Sea Lion Show

The Sea Lion Show near Lowestoft is a proper seaside throwback - the kind of entertainment that harks back to when a trained animal performance was the highlight of a holiday. You'll watch sea lions perform tricks and stunts, barking on cue and doing the sort of thing that would never fly with today's animal welfare standards, but which generations of holidaymakers found absolutely riveting.

It's the sort of thing that works best for younger kids, roughly ages 5 to 10. Teenagers will find it dated, and honestly, the novelty wears thin after about 30 minutes unless you're genuinely fascinated by marine mammals. The show itself is brief - don't expect a lengthy production. You get what's promised: sea lions doing trained behaviours, a bit of audience participation, the works.

If you're staying at Pakefield Holiday Park just up the road - it's barely four miles away - this could slot in as a rainy-day activity or a change of pace from the beach. The Hollies is a similar distance inland, so either way it's a quick trip. The real attraction here is the nostalgia factor. It feels proper old-school British seaside, the kind of place that's been running since the 1960s without much renovation. That's either its charm or its downfall, depending on your outlook. Free admission information isn't clear, so check ahead - you might need to phone the venue or ask at your holiday park office.