Essex - Clacton on Sea - 1976 

I didn't know we had dolphins in Clacton, although I didn't move to north Essex until the end of 1980.

Not a mobile phone in sight those were good days. Simple times but truly happy times....

i was born there in 1979,.. by the time i was at primary school i lived just off west road,.. i an remember so well the derelict buildings and waste ground that was slowly cleared to make way for martello bay - everyone always told me how great clacton was when butlins was there,.. it had a real buzz,. but sadly gone

The summer that seemed to go on and on and on. My last year at junior school in clacton on sea. Bursville.

I was there in 1979. Great holiday.

I remember the dolphins on the peir when i was a little kid in the early 80's. There was an Orca Killer Whale there too. Looking back, and after watching modern documentaries like "Blackfish!", you realise how cruel it was. The size of the living quarters of these large mammals was disgraceful. Even todays conditions of captive whales is bad enough, but what it must have been like 50 years ago is terrible.

Always upsets me watching this stuff. Very very fond memories of butlins Clacton. 😢😢😢😢

Mrs. Dan Dare here. I went on a school trip to Clacton-on-sea in June 1976. I recall seeing the dolphins, the lifeboat and collecting starfish from under the pier. I was six at the time.

Nice memory's Clacton was a lovely town in 70&80's. Obviously it's gone down the pan in recent years but i am sure it will re-invent itself as it's still got loads of potential to improve.

Butlins went a long time ago , houses now. Lot's of visitors in 1976 , the hot summer year.

Great memories for me there

Thanks for posting this

In the late 60's I had school swimming lessons at Butlin's Holiday Camp

I remember going to Butlins in 1980 as a day visitor with my dad. I was obsessed with the giant cartoon character bins that sucked the rubbish from your hands 😃 A few years later It was so exciting when it was announced that a new theme park, atlas park, was to be built on the site . It was going to be like Disneyland we were told! Once atlas park opened the ride selection was limited but through the summer of 83 ( I think🤔) new rides would appear every week. There was a cine80, giant slide , funhouse as well as a rollercoaster and the looping boat ride. My best memory was the bumpy slide being installed on a hot summers day. Being beans new it was terrifyingly fast but great fun. Around 1986 the site has sadly become a vandals paradise with anything that could be broken , smashed up. Then along came the housing development , marshmallow bay as it was locally referred too. Crappy houses built on a sinking foundation. To walk along the site now is slightly depressing when I think back at how busy that area of clacton was. Not only did we lose Butlins but also the Bailey's funfair and arcade along with the donkey rides by the cafe.

That's bubble & squeak the dolphins on Clacton pier. Sadly one of them died after swallowing a child's toy thrown in the pool. Used to have sealions and young orca too. Just aquariums nowadays.

How old are you now

Hate that these amazing, beautiful creatures are used for sad people's " entertainment "