Back in the world of trashy kitsch crapola that is Great Yarmouth for the second of our "Katie And Dive Do Great Yarmouth" posts.
The main reason we went to Yarmouth - indeed the main reason Katie flew all the way from San Francisco - was to see the justifiably world famous "American Highway" in action.
Here it is in all its glory last February … the world's most pathetic amusement park ride.
We were desperately disappointed to discover that it has gone the way of all flesh and is now the home of a water pistol target shooting game called - rather too grandly - the Britannia Pier Fire Dep't.All that is left is the sad little track that the cars ran on …
… at least the outrageously camp US traffic cop survives, though now sawn out of his city backdrop and nailed somewhat ignominiously to a fence.But bugger all round that! We are here to have FUN (in upper case letters, no less).
And FUN we shall have!Here's the whole of that teaser shot I posted a while back … Katie hi-jacking one of the kiddies' rides.
Where shall she take us, I wonder?
Er … to be weighed, of course.Katie is super-slim and fit and weighs not very much at all …
Whereas I am super-not-slim and saggy and appropriately hefty.Having said that, we ate like piggies all week and I still managed to lose five pounds – which (astonishingly) I have kept off.
Yay for unaccustomed exercise (we … er … walked a lot)!
And so to the pier … Disney World has nothing on Yarmouth!We have the best and most high-tech rides on the planet.
Witness this: the … er … Camel Derby.
I remember playing this when I was a kiddie.
Tremendous fun!
Best of all, however, was the old "penny push"!Now updated to 2p pieces it is still the exciting if trashy fun it was all those decades ago.
Katie was determined to win …
… and win she most certainly did!Again and again!
Woohoo!
There are many more attractions to be had on and around the piers.Donkey rides! Whee!
Dangerous structures!Yippee!
Teletubbies!Holy fuck!
And at the end of the Britannia Pier sits - rather incongruously amidst the tat - a genuine Edwardian carousel.
Complete with scary-eyed stampeding horses to frighten your kiddies …
Or - if your children are somewhat differently inclined - an unnecessarily gay pink swan and … er … a chicken.
And when your kiddies are happily whirling around they can look up and see …Oh-er … a naked boy with his willie out.
And some splendidly graphic … er … um … I really cannot possibly imagine what these ladies are doing.But yay, boobies!
Those Edwardians certainly knew how to educate their children!
Let's check out the shops, shall we?Here's our heroine showing her skills as a photographer.
Katie has an eye for a good photo.
Even here!
Check it out!Cool, huh?
This lady seemed somewhat over-glam for her vocation - I marvelled at her immaculate hair-do - though she was happy for Katie to take her photo and gave us a smile.We like the sign behind her:
"A smile can make the whole world very happy."
Yay for Glam-Donut-Woman!
And yay aussi for donuts, spelled the American way, without the highly appropriate "UGH" that we brits add to make doughnuts.We got these bright and early, just as the place was opening and so - luckily - got them fried in the first fat of the day, which was reassuringly clean and clear and free of cack.
Let's not be coy here … they were fucking awesome!I'd not had a freshly-made donut since I was a teenager and it brought back all those memories of acne and despair.
And gave me a day-long psycho-sugar rush.
We refrained from following that with ice creams …
Not for want of trying on my part, however.
As for this grotesquely nauseating display … I think Katie's body language says it all: "Let's get outta here!"I wonder where we shall go next?
Tune in and you may find out …
20 comments:
Oh what a wonderful trip through 'playland!" Katie can make even the most seemingly unappealing place great fun. Fun for you to see a familiar place through unfamiliar eyes, eh? Endless possibilities you never realized!
This really does look like a fun day full of all kinds of crap. Cool place, not unlike the New Jersey shore, actually.
Tacky seaside toot, fatty doughnuts and 'kiddies', 'children' (where have all the derogatory terms for them gone? I'm glad they have though!) You are unrecognisable, Dive!
I was thinking the same thing Robyn! First you load up on carmel popcorn (Johnsons is the best), greasy pizza, funnel cake, cheese fries and soft drinks. Then you play some arcade games, then ride on the salt and pepper shakers or tilt-a-whirl until you feel like you're going to hurl it all up.
Top it all of with a good soft serve ice cream cone with jimmies and that is one heck of a good time!
Love the carousel - what ARE those ladies doing exactly?
That Katie is the bomb. Annnnnnnnnnd what a long tongue you have Dive. Ummm. OK enough of that mark. I love all those campy photo ops. I would love to visit that place. What could be better than "first of the day" fried donuts. Have Katie tell you about "The Great Minnesota Get-to-gether." Also known as the Minnesota State Fair. You two had way to much fun during that trip. And I'm glad you did. I like both of you a ton.
ps. How many stones are there to a ton? I forgot you lads across the pond are on the metric system. lol
Looks a bit chilly by the look of Katie's jacket so a warm donut would have been delicious indeed. I'd have gone for a donkey ride I think. Do they sell carrots there?
