totally agree!!
Can’t do with them, can’t do without them!
True.
When the tourists swarm in the holiday season, the real local folks, including the sea-creatures with homes in the sand on the beach have a tough time!
Not a good time to be a crab!
It’s hard, but the tourists love the place, too. Some come wishing they could stay forever.
Many do stay, a lot of residents started as visitors.
tourism is a double-edge sword indeed. but it does help the local economy. :)
That’s what we have to remind ourselves!
I’ve been to a beach town pier off- season…it is truly a serene place to be, and much prefer it to the full season.
It’s a different world!
I do agree with your narrator. Summer beachside crowds are not the nicest to be around. Well described. I can feel his frustration.
The only locals that like it are the gulls that enjoy stealing people’s food from their hands!
A lot of truth in this one!
I spent my teenage years in Hove – the seafront was indeed ‘ours’ in winter.
35 miles along the coast from where I’m sitting right now! I know what you mean!
I lived in a tourist town for 11 years in central Minnesota. ”Gateway to Paul Bunyan country!” We ran a small motel. The tourist season paid our bills for the lean months. Guess you have to take the good with the irritating 🙂
Indeed you do, Linda. I had a restaurant in a seaside town, so I know exactly what you mean!
They always have what the tourists love to visit, that could be a bit of a compensation for the invasion. And the money.
So true!
Reminds me of: Them tourists, they are just like piles, a pain in the a**e that come down here and hang around.
Haha, I couldn’t put it better myself, James!
The sad reality for someone who lives in a vacation destination. But look at all that extra revenue they bring with them.
That’s what I keep reminding myself!
My first mother-in-law, lived an a seaside town and it was just this way.
I put up with it, because having spent much of my life beside the seaside, I can’t imagine being landlocked again.
I wish there was something like this near me. I’d be up early to avoid the tourists hehe
You’d love it, I’m sure!
Definitely!
Ah, the tension between the seasons…I’m guilty of being in both camps! -Angela
Feel no guilt, you are welcome here anytime, Angela!
I like it when it is theirs alone. So peaceful.
I’m enjoying it while I can!
As I mentioned in my comment to Dawn, being able to enjoy our usual summer place during an off season with no intruders around was a time of such incredible peace for us; we asked each other how we could have waited so long to take advantage of the calm.
So completely relatable, Keith.
My feelings exactly. Not long now before the coach-loads descend upon us!
perhaps we are to tourists,
Pot/kettle! I’m a serial tourist!
Michael, I love this! I did archaeology along a beach back in the ’80s. During the winter there were only about 9 of us at the site, during the summer tourists arrived en masse. Winters were wonderful.
That must have been amazing – more so in the Winter than in the Summer! It’s not exactly archaeology, but we see a lot of people using metal detectors on Summer evenings after the sunbathers have left!
That could be the song of the coastal dweller. As one such, I rarely venture into the town after 10am during the summer months. But I appreciate that it’s their money that keeps what few shops we have in business.
Absolutely so. I don’t know about you, but we also get hoards of school-age foreign students. Years ago we used to offer accommodation to some, but I’m sure I’d want to now!
I’ll be arriving with a coachload of bachelor parties and hen parties from Essex in a few days time. Seek out your earplugs.
OH NO! I’d best put out a warning on our town’s Facebook page!