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Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

Clacton-on-Sea features twice in The Tomorrow People and, unusually, features as itself on both occasions although they are seperated by more than twenty years.
Clacton is the setting for the first half of the story of The Vanishing Earth, in the first series of the original 1970s television version, in which it is visited by the Tomorrow People's friends Ginge and Lefty. It made a cameo 'reappearence' in the 2005 Big Finish audio adventure A Living Hell during which Paul and another Sap friend, Jo, found themselves abandoned there unexpectedly.
(Right) Clacton Pier Head (as seen in May 2005).

© Elizabeth Stanway. Clacton Pier Head

© Freemantle Media. Clacton sea front There is evidence for occupation in the Clacton area since the Neolithic period (although much of the earliest settlements have been lost to coastal erosion) and has been continuously settled since Great Clacton was founded by Saxon settlers. In the early 19th century, when seaside holidays became popular, visitors started to arrive and a railway station was constructed. The seaside resort of Clacton-on-Sea (a couple of miles from Great Clacton) was opened in the mid-1860s, complete with pier (opened on 27th July 1871). The town was largely founded by one entrepeneur: Peter Bruff (1812-1900) - described as the Richard Branson of his day.
(Left) Clacton Pier Head as seen on the Tomorrow People in late-1972/early-1973. Screenshot © Freemantle Media

Clacton-on-Sea is a traditional British seaside resort in north eastern Essex, open to the North Sea on the East coast of England. Despite the often cool temperatures and damp weather, it boasts a long stretch of sandy beach and has been a popular getaway for many years, hosting a Butlins holiday camp (which closed in 1985) and a funfair on the pier. The pier itself was initially a small cargo pier, but was extended and broadened in 1893. The resort continued to be popular through the 1950s but began to wane in the 1960s as British holiday makers began to be attracted by the more reliable weather of beaches overseas.

In 1964 the town of Clacton suffered an invasion by the motorcycling 'Mods' and 'Rockers', and their easter-holiday spate of violence was a significant deterrant to visitors to the town in that and following years. Over the following decade, the resort became known as a resort for caravan owners and working class families on holiday from East London.
(Right) The Steel Stella Roller Coaster at Clacton-on-Sea as seen on The Tomorrow People. Screenshot © Freemantle Media.

© Freemantle Media. The Steel Stella Roller Coaster

© Elizabeth Stanway. The Haunted House at Clacton
In the 1970s the funfair at Clacton occupied the pier head and was open to the air. The large roller coaster, known as the 'Steel Stella', was constructed in the inter-war period of the 1930s, but was destroyed by fire in 1973.
Clacton Pier is still the town's major tourist attraction and has a traditional funfair on the wooden floor of the pier head although a large part of it is now under a plastic sheeting roof, including the modern successor to the Haunted House attraction used by Sandor and the Spidron as a lure for the unwary.
(Left) The haunted house attraction at Clacton-on-Sea (seen in May 2005).

Clacton is now a town of some 135 000 people, many of whom are employed in the tourism industry. (Click here for more on the history of Clacton Pier).

Situated about 70 miles from central London it boasts sandy beaches and clifftop gardens in addition to the pier and fairground seen in the episode. However, the 'sea' in question is the North Sea so expect the waters to be rather chilly! By those sufficiently determined, it can be reached by trains out of London Liverpool Street Station via Colchester (the journey taking about 90 minutes).

© Freemantle Media. The Sea Front at Clacton
(Left) Clacton sea front as seen on The Tomorrow People in 1973.
(Right) Clacton sea front in typically damp and grey weather - May 2005.
© Elizabeth Stanway. Clacton sea front

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The 1970s television series The Tomorrow People was created by Roger Price and is the property of Freemantle Media. Photographs on this page are the property of Elizabeth Stanway. They should not be reproduced without permission. Screenshots are taken from the DVDs