Events bolster busy summer in Great Yarmouth

 

– Visit Great Yarmouth’s free events pulled in the crowds this summer boosting trade for seafront businesses.

– Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach celebrated record customer numbers in its 116-year history on the final Big Wednesday fireworks.

– The only seaside airborne pyrotechnic display in the UK proved a crowd-puller throughout its six-week run.

 

Summer events organised by Visit Great Yarmouth pulled in the crowds to support seafront businesses record a busy peak three months in challenging trading times.

The draw of Big Wednesday Fireworks led to one of the Golden Mile’s oldest and top attractions, Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, celebrating its highest customer numbers in its 116-year history.

Attracted by free events like the six weekly fireworks – with this year’s addition of a pyrotechnic display from a plane over the sea – and the Wheels Festival weekend in June, thousands of people have flocked to the seafront, benefiting attractions, cafes, restaurants and other businesses.

Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach marked a new customer record on the final Big Wednesday of the summer on August 27^th, welcoming more visitors than it has ever seen enjoying its 26 rides and other attractions before the sky was painted with colour by the AeroSparx motorised glider ahead of the spectacular 10pm beach firework display.

Pleasure Beach director Jamie Jones said it was no coincidence that the previous record was the same date last year.

“It was the final week of fireworks and people came to enjoy all that the seafront has to offer before the fireworks. It gives you confidence when you see it so busy.”

“There has been a lot of investment on the seafront with all the work on the Britannia Pier and work on the Winter Gardens has started. The new Herring Bridge has had an impact because is the first thing people coming over see is the silhouette of our roller coaster, and it has helped the traffic flow significantly.”

Cherise Abbott, of the Britannia Pier – where £1.8 million was invested on the first stage of a revamp earlier this year – said the pier had enjoyed a busy summer and was positive about its series of autumn and winter events to come.

“Summer has been really good, very busy, and it is always nice to see people here enjoying themselves. The Big Wednesdays are always a-massive hit and certainly bring out the crowds.

“Despite higher visitor numbers, it’s been clear that people are finding things tough with the spend per head noticeably lower.

The Pleasure Beach, Britannia Pier and other businesses said they had tried their best to keep prices low in the face of rising costs, including the impact of national minimum wage and employer national insurance contributions, but had been forced to make small price rises to cover rising costs.

Seafront businesses enjoyed an early summer boost when more than 68,500 people enjoyed the fast, free and fun at the Wheels Festival, in June.

And the annual Great Yarmouth Festival of Bowls From late August to September 20 at the seafront Britannia Bowling Greens – believed to be the biggest outdoor open bowling event in the country, with more than 800 participants – brought spectators and new visitors to Great Yarmouth.

Gregg Haddon, owner of The Winchester hotel, said: “We welcomed both competitors and spectators; many are returning guests. The four-week event is crucial to extending the season for the accommodation sector and also the other associated businesses.

“The summer fireworks which have been exceptional this year. The display aeroplane has thrilled visitors and locals and the response from the audience has been phenomenal.”

Nathan Race, Visit Great Yarmouth chair, praised the efforts of businesses for working tirelessly to ensure the Great Yarmouth area delivered outstanding experiences in a challenging trading environment.

“It has been wonderful to see our seafront areas so busy with visitors enjoying all that businesses work so hard to provide and creating such an electric atmosphere.”

Visit Great Yarmouth CEO Asa Morrison said visitor numbers had been good with “great attendances” at Big Tuesdays at Hemsby and Big Wednesdays in Great Yarmouth.

“Adding the aerial firework display to Big Wednesdays proved a positive move. and our visitors and the local community fed back positively about our summer events.