But now the sun's out and, with it, tourists and residents, blinking into the brightness, like pit ponies, to look at the view.

And what a view. The showcase seafront is up for yet another prestige award – two in fact, one being the equivalent of the Oscars in national architectural terms, the other being directly awarded by the Prime Minister. Both to be announced in autumn so watch this space...

What would Gordon Brown would make of Cleveleys? The nation may be on its knees but in a town where comedians joke there's barely a working hip, all seem to have a spring to their step. The town centre is bustling for all the 4.2 per cent inflation rate and rising food prices. Clearly it helps to discount mecca B&M here too.

Many of the retail pilgrims have abandoned cars and coaches to catch some sun, and rejoice at the new banner opposite Mason's amusements arcade, proclaiming the return of Children's Corner (Kiddy's Corner to the cognoscenti), a new look for the old fair run by the Mason brothers.And, of course, many are static ferry-watching too. Not that there's much left of Riverdance, since the demolition-cum-salvage lads moved in, shifting chunks daily, the hulk collapsing like some time-elapse nature documentary of a giant whale rotting on the beach.

It's likely part of the ferry will be incorporated within one of the public art features proposed for the promenade soon. A fitting tribute to such an unusual tourist attraction, all the more remarkable given no lives were lost on the stormy night when Riverdance grounded and crew abandoned ship.

Amid the now sunny scene a man in a high visibility jacket moves and pauses, beset by inquiries from residents and visitors alike. Wyre council engineer Carl Green, one of the brains behind the so-called People's Promenade, admits it was a mistake to don the day-glo when he ventured forth from the council-cum-contractors' base at Jubilee Gardens.

The locals want to know "when someone's going to do something" about the lights/the kids/the litter. The visitors want to know what all the features on the showcase prom actually represent ... and express sheer wonder at the scale and style of it all. "Wish we had something like this back home," muses a woman from Great Yarmouth.

As Green points out, officials from coastal councils have been beating a path here, to learn from Wyre's example of what, most agree, really is Best Practice.

"We took the view that this was a once in a lifetime chance to do more than mere sea defences," he says. "They had done a great job, but the floods and storms showed that they could no longer be trusted to stand the test of time.