We've had a look back in our archives to dig out these pictures of Clacton's High Street in the 1980s. 

During the decade hundreds of shoppers would flock to the booming High Street, sometimes overflowing into the roads as they battled for pavement space.

Pier Avenue, which is often now used as a strip for zooming joyriders, was sometimes prioritised for the free flow of shoppers during special events, with concrete blocks preventing vehicle access.

There was even a succession of green potted plants and wooden benches in the middle of the road on which tired shoppers could take respite from their spending.

Over in Station Road, a large, looming Tesco supermarket dominated the area and the Wimpy restaurant was a popular place for a bite to eat.

Some historic shops, like Magic Music, which has since moved to Rosemary Road, have remarkably stood the test of time and remain a staple of today’s somewhat depleted seaside retail offering.

Speaking to the Gazette in 2020, historian Norman Jacobs, of the Clacton and District Local History Society, said it was surprising to see how the High Street has changed in what is, in reality, a short space of time.

He also believes the lack of variety shoppers are now faced with is one of the key reasons why the town centre isn’t as busy, nor as appealing, as it was during its heyday.

He said: “Before the days of the computer and the out-of-town shopping parks, town centres used to look something like this - they were busy.

“This is Pier Avenue, circa 1987, when people actually did their shopping in the town centre and we had a wide variety of shops catering for all tastes and needs.

“I think the photos of Pier Avenue with lots of shoppers in were taken around Christmas time and it may be the street was blocked off for a special shopping event.

“Blocking off was not a normal occurrence and the number of people is indicative of it being a special event.

“Since these photographs, taken just over 35 years ago, Clacton has seen the loss of many of its well-loved town centre shops.

"Homegrown retailers, such as Spalls and Arthur Westwood, have now gone as well as branches of national chains including Woolworth’s, Marks and Spencer and Mothercare.

“Sadly, a return to these days seems very unlikely.”