Britain's 'safest' seaside town where locals say it's like 'going back 50 years'

In Britain's 'safest' seaside town, locals say it's like 'going back 50 years'.

Llandudno is a coastal resort in north Wales, overlooking the Irish Sea. It is home to just under 20,000 people.

“Living here is like going back 50 years,” Ray, 80, who retired to Llandudno almost three decades ago, told the Telegraph. 

“The older ladies still dress nicely. You can go out for walks after dark. There are no rough gangs going around swearing and fighting.”

The seafront is the centre of the town, with a two-mile stretch of Victorian terraces intertwined with grand hotels.

There are also a number of beautiful shops, restaurants, churches, and museums to explore. The pier has a handful of slot machines and a pub overlooking the beach.

The Great Orme Tramway is also a popular pastime for visitors, which takes passengers to the tall limestone headland. There is also a cable car.

“It’s a beautiful place to live,” says Helen Parkes, 37, who moved here two years ago from London with her husband and three children. 

“We sometimes say it’s like a holiday that never ends. It’s lacking in terms of retail and culture – Conwy next door has had more spent on it and has more independent shops – but living here you do realise life’s not all about spending.”

Liz Westwood, 21, works at the Llandudno Pier Coffee Shop. “I came here from the Midlands, to live with my nan and, in a way, start again,” she says.

“You’ve always got the beach and the mountains. I get on with people of all ages, but there are young people here if you want to find them.”

Those wishing to visit Llandudno can get there via trains from Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham and London. The town has a number of places to stay.