August 2026. Skegness. Lincolnshire.
A Sunday night in Skegness, my first ever Summer visit, and no better time to see the real heart of the seaside choice of the entire East Midlands.
I’d been looking at a train from Sheffield but a) it’s £54 before railcard, b) takes over 3 hours, c) the carriages are more crowded than the hen party line to Lime Street.
Mrs RM was suddenly hungry,
but not that hungry.
She’d seen a sign for fish and chips and was heading for it.
“It’s a traditional free house“she says, “come on“.
Never have those words been more misused. The Jolly Fisherman is a Stonegate family fun pub, possibly the biggest in town, and it was exactly the place I wanted to try.
Who comes to the seaside to sit on the beach when they can be in a garish pub diner with cheap Jagerbombs, The Hundred (ugh) on the telly, and the previous family’s lunch on the floor.
Alanis Morissette sings “Ironic“, unironically, losing out to a screaming baby who’s just seen there’s no hand pumps.
Ah well, it’s Neck Oil or Guinness then.
In fairness, a superb seaside Guinness. It took 7 minutes to pour so it should be.
Almost as good as the £12 freshly cooked fish and chips (NF&CSS 4). You can’t buy fish and chips from a takeaway, even one with “Fisheries” in the name, for that price in 2026.
OK, been here, 2 hours, and STILL not seen the seaside…
retiredmartin 
Awful when families trash pubs during lunch. Or sometimes during summer, high powered fans blow food off tables. Allegedly.
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You need a trip to Arbroath for a go at the allegedly only Fish & Chip Buffet in the UK @ the Bell rock. £15 for all you can eat in 2 hours.
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Make it unlimited Arbroath smokies and I’m in.
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Does it have to be all that you can eat or are you allowed the option of eating as much as you would like to eat? I accept that many don’t know the difference, and hence the number of mobility scooters outside Wetherspoons…
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The Jolly Fisherman was formerly Yates and reopened in 2019 after a £250,000 investment. Traditional doesn’t come cheap. Thank goodness Skegness has the Vine Hotel.
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Thank a greater goodness that going to Skegness isn’t obligatory.
I grew up In Nottingham by the way.
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The Vine ? Rings a bell.
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“The Hundred (ugh)”. Totally agree.
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It’s just too long. Make it the Zero and just have mascots and fireworks and a DJ and free shirts and everyone will be happy.
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That would have about as much to do with cricket as the Hundred.
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