Starting next Thursday I’m off on a mad seaside tour. In this tiny country you’d think a circuit of Southend, Southwold, Great Yarmouth, Cromer, Scarborough, Blackpool and Southport wouldn’t be so difficult, but some of the train journeys make me wince. If you love the sea, why do you have to go to Peterborough and York to get up the east coast? Why to Manchester on the nip across from Bradford to Blackpool? Other irritations are purely geographical – I never knew Blackpool and Southport were divided by an impassable river… I know it sounds like a stupid question but: Why don’t we have boats that go round our island?

Anyway, as you can see I’m already getting on high horses. I reckon I’ll have a few more to ride on the way round. So if you like a bit of seaside and you wish you were here, please follow and chat to me on the way. Feel free to fire questions about the seaside towns and if I get them on time I’ll try to find out the answers. Let’s use #seasider.

After setting off from home in Hastings, we’ll be driving up the east coast – that way we can hug it tight. It will be a full car with me and DH, little’un and Lesley from the Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust, plus Scuffle the patterdale terrier, and quite possibly a colleague from the Development Trusts Association who is heading Essex-wards, squashed in for good measure. From Scarborough I’ll cross country by train, stopping in Bradford to check out the Meanwhile projects and stay with Hugh, the DTA’s greatest Asset & Investment. In Southport I’m excited about meeting the Southport Pier Trust and then Blackpool for the epitome of seaside tourism business models. I wish I could go on round the corner onto the fabulous North Wales coast. Sadly, got to get back, but I’ve experienced the delights of Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn and Llandudno on previous trips. Likewise the Kent coast which should never be left out – I love Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, and Herne Bay and Whitstable. Can’t say Dover or Deal make my heart whirr but we’re all in this together…

When I get back, let’s set up the equivalent of the Cinque Ports… freedoms and flexibilities, rights and responsibilities, investment and reward. Seaside towns have it all to offer.