Love Katie's photo of the bucket of spades.
Too much fun and I am so happy to read all about it, sugar! xoxoxo
Now I know what happened to the Teletubbies! So Jerry Falwell had them shipped off to Yarmouth after he declared to all of the US of A that Tinky Winky was gay. I still remember my six year old daughter asking "Mommy, what's gay?" I wrote to Falwell to thank him. (I wasn't ready to explain sex yet). He never did respond.
Love the naughty carousel ceiling! Love you and Katie!
The Edwardian carousel is very pretty, gay pink swans and all. It looks like you two had loads of fun. Watching fireworks is one of the things I remember fondly from my childhood and tonight I saw some from Legoland. The minute I hear that distinctive sound I always have to stop what I'm doing and watch from my window.
Cynthia: Katie certainly made me see that Yarmouth can be fun, which is a miracle in itself!
Robyn: Crap indeed! They seem proud of the tackiness.
Lynn: Derogatory? Moi?
Shazza: If YOU don't know what those ladies are doing then I CERTAINLY don't!
Hee hee.
Mark: The Minnesota State Fair is definitely on our list of places to visit.
As for the metric system, I still work in feet and inches, ounces, pounds and stones, gallons, pints, miles, furlongs, rods and perches.
Bugger the EU and their stupid metricity.
Mme: It was rather windy that morning, but not too cold. The donut was indeed delicious; I'd forgotten what it was like to ingest that much sugar and fat at one time and was quite giddy.
Savannah: Glad to see you back blogging!
xoxoxo
Neetzy: Wow! I never knew all that about the teletubbies. Not watching TV means I miss out on such a lot.
I so wish I were in San Francisco with Katie for your visit. Have a wonderful time!
Cali: Yay for fireworks and woohoo for Legoland! I am so jealous!
What an incredibly tacky place! LOL! But it's not like the tacky here. It definitely has a "flavor" all its own, from what the pictures show. That carousal is lovely, though. But what's with the odd juxtaposition of the chicken and the cherubs?
Hi, Katherine!
The "flavour" of Yarmouth is kind of chips and mushy peas with a whiff of donut. Icky!
As for the chicken and the cherubs … That's what our English grandparents were brought up on; no wonder we turned out as weird as we did!
It looks like that the green and yellow teletubbies are just about to upchuck into that top hat.
If Katie happens to snap any pictures of me near her, please do not gasp in disgust. I am short and chubby.
BTW I do not eat donuts or chips or anything fried or fastfood. I just have that "hobbit metabolism".
Dear, dear Dive, I must correct you. "Donut" is not the American spelling, it's the WRONG spelling. Like "lite." The proper spelling is doughnut. Oh, I'm such a stickler.
Hooray for walking. It's fine, fine exercise. Good for body and soul.
LOVE the pictures Dive. I've never cared for the Teletubbies, but certainly went through a couple years worth of them along with Barney the dinosaur (which you are probably quite lucky to not know as well).
I can't get over the size of that funky raceway. What cute nostalgic rides. Of course the doughnut is always a delicious indulgence, though not many of us can actually get away with eating them. Darn mid- life metabolism.
I'm sorry I've not been visiting properly or even blogging at all for that matter. I have not had many lazy days this summer where I can just do as I please. And now I'm even off on a camping trip of all things. I'll be camping one night and spending three by myself in a motel. Teehee A diva is as a diva does I suppose. ;)
Keep posting all that fun stuff(yes, even the plastic veggies) and I'll be back next week to visit again! Byee
Vanda: Well spotted! They just look so freaky sitting there on the pier, life sized. Brr!
Neetzy: I just heard from Katie. You got away with it … she didn't take any photos.
Now we are going to HAVE to meet!
Petrea: So glad you insert UGH into donuts like we do over here.
Lite and Nite set my teeth on edge, as does BBQ. Ack!
Hey, Shan!
Have a great time at camp, in you … er … motel. Hee hee.
I never saw the Teletubbies, mercifully, though I did check out Barney the Dinosaur, but only after the news reports that they were using his songs as part of the torture regime in Gitmo.
Sheesh! I'd have fessed up to anything!
Mid-life metabolism versus the donut? No contest! Eat and enjoy.
I'll expect lots of lovely Shan-posts when you get back.
The Teletubbies scare the bejesus out of me!
Me too! And those big fibreglass ones are truly scary.
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