Jayne Dowle: We’ve started to make the most of the coast

That little interlude on our Easter break reminded me too that we are so lucky to live in a county where the sea is never much more than a couple of hours away.

Our coastline, the resorts of Scarborough, Whitby, Filey and Bridlington, the villages, the nature reserves and the sheer expanse of sea and sky on our doorstep should never be under-estimated. Cornwall is pretty, for sure, but why drive hundreds of miles down a motorway when the view is just as good as from up here?

I am pleased to hear then that Yorkshire seaside towns are being invited to apply for the second round of cash available through the Coastal Communities Fund, a government pot of £27.2m designed to boost economic development.

This is the same fund which Scarborough Council benefited from last year when it was awarded £2.6m, the largest pay-out among 26 successful applications in England. That cash will develop Whitby Business Park, helping to pave the way for the planned new potash mine near Sneaton and supporting the creation of Europe’s largest offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank. A separate award, of £800,000 to the North York Moors Railway, is expanding its heritage service and creating new jobs.

I’m glad that our seaside is being taken seriously by Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary. I’d like to think he looks especially kindly on the Yorkshire coast as a Keighley lad, and perhaps has fond memories of his own.

I could fill this space with mine; the flea circus on the island in Scarborough’s Peasholm Park, pie and peas in the chalet my parents would rent at the North Bay, the icy chill of the outdoor swimming pool…

Wait a minute though. Memories are all very well, but nostalgia alone doesn’t guarantee a future. If our children and our children’s children are to enjoy the coast as we have, those seaside towns and villages need to develop diverse economies. It’s not enough now to have only a seasonal trade that relies on hordes of holidaymakers descending en masse in the summer.It has been a tough few decades adapting to that particular sea-change. However, as the coastial initiative proves, the time has come to seize new opportunities, and it seems like there has never been a better opportunity to build a sustainable future.

Our coast is at a crux point; the Government is supportive of creating new infrastructure, and beyond the hype, the great British seaside holiday is undergoing a genuine renaissance, quite simply because these days, many of us can’t afford an expensive alternative abroad.

If those in charge of spending the grants and taking the decisions can get it right, we will all, locals and visitors, benefit from thriving and attractive resorts and surrounding areas.

Tourism, although just one element of a successful economic mix, has to anticipate the ever-more demanding and sophisticated needs of the public. While award-winning restaurants, nice cafes and guest houses with white cotton sheets and designer toiletries are all most welcome, attracting families is crucial. That’s why I am pleased to see that freezing old swimming pool at Scarborough turned into a battle zone. This mini theme-park isn’t pretty, and I don’t think it’s what the original plans to redevelop this area intended when a massive new apartment and leisure complex was on the drawing board, but at least the site isn’t standing derelict and forlorn.

We had to literally drag my two children away from the laser-fight and the tanks and the Army-style assault course. The first thing they did when they got home was to tell all their friends it was “mint”. I’d like to see more imaginative ideas like this. When I think back – there I go again – to when I was a child, so much of our seaside entertainment was passive. We watched Punch and Judy shows, went round and round on fairground rides, sat quietly every night whilethe turn performed in the Corner Café.

Today, kids want action. They want to recreate the stunts and adventures they experience on their games consoles, push themselves to the limits with extreme sports, and in my seven-year-old daughter’s case, learn to surf.

Our coastline can offer all of that, and more. Perhaps it’s because youthful enthusiasm is contagious, perhaps it’s because of my perfect Yorkshire moment on the Filey cliff-top, but I don’t think I’ve been this excited since, at the age of three, I ran down the beach at Bridlington with my bucket and spade and jumped in the sea fully-clothed.