Sandown is not St. Tropez. It’s better. It’s where you go to watch old ladies race mobility scooters on the seafront. The Merrie Gardens hotel is a short, pleasant stagger from the pier.
You can walk to the beach in your flip-flops. No need for a taxi. No need to find a parking spot. You just... walk. Like a human. With sand between your toes.
Across the road, there’s an amusement arcade that smells of stale popcorn and childhood debt. You’ll lose £2 on a claw machine, and you’ll do it with a smile. That’s the Sandown spirit.
