Sun, sea and struggle: growing up in England’s coastal towns – podcast

Helen Pidd grew up in Morecambe, and life in seaside towns has only got harder since she was a teenager. She went back to find out why

As a teenager, the Today in Focus presenter Helen Pidd could not wait to leave her home town on the Lancashire coast. But today she looks back with fondness at her time spent at the fairground or misbehaving on the beachfront, and watching bands at the local music venue.

She returned this summer to find out what life was like for young people today - and found things were not as she remembered. All of her old haunts had shut down and young people spoke about a town in which they had nothing to do.