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10 things you didn’t know about Southport APRIL 2018

10 things you didn’t know about Southport APRIL 2018

1. Southport welcomes more than 11 million visitors a year. Since BID’s five-year initiation into the town in 2015, Southport’s footfall immediately started to rise dramatically whereas other coastal resorts began to fall. In January 2017, incredibly it was 6% higher than the previous year. Other records show that visitor numbers are now at 8.65m, having gone up 4.5%, economic impact is at £498.08m, an incredible increase of 5.7% and total VE employment is at 6,340, again up 3%.

2. It is known as England’s Golfing Capital and is incredibly home to the UK’s highest concentration of championship links courses. Royal Birkdale Golf Club is regarded as the best links course in England and is regular host to The Open Championship, Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club was the first course to host 2 Ryder Cups, whereas Hillside Golf Club was once described as having the finest back 9 of all time played by the Australian Great White Shark, Greg Norman.

3. Southport Pier is the oldest iron pier and the second longest in the country. It once famously hosted three daredevil ‘professors’, who used to leap from the end of the structure into a small pool of water below.

4. Southport is close to major northern cities such as Liverpool and Manchester and is the birthplace of famous figures from past and present such as comedians Miranda Richardson and Lee Mack and two-time Michelin star chef, Marcus Wareing. Racehorse trainer Ginger McCain was also born and raised in the town and often trained 3-time Grand National winner Red Rum on the local beaches.

5. Eating out is extremely popular in Southport. The number of coffee shops opening on the high street has increased by over 26% in the last decade and several new restaurant and other outlets have also been built in recent months. With this in mind, spending on the eating out sector is set to increase by 7% by 2027. That will be an estimated 800 million more eating out visits!

6. Southport attracts thousands of visitors to its action-packed programme of events over the year including The Southport Festival in May, Southport Food and Drink Festival in June, Southport Air Show including the infamous Red Arrows in July, The Southport Flower Show, the largest Independent flower show in the UK, in August, The British Musical Fireworks Championships in September and Southport Comedy Festival in October.

8. Southport Marine Lake is the UK’s largest man-made leisure lake. Here, you can rent pedalos and motorboats, enjoy paddle boarding lessons and take a high-speed ride on a power boat. There are also 2 yacht clubs located on the lake including West Lancashire which hosts the annual 24-Hour Race, now in its 50th year, on its crystal blue waters.

9. The popular carousel at Silcock’s Funland, the largest family amusement centre in the town and entrance to its legendary pier, is over 100 years old.

10. Southport’s British Lawnmower Museum is the only one of its kind in the world and has been donated machinery from famous faces such as Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Brian May and Southport’s own Lee Mack.

11. Legendary local bands, The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers first appeared at The Floral Hall in 1962 on a bill advertised as a ’Rock ‘n’ Trad Spectacular’. The Fab Four then performed frequent concerts there for the next two years.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sarah Raynard .