Hemsby Fun Park

Right on the edge of Hemsby, just a short drive from Great Yarmouth, this fair grounds operation has been entertaining families for decades with rides and amusements. It's proper old-school seaside fun - the kind of place where you'll find everything from bumper cars to the sort of rides that spin you round faster than feels entirely sensible. Nothing cutting-edge, but that's rather the point. Kids between about five and twelve will genuinely enjoy themselves here without needing a second mortgage. Teenagers might find it a bit tame unless they're after nostalgia.

The park sits right in the heart of the holiday park cluster along this stretch of coast. Richardson's Hemsby Beach Holiday Park is essentially on your doorstep if you're staying there - you could practically see the rides from your caravan. If you're based at Parkdean Resorts California Cliffs or Haven Caister-on-Sea, it's a couple of minutes up the road. Makes it an ideal rainy afternoon option when the beach isn't calling, or a quick evening outing after fish and chips.

Costs are reasonable for what you get, though admission and ride tokens will add up if you've got three kids all wanting to go on everything twice. Best visited mid-week if you can manage it - weekends get rammed with school groups. Allow a couple of hours unless you're after a quick fix. Nothing life-changing, but proper nostalgic fun and genuinely useful when the Norfolk wind decides to be unbearable.