Braddick's Amusement Arcade

The arcade sits right there on Bideford's seafront - you can't miss the glow of the machines and that particular smell of carpet, salt air, and loose change that takes you straight back to childhood. Braddick's has been a fixture here for years, the kind of place where families dump their kids for an hour while they grab a coffee or work their way through the fish and chips queue next door.

Inside it's what you'd expect: rows of coin-operated games, prize machines that look like they haven't been updated since the nineties, and the occasional crane game where people convince themselves they'll win a stuffed bear despite the odds being firmly against them. The lights are bright, the noise is relentless, and honestly, it's perfect if you've got restless children aged five to twelve who need tiring out on a rainy afternoon.

Admission is free - you just feed in coins for whatever appeals. Most games are old school arcade fare rather than the latest virtual reality setups, which means it won't bankrupt you in an afternoon, though ten quid disappears quicker than you'd think. Allow an hour, maybe ninety minutes if your kids are particularly entertained. Summer weekends get rammed, so go midweek if you can.

If you're staying at Braddicks Holiday Park just up the road, this is literally a five-minute wander away. Works as a rainy-day backup when the beaches at Westward Ho! nearby aren't appealing. Not a destination in itself, but proper useful when you need a break from the elements.