Marine Lake, Southport (Image: Jon Macpherson)
Southport may be a town full of childhood nostalgia for many people living in the north-west, but it’s had something of a makeover in recent years.
LancashireLive reporter Jon Macpherson recently returned to the town for a weekend getaway years after his last visit, and was blown away by just how much has changed.
“I’m ashamed to say that even though it’s less than an hour’s drive from my home, it’s been donkey’s years since I ventured to Southport for a weekend away” he wrote.
“As a child I had lots of fun-filled days there, but as an adult I wasn’t sure it was ever far enough away to seem like ‘mini-holiday’.”
During his weekend getaway, Jon stayed at the Waterfront Southport Hotel, describing it as the “perfect location” with stylish rooms, fabulous décor and friendly and welcoming staff.
He continued: “The Waterfront is situated at one of the best spots in the town, with stunning views over Marine Lake, and it is also within short walking distance to shops and the main centre. It also has its own underground car park so is a great place from which to explore Southport either by foot or by car, before coming back to relax.
The Waterfront Southport Hotel (Image: Jon Macpherson)
“In the mornings, it does a great fry-up, and by night, dinner at the Waterfront Marina Restaurant is both tasty and generously proportioned. There’s also a delightful Sun Terrace with gorgeous views of the coast and the opportunity to enjoy the ultimate relaxation experience with nearby swimming pools, hot spa facilities and a gym.”
While in Southport, Jon paid a visit to The Grand, a luxury restaurant inside a magnificent art deco building that has a perfect five-star score on Tripadvisor.
Something it clearly deserves, according to Jon, who wrote: “Serving up beautiful food with a fantastic atmosphere, wonderful pianist and second-to-none service, it made for a truly memorable evening. The arancini, confit duck and sesame salad, rack of lamb and Eton mess we ordered on the menu all come very highly recommended. It was some of the best food we’ve had in a long time.”
Following the incredible meal, Jon headed to Silcock’s Funland, writing: “When I was a kid I absolutely loved going on the ‘flirt pennies’ – as we called them – at the seaside and the opportunity to visit Silcock’s Funland, just a few metres from our hotel, was too good an opportunity to miss. Armed with tub full of 2ps and a pocket full of £1 coins, we happily whiled away a good hour on the different slot machines as well as the more expensive arcade game classics.
“The hall of mirrors was also a good laugh too, as it nearly presented my partner with a Marilyn Monroe moment due to the unexpected puffs of air coming up from the floor.
Southport Market (Image: Jon Macpherson)
“From there, we walked round the corner to engage in another nostalgic past-time – a game of crazy golf. At just a fiver each for a round of 18 holes, Masters Putting Course was great value for money and there was even a chance to win a free go on ‘hole 19’. Sadly neither of us were skilful enough to claim the prize.”
The next morning he paid a visit to Marine Lake, adding that no trip to Southport would be complete without a go on one of the lake’s self-drive motor boats.
He then headed to Lord Street, the town’s main shopping destination with designer brands, high-street favourites, and some independent shops. Jon then went to the nearby Southport Market, which opened in 2021 and he describes as a “feast for the senses” thanks to its range of different food options.
And with still more of the town to see, Jon’s trip was only just getting started. He wrote: “Southport is not only a place to enjoy fish ‘n’ chips and build sandcastles, there is also the elegant Atkinson Arts Centre which stages a range of music, comedy, theatre and exhibitions. There is also the multi-award winning British Lawnmower Museum which includes garden machinery from the rich and famous like King Charles, Brian May and Eric Morecambe.
Southport Botanic Gardens (Image: Jon Macpherson)
“With our day continuing to be blessed by glorious sunshine and warm weather, we made the short journey to the Botanic Gardens for a walk around the beautiful oasis. The well-maintained Victorian gardens are bursting with floral splendour and colourful displays and it’s a perfect place to enjoy a picnic, see the swans and ducks or chill out with an ice cream.”
And while the weather then took a turn for the worst, Jon was still about to make the most of the trip with a visit to Windmill Animal Farm in Burscough.
He writes: “By this point on our weekend away the rain had sadly started to set in. However that didn’t make a jot of difference during our visit, or dampen the enthusiasm of the other visitors, as the majority of the activities are undercover. From the moment we stepped through the door we were greeted with enthusiastic smiles from the hard-working, friendly and knowledgeable staff – including Farmer Matt – who couldn’t do enough to make our day out the best it could be.
“After picking up some bags of feed for the animals (word of advice, you will likely need several), we made our way to the miniature railway train for an enjoyable ride through the working farm which has been open to the public for more than three decades.”
Spanning 22 miles, Southport and the Sefton coastline offers a cavalcade of other wonderful experiences. Whether its walking and cycling trails, 100 iron life-size statues in Crosby, kite surfing in Ainsdale, sand dunes, red squirrels, beautiful pine woods and even prehistoric footprints there is so much natural beauty to soak up.
Other popular experiences include the Squirrel Cycle Route which links Southport to Formby – a coastal nature haven offering breath-taking sea views in the company of natterjack toads, great crested newts, lizards, wading and sea birds. And if that wasn’t enough families can take a stroll along the Asparagus Trail, a hidden gem nestled in Formby’s National Trust site.
For more information, go to the Visit Southport website here.