Southport

Today we opted to make use of the car to explore away from the canal. We visited Southport on our last visit in 2013 although our experience was coloured by rather poor weather, even in June. However, the blog from back then was helpful in reminding us of the very useful Park and Ride facility which only costs £2 per car, including the bus trip in an out of the town centre.

When we were dropped off on the original main shopping street, Lord Street, we looked first for somewhere that could replace the strap on Mike's watch which had come to the end of its very useful life just a few days ago. Not expecting there to be much choice we walked into the first jeweller shop we came across - only later did we realise that there are perhaps a dozen along Lord Street! In any event they were able to supply a suitable strap and also to fit it

It was then time to look for a coffee option. We checked out what was nearby but ended up back at the place next to the jeweller! Although the day had started grey when we awoke, by now it was quite warm and the sky was clearing. As a result we were more than happy to be served at pavement tables.

Christine was keen to see whether M&S had a suitable replacement bed sheet for a rather cheap one we acquired from Asda when we furnished this boat. Yes, but we did not want to carry it with us all day so will come back at the end of our visit.

Before setting out on our visit we had looked at the tourist information for the town and found a suggestion to walk from Hesketh Park to Marshside RSPB centre on the norther edge of the town. However, it was by now time to think about lunch and we had already seen that our coffee stop had a range of snacks - we did not want a great meal. On the way we passed through the huge town war memorial. This consists of a large obelisk surrounded by two huge colonnades and gardens.

Lord Street has a number of imposing commercial buildings, some of which were once banks, as well as the arcaded shop fronts. We later discovered that, contrary to our previous assumption, Southport's popularity and growth as a tourist place started as far back as the Canal Age, only later further extended by the railways. The town is well connected both to Manchester and Liverpool.

The lunch snack menu at Bistro Chez Moi included savoury pancakes which we both chose, although with different fillings. They proved to be very tasty, rather different from usual paninis and baguettes and just the right size for today's needs.

After lunch we tackled the recommended walk. As we walked further our along Lord Street we could see that most of the older properties were very large indeed. This was obviously no metre kiss-me-quick seaside resort that was the image our previous visit gave us, based on just the area around the pier.

We soon found Hesketh Park with its grand head keeper's lodge. That link describes the park: Hesketh Park was created in 1864 and has recently, been completely refurbished. A very pleasant walk around ornamental lakes, complete with fountains and flowerbeds, which in summer are a riot of colour. Sadly, we found that we had been over-sold!

The first 'garden' we looked at was the Rose Garden. Laid out in a series of rectangular formal beds, it has been planted with a very wide range of varieties, shapes and colours.

A little surprisingly, most of the flowers were perhaps past their best but we did find a number to include as illustration of the width of variety.

Once section of the park was created in 1994 by local volunteers as a sensory garden for disabled and visually impaired visitors. Alas, it has seen little maintenance in recent times and has become very much overgrown wit weeds and self seeded saplings. We are not sure whether this apparent neglect is the result of cuts in local council budgets or that the otherwise good intentions of the creators of the garden did not include provision for suitability and maintenance, all too often a factor with community led projects.

We left the park at the far end and then followed the planned route through some of the residential area. As usual, a lot of these older large properties have been subdivided into apartments - this one has the top floor 2 bedroom apartment on offer for £165,000.

At the end of Argyle Road one property looked to us as at least one that is still a single residence. We would have taken a picture if we had known at the time that it has an interesting history - see here.

Around the corner, a one bed apartment in Rosefield Hall (one time children's hospital for communicable diseases) costs £130,000.

Continuing down towards the coast we reached the sign for a footpath that we had been looking for. Also, obvious, were the remains of a concrete surface, all that is left of the former Hesketh Park Aerodrome. It was built by the Town Council in 1910 and rented to a pioneer aviator. Military aircraft were assembled here in the first war and then again in the last war Mosquitos and Ansons which were flown off the beach to be delivered into service. An aero club operated here until 1961 when it relocated to RAF Woodvale just outside the town.

We started along the footpath, set on a dune in the middle of a golf course, but by now we were a bit concerned about making it back into town - as well as having a chance to sit and enjoy the sunshine.

So, after not going very far we turned around and instead found a bird observation place above a mall lake, ;provided by the RSPB. There were no birds to be seen but we ad a very warm and sheltered sit and read for quite a while.

Eventually we summoned energy to begin the walk back into town, along the exposed and windy Marine Drive. The visibility was good so we could easily see Blackpool, its Tower and Roller Coaster in the distance.

One of the main resort features is the Marine Lake, seemingly popular for watersports but very quiet today. When the town first developed, Marine Drive was coastal and houses built to enjoy the view. However, the Ribble Estuary started to silt badly and sea shore moved significantly outwards. This enabled the Council to include the lake as part of one of the various developments of the resort.

This property was originally Southport Promenade Hospital, opened in 1806 but closed in 1990. It is now converted into - guess - apartments, known as Marine Gate Mansions!

From the entrance to the pier - we walked that last time - we headed back into the town centre where Christine returned to M&S go purchase the bed sheet we looked at earlier, leaving Mike to check out goodies on Grape Tree. He also sneaked into the Wayfafrers Arcade for some licorice pieces ata 'proper' sweet shop.

Finally, we adjourned to the cafe in Beales' Department Store for tea and a scone before catching the Park and Ride bus to the car park and thence back to Maghjull and the boat.