“That night I wondered – did we get Southport wrong?”

Corine Lamoureux is sitting alongside husband Dale Watson in a picturesque cottage, nestled in the heart of Southport Town Centre. Their accents immediately give the game away – they are not Sandgrounders.

Corine speaks with a warm, melodic voice that reflects her French-Mauritanian heritage. Dale, calm and measured, brings the gentle tones of an Edinburgh ex pat. Together, they are the first contributors to the People of Southport project – a celebration of the great, good, and everyday people who call this beautiful town home.

Sandgrounders

Curated by Sefton Council, the People Of Southport project seeks out both native and adopted Sandgrounders to hear their thoughts and hopes for the town while also sharing personal, heartfelt stories about why they feel proud to call Southport home. 

“Like everyone else, we were completely shocked by what happened last summer,” Corine said. “I remember hearing helicopters and sirens."

The next evening they joined friends at the vigil outside The Atkinson. “It was beautiful. People had travelled from all over the North West. It felt very human,” Dale recalled.

But that night, with one of her daughters caught behind the lines of the unrest, Corine had a moment of doubt. “I wondered—had I misunderstood Southport? Was it not what I thought?”

Reassurance

It’s a question many may have asked in that moment. Corine spent the early hours scrolling social media and watched live as residents quickly formed a plan to repair, to clean, to rebuild. 

“It all happened at 1, 2, 3 am. You could see this huge wave of people coming out with brushes and bins. Offering respite and a feeling of security. 

“The next morning, walking outside, I saw people’s faces—the smiles, the kindness. That reassured me. I hadn’t got it wrong.”

Businessman Lewis Nickson, a born and bred Sandgrounder, knows better than most how much his hometown means to people. 

Lewis said: “I love this town. I used to hate it but I was young and coming from a low-income family. I blamed the authorities, council and education system for all our downfalls.

"Now, I see the people, the businesses, the potential. I’d love to do more – I’d love to volunteer at schools and support local charities.

“Southport isn’t perfect, but it’s improving. I go to all the economic forums and there’s serious investment happening - the MLEC, the food scene, it’s a growing town.

"I’m here for the future. For my children. For others. I’ll always be here in some way.”

Wonderful

Cllr Liz Dowd, Sefton Council's Cabinet Member for Communities, said: "There is no shying away from the fact Southport became the most talked about town in the world last year. People who had never heard of the town before seemed to have an opinion on what it takes to be a Sandgrounder - often those opinions were less than complimentary.

"We want to dispel all the negative myths, the false stereotypes. Southport is a beautiful town that's not only a great place to visit but also a great place to live and work. Throughout this campaign we'll be highlighting some of the most wonderful Southport residents you never even knew existed. 

"From a student of Bruce Lee who helps heal your physical pains to a musically talented NHS worker who narrowly missed out on Eurovision, Southport is a wonderful place full of elegantly eccentric, kind hearted and real people. 

"It's a town that welcomes everyone and cares for all and I am incredibly excited to hear the tales people have to tell."

The People Of Southport project is an online photojournalism exhibition. To find out more please search for 'PeopleOfSouthport' on Facebook and Instagram.