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The best sandy beaches in Britain, high-quality family entertainment and a fair measure of "designer tack" including cheeky postcards and printed tee shirts.

Great Yarmouth was the top seaside resort for the working class - Great Yarmouth is for the South-east what Blackpool is for the North-west. There are differences, though: while Great Yarmouth does have some fairly outlandish seafront attractions, there is less of the bawdy element for which Blackpool is famous.

Amusement arcades have taken over nearly all of the seafront on the inland side of the road. They offer a higher standard of carpeting, air conditioning and general comfort than most arcades.

Nearly all the hotels and guest houses, as well as most of the tourist attractions, lie on a thin strip of land between the River Yare and the sea. Geography makes it hard to expand Great Yarmouth beyond that strip, and difficult to provide sufficient car parking for visitors within it.

"People may stay just outside the town, in private houses, and catch the bus into Yarmouth. There's lots of entertainment for all ages here, and that's what the customers want," says Jackie Waters, secretary of Great Yarmouth Holiday Association.

As well as the nearby Norfolk Broads, Great Yarmouth can offer visitors stock car racing, horse races, the dog track and two casinos.

The Britannia Pier, at the north end of the seafront, is operated by First Leisure. The Wellington Pier, at the south end, is run by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, but it is now getting some new private sector investment. Entertainer Jim Davidson, who has long-standing links with the resort, has spent £500,000 this winter on refurbishing the theatre on Wellington pier.

One of the most popular attractions is the Sea-Life Centre, which draws 250,000 visitors a year.