Section: Travel:Best of British

WATFORD may not be top of your staycation bucket list, especially after it was named one of the UK’s worst big towns.

Ranked poorly by The Telegraph, it was slated for its its ‘concrete centres and bad vibes’.

They might not like it, but as a local – I’m 30 mins down the M1 from there – I feel the need to jump to its defence.

I look at the town with an air of nostalgia because – believe it or not – some of the highlights of my childhood were spent in Watford.

In my teens, it was the closest thing to an action-packed city we had, unless we wanted to trek into London, which quite frankly was a cost my pals and I didn’t want to incur, plus our parents all worried about our safety in the big smoke. 

Days were spent at the Harlequin shopping centre, which had all the top high street shops but without the London crowds. Mum would take me here in early school years to buy new shoes from Clark’s.

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I’d watch the Disney movies in shoe heaven while mum and the shop assistants liaised over styles and measured how much my tootsies had grown.

I spent weekends as a season ticket holder watching Watfords now distinctly average football team play on its home turf, stopping for chippies to celebrate (or commiserate) post game.

When I turned 17, my pals and I graduated from the shops to the clubs and bars.

In the 2000s party glory days, we’d grab our glad rags and the tallest platform heels we could find, starting at Vodka Revolutions where shots were cheap as chips, then heading on to one of the mega clubs like Oceana or Area (both now gone).

We wouldn’t walk between venues, instead we’d hop on a bicycle tuktuk, just like the fairy-light clad ones you find in London, only cheaper. 

Top Golf was another cherished activity at the weekends.

The experience is still there today, home to a lively bar and several putting stations.

You don’t have to be good at golf to play, the aim of the game is to whack the balls into targets laid out on the vast green ahead.

Admittedly, I don’t visit Watford as frequently nowadays as most of my time is spent either close to my office in London Bridge, or my hometown, when I’m not off travelling the world.

But it still holds a charm nonetheless. And well worth a visit.

For starters, the is where the UKs leading Harry Potter attraction is, Warner Bros Studio Tour.

Potter fans will be blown over by what’s on offer here and you can pick up some wizarding treats seen on screen and read in the books, like butterbeer, before getting a first hand look behind the magical scenes seen on screen.

Don’t forget to pull a squealing mandrake out of the dirt and explore the Dursley’s house in Privet Drive.

There’s a decent restaurant scene now, too.

Humo is a great option for meat lovers with grubs scorched over an open flame.

The shopping is still decent – and less busy than those in London!

And little kids can take advantage of a Vue cinema and pottery painting while older ones test their nerve at indoor go karting or ninja warrior adventure.

So even if Watford is a little rough around the edges and not the prettiest place to look at, it’s still got it perks. 

One things for sure, you’ll never get bored. But I do wish they’d bring back those booming clubs

IF you want a holiday rental with a difference – check out these five rail-inspired stays around the country.

From converted Pullman carriages to upgraded former stations – these cosy stays are perfect for train enthusiasts.

The Old Station

In West Sussex is a B&B called The Old Station which has Pullman carriages and the opportunity to dine on a disused platform.

The Old Station is on what was formerly Petworth Railway Station and guests can choose whether to stay in the house or one of the renovated carriages.

Inside the Station House, guests can stay in the Lower Room with an ensuite and large walk in shower and super king size bed.

Up the spiral staircase is the largest bedroom with a super king size bed and an ensuite with room for three guests.

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Outside are traditional Pullman carriages, and six Standard Classic Pullman Rooms – each is fitted with a double bed with a table and chairs for dining and an ensuite.

The B&B serves up hot breakfast and continental in the Waiting Room, or outside on the platform by the exotic garden in good weather.

With Host Unusual, guests can book from £130 per night.

High Cross Camping Coach and Living Van

Tucked away in the Dorset countryside is this charming Victorian railway carriage called the Camping Coach.

The carriage has been completely transformed with modern touches but has original leather window straps and luggage racks overhead.

The main living area is heated by a wood burner and is fitted out with a small dining table and plush sofa.

It also has a compact kitchen, bathroom and snug bedroom that can sleep up to two people.

Outside is a private garden and the Edwardian Living Van which also sleeps two.

With Host Unusual, up to four guests can stay for £90 per night – which is £22.50 per person.

The Signal Box

This Signal Box that once perched at Wymondham Station is now a rural haven in the Norfolk countryside.

The rail retreat is found in Melton Constable and inside it has a kitchen and cosy living on the upper floor – it’s surrounded by windows and incredible views.

Downstairs is the double bedroom with an en-suite shower room.

During the summertime, step outside to enjoy quiet by the pond or even fire up the barbecue.

One holidaygoer left a review and said: “The Signal Box was a wonderfully quirky place to stay, we loved every part of it.

“It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop & the views were amazing, everything you could wish for to have a quiet relaxing holiday.”

The Signal Box sleeps two with a seven-night stay starting from £538.

The Carriage at Creagan

This holiday home was once a working train carriage that transported milk along the GWR Line.

Now, it’s tucked between Oban and Fort William at Creagan, an Edwardian station that closed in 1966.

Inside the carriage is a cosy bedroom with wooden panelling, as well as an open kitchen and living space with a squishy sofa, Smart TV, and a warming wood-burning stove.

Outside on the patio is a table and chairs, large gas fire pit and even an outdoor path.

Nearby there’s plenty of activities to do from walking, cycling, watersports and wildlife-watching.

You can book a stay at the Carriage at Creagan from £200 per night.

Harvey of Hayle

Just a short stop from St Ives is this converted vintage railway coach called Harvey of Hayle.

It’s been described as a ‘time capsule’ with vintage décor and objects from the 1950s like lampshades, luggage racks and signs.

Harvey of Hayle has even appeared on Great British Railway Journeys with Michael Portillo.

Next door is a signal box playhouse – for the kids to exert as much energy as they like, and a wooden deck for watching sunsets.

For the trainspotters in the group, there’s even a viewing platform so you can see more locomotives on the Cornish main line.

St Ives is just one stop away on the train, meanwhile Hayle Town and its beautiful beach is a short walk from the carriage.

The carriage can sleep up to six guests and costs up to £693 (based on a seven-night off-peak stay).

For more on station stays here’s one that is one of Tripadvisor’s best has Pullman carriages and breakfast delivered to your bed.

Plus, five abandoned train stations that are now beautiful hotels with bedroom carriages and huge grand lobbies.

YOU’D have to be living under a rock to have not heard of Margate, often cited as one of the UK’s trendiest seaside towns.

But it became the coolest seaside town in the WORLD after singing legend Madonna recently visited – and raved about it.

It’s the second time the Vogue singer has been spotted in Margate, having visited back in October after being introduced by artist Tracy Emin, who lives in the town.

Having previously visited the Freedman Gallery and TKE Studios, she was spotted again this week at an Off Season event, a grassroots initiative.

Talking about Margate, she said: “This is my idea of heaven. Whenever I go there, I feel like I’ve entered a dream.”

She also cited the town as being “inhabited and energised by creativity”.

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As someone who used to live in the town, it comes as no surprise that Margate continues to attract world-famous stars.

The town was previously used as a filming location for the Sam Mendes film Empire of Light, which saw huge stars including Olivia Colman visit during filming.

Lily Allen filmed her Sky Atlantic series Dreamland in Margate, while Oscar winner Rami Malek was previously spotted with his former girlfriend actor Emma Corrin, set to star in the new Pride and Prejudice remake.

And Pedro Pascal was spotted visiting at an art gallery in recent months.

Margate was one of the original Victorian seaside resorts but, like many in the UK, lost favour in the 1960s and fell into disrepair.

However in the last decade it has seen a boom in popularity.

Even during my few years living there – having left London for the town during Covid – I saw how it has grown in popularity.

My three-bed flat cost £210,000, although you could easily find one bedroom ones for £120,000. Now the average house price is nearly £300,000, according to Rightmove.

Before I moved to the town, it was in short supply of hotels to stay in, mainly with run down seaside B&Bs or home rentals being the only option.

Since then, openings have included the trendy boutique Fort Road Hotel, as well as the latest Guesthouse hotel, after success in Bath and Brighton.

When it comes to the food scene, Michelin named Margate in its ‘10 best seaside towns for food lovers in the UK & Ireland‘ last year.

Mexican restaurant High Dive was praised by the Good Food Guide, while the Italian Sargasso was name one of the UK’s best restaurants by the Times.

Sadly, Madonna didn’t reveal where she ate, but wrote: “I get to eat at my favorite Italian restaurant which I’m not giving anyone the name of because then everyone’s going to go there and it only has one table.”

It is thought that it was Bottega Caruso, in the middle of town known for its huge slabs of tiramisu.

Even when it comes to bars, there is the often lauded Sete, a tiny Parisian-esque drinking spot, as well as Guesthouse’s rooftop bar which opens in summer, and is one of the few rooftop bars in Kent.

Of course you can’t best a good pub, and both George & Heart and Rose in June are some of the coolest in town.

It is even home to one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, with Cliftonville named the UK’s best by Time Out.

It’s here you’ll find the historic Walpole Lido, one of the UK’s largest that is also free to visit, as well as the nearby pop up Sea Scrub sauna.

But when it comes to seaside towns, it needs fish and chips – Peter’s Fish Factory is often praised as the UK’s best – as well as arcades, which can be found lining the seafront.

And with one of Kent‘s only sandy beaches, and being home to the famous retro Dreamland theme park? I’m ready to back it taking the mantle of world’s coolest.

In the mean time, here are some other seaside towns that are booming.

And we’ve rounded up our favourite seaside towns that are less than 90 minutes from London.