One of the great joys of the summer season that we’ve just had here in Clacton is just how busy it has been.

We have welcomed a huge number of visitors of all ages, and in fact, it has been particularly pleasing to see how popular Clacton has been with the younger generations.

There is sometimes a feeling that seaside resorts, with their piers and arcades, are no longer popular with, or a draw for, young Brits.

However, polling conducted by Censuswide among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 people aged over 16 shows that the opposite is true.

The results of the polling show that Generation Z has fallen in love with the seaside arcades that have been so popular with the preceding generations.

According to the polling, a staggering 90 per cent of 25–34-year-olds view seaside arcades as being an important part of British culture.

Ninety-one per cent of the same age group said they would visit an arcade on a trip to the seaside just as their parents, grandparents and, in some cases, their great grandparents did.

It’s great to see that the younger generations are visiting and are so supportive of these venues, with 86 per cent of those aged 25-34 years wanting more to be done to protect the UK’s seaside arcades.

We here in Clacton are incredibly lucky to have some great attractions on our doorstep, including Walton Pier and Clacton Pier, the latter of which has recently been ranked by the Daily Express as one of the best three piers in the UK.

This follows Clacton Pier being recognised as one of the best amusement parks in Europe by TripAdvisor.

As such, we have the attractions people want to visit, and there are people who want to visit them, so it is incredibly important that we do all we can to support them and ensure they are still open and active for future generations to enjoy long into the future.

Whether it’s Russell down at Walton Pier, Elliot and Billy at Clacton Pier or a trip to the arcades along Pier Avenue, let’s get behind them.