West Shore Issues

[SDQ]

Wrex is a very great man....

Do I sense somebody has some decorating that needs doing?

[majormellons]

I'm sure we can rely on Wrex not to gloss over the subject.

(no more paint gags please!)

[Nemesis]

 How about papering over the cracks then? L0L

[snowcap]

C,mon Nem that,s still a Gag no matter how you decorate it

[pebbles]

The Council in their wisdom decided to increase the level of the beach by 10 foot or more and in the 1980's or thereabouts the problems started.
The problems at the West Shore are entirely man made, not by the powers of nature which you seem to suggest and was constructed as the cheapest option available and didn't take into account the conditions which should have been obvious to anyone living in the town.
Just in case you have any lingering doubt as to who is correct, here is a photo of the White Rabbit statue before the 1980's

Not to be pedantic but people keep syaing it was the 80s that it all changed - it wasn't, on my summer holiday in 1991 the beach was how it had been every year of my life (and all of my mums childhood too) ie the steps with sand at the bottom of it. Summer 1992 however we crossed the kids playground and stopped in horror at the sight before us - a billion tons of "sharp builders stone and rocks" and the 3 large sea defence groins. It took me years to get over it - if i even am

[Hugo]

Sorry about that Pebbles but thanks very much for putting us all straight.   
I remember you posting a lovely photo of your mother standing on those steps but I couldn't find it on here when I was looking for it recently.
At least we are old enough to remember the good memories that came with how the beach once was.

[Ian]

I'm pretty sure I have a photo of the steps.  I'll have a dig around.

But all this would be unnecessary if only CCBC would come clean and explain why they did what they did.

[pebbles]

Sorry about that Pebbles but thanks very much for putting us all straight.   
I remember you posting a lovely photo of your mother standing on those steps but I couldn't find it on here when I was looking for it recently.
At least we are old enough to remember the good memories that came with how the beach once was.

hehe that's ok 

Wow you have a long memory! Yes i posted a pic of what mum always told me was LL in the 50s, but iirc you guys said it wasn't! I don't have the pic to hand, in fact don't seem to have any of my pre beach disaster pics handy apart from this one of me and my sister in 1979. I  have blued out our faces cos i posted this last time i think and my sister found it on a google image search and was not happy i posted her face 



I suppose in a way it's been so long now i've got used to the beach (or what's left of it) - it's the fear of them adding even more rock again which i know they're talking about. Fixing north shore seems to have more people behind it - but that definitely needs an overhaul.. i'm always telling my boyfriend as we clamber over rocks that are pretending to be pebbles in front of the theatre that even in the early 90s there was pebbles and sand *gasp*

I'm so addicted to the place i love that it doesn't stop me coming back, but i would think many without that emotional connection will honestly be put off lately

[Ian]

The steps actually looked rather nicer, too.

[Hugo]

Thanks Pebbles for posting the photo of the two of you, the sea looked very calm there on that day.
The black and white photo of your mother was taken on the West Shore in Llandudno and it was a great photo of your mum and the steps.  If my memory serves me right it seemed that it was a reverse image for some reason and Ian sorted it out, but it definitely was Llandudno and the sand hills in that picture were where the car park is nowadays.  Happy memories for you         

[mull]

As Pebbles says a lot of us have memories of how good it used to be.

How many of the young ones coming today will want to come backwith the same attachment?

[Hugo]

Yes, looking at the photo again, the place where I would swim was by the Toll House as the water was deeper there and you could sunbathe
on the steps after the swim.     

[majormellons]

It seems that there are a lot of older people bemoaning WS.
They seem worried about what today's kids will think.

My young daughter loves West Shore and just accepts it for what it is.
She doesn't really care how it looked 30 years ago, she is enjoying it now.
A lot of rose tinted glasses being worn, thinking back to the summer of 76?

A lot of 'experts' on here telling us that the works on WS have ruined it.
I'd rather trust actual experts, who have to consider the elemental damage to the whole town, and not just to somebody's front lawn.

[Hugo]

To use an appropriate metaphor, you might get sandblasted but you're still not the brightest pebble on the beach,,,,, far from it!

[Ian]

I'd rather trust actual experts, who have to consider the elemental damage to the whole town, and not just to somebody's front lawn.

This is probably the crux of the matter. Some estimates put sea level rises at 36cm by 2080 and the evidence for increasing extremes of weather is undeniable.  The problems facing low-lying tracts of land such as the Llandudno Isthmus are twofold: protecting the town and yet preserving the amenity.  Protecting the town is relatively simple.  A six-foot high concrete and brick wall around the shores will do the job, yet there might be the odd mutter of discontent. On the other hand , whatever actions are taken will change the shape of the area.

So what's the solution?