Sand in the city
Nottingham is getting its own beach for summer
By David Sandhu
Welcome to Nottingham’s Riviera. The traditional British seaside has arrived in the landlocked city’s Old Market Square – courtesy of 300 tonnes of sand, 600m of boardwalk and a giant paddling pool. Not to mention pony rides, ‘hook-a-duck’ stalls, chair swings, crazy golf, bungee trampolines and deck chairs. A beach barbecue adds some alfresco action with ‘surf ‘n’ turf’ favourites on its menu.
So, what’s going on? The council invited local amusement and leisure company Mellors Group to create a £200,000 recreation of a British beach in the city’s iconic square. “Times are hard and people can’t necessarily afford to go to the sea,” explains James Mellors. “So at least everyone can enjoy a holiday in the city this summer. We’re Nottingham people and proud to be associated with this.”
The sheer ambition of the project is certainly impressive, compared to previous attempts in Nottingham and other ‘city beaches’ set up in Birmingham and Paris last year. “Beaches have been done before but this is taking it to another level,” says Mellors. “This is the first one on this scale. I haven’t come across anywhere that has done it like this.”
Nottingham-on-Sea features a programme of daily activities: from sandcastle competitions to Punch and Judy shows, outdoor cinemas, morning exercise classes and even beach volleyball. So why not grab yourself a stick of special edition Nottingham Rock and revel in this true summer madness?
Nottingham-on-Sea continues until 5 September
