I ran into Old Hunstanton on day 1799 of my running streak, on a bank holiday weekend, and the first thing I noticed was how quiet it was.

I grew up spending time here. My late Nan lived in King's Lynn, about 15 minutes away, so Hunstanton was a regular part of my childhood. A bank holiday weekend here used to mean arcades, fairground rides, fish and chips on the beach and caravans packed onto every site. It was the busiest stretch of the year for this coastal town. This time I could walk the front and hear my own footsteps.

What I saw

The beach looked lovely. The sun was out, but it was about six degrees, so I wore a base layer under my kit. That may explain some of the empty sand. It does not explain the arcades, the cafés and the seaside shops, which were quiet too.

I spoke to a few locals who rely on the tourist trade. They told me this has been the pattern for a while. Easter, which they described as their busiest period, even busier than summer, had been quiet as well. I have no figures to back this up. It is what I saw and what the people who work here told me, and I want to be clear about that.

Why I think bank holiday weekend breaks are changing

My view is that money is tighter for a lot of households in the UK. When money is tight, people protect the big item first. That is the main summer holiday. What gets cut is the extra break, the bank holiday weekend away, the second trip in the year.

That matters for a town like Hunstanton. Locals use it, but most of the income comes from visitors. If the extra short breaks disappear, the effect lands on arcades, cafés, caravan parks and everyone who works in them. I find that sad, and I do not pretend to know how long it will last.

Perspective matters

I live in the suburbs of Cambridge, one of the more affluent parts of the UK. From there it is easy to miss how tight things are for other people. That is not a claim that we are rolling in it. What feels tight to one person is different for another, and everything is relative. Seeing an empty seaside town on a bank holiday weekend gave me a clearer picture than any headline had.

What I would do if money were tight

I said in the vlog that I am not telling everyone to become an entrepreneur. I have run businesses that did well and businesses that lost money, so I know it is not the right move for everyone. A side hustle is a smaller step. It does not need the cost or risk of a traditional business.

When I was at university, I funded my final year by buying and selling second-hand golf clubs online. The method was simple:

- I picked a product that holds its value. - I kept a spreadsheet of sale prices for each brand and each set of irons. - I waited for at least 10 entries before trusting an average. - I then searched eBay and bid £20 to £25 below that average as my maximum.

I lost some bids and won others. Everything I won was bought below the typical selling price. At my busiest I was selling 20 to 30 sets a week and making between £400 and £500 a week. It was a lot of manual work. With AI tools today, the research would be much quicker.

If I were in a tight spot again, I would go back to something like that. I would not expect it to replace a job. A few hundred pounds a month can be the difference between being comfortable and being restricted. If you want somewhere to start, search for the top side hustles in the UK and pick one that suits your skills. Selling on eBay or Vinted, or offering online admin or freelance services, are all options. Test it small before you rely on it.

The streak and the mission

I record these vlogs while running, barefoot style, every day. This was consecutive day 1799. My total is now 14,124.60km of the 40,075km I need to cover a lap of the world. That leaves 25,950.40km.

Every episode is part of a fundraiser. The aim is to raise £1M for children's causes, and the more people see the vlog, the more people can support that. A streak is not built on good days. It is built on days like this one, six degrees with a headwind on the way back. I still run, I still film, and I still try to learn something from where I am.

The lesson for me

Seeing a place through repetition changes what you notice. I have been coming to Hunstanton for years, so the quiet stood out. The same is true of the streak. Doing the same thing every day makes small changes visible, in my body, in my town and in the economy around me.

If you have a question or a comment about bank holiday weekend breaks, side hustles or the run, drop me a line. I respond to anything relevant. You can watch the full episode, follow the daily vlog, or support the fundraiser if you want to help the mission for children.

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/tL5ItnJKx14