WOULD YOU BELIEVE...
Going to Great Yarmouth out of season is an interesting experience. In the summer, Great Yarmouth is a bustling - if imperfect - seaside resort. In the late autumn of November, however, it is certainly a noticeably different place. Shops are closed, neon shines feebly, and streets are largely empty. Broken signs and empty shop windows stand out more, and of course the expected rain hits hard. I can tell you, one friend definitely regretted not bringing a coat...
THAT
THIS
But this can bring out other qualities of Great Yarmouth. For all the “modern” arcades, amusements and flashing lights, there is a hidden Victorian history. All it takes is a glance upwards. Above the bottom layer, the fabulous architecture takes hold; artistic, careful hands clearly crafted Great Yamourth “back in the day”. As you delve deeper into the town, this comes into the ground level too. A desolate church still holds some beauty, despite its uncared-for, overgrown surroundings.
Even on this double spread are two fabulous examples of Great Yarmouth’s architecture. Buildings like the Yarmouth Hippodrome have the classic red brick look and stretch high into the sky; despite the natural corrosion, it still retains its classical style. The theme of broken signs is something me and my friends became aware of, but equally the oldstyle typography appeals to me. Broken aspects to it and other damage actually makes it more interesting in some cases - it is so different to the “flawless” typefaces we have in the digital world.
‘GREAT’
IS
YARMOUTH
?
Great Yarmouth may not look all that great at first glance, but hidden delights like weathered typography and Victorian-era architecture give it a different type of greatness. Also, the out-of-season months give other parts of Great Yarmouth a chance to shine. For example, street art; the image on this double spread is a spectacular piece of graffiti, but it was hidden down a back street - the kind of street you would ignore in the summer months. We came across it through a trail of interesting design, following intriguing signs on the way to the Time and Tide museum! To me, this was a standout photo from our trip as it seems completely out of place. It screams culture, colour, vibrance; everything a November in Great Yarmouth isn’t generally connected with. But the beauty is there, if you look hard enough.
...THAT THIS IS ‘GREAT’ YARMOUTH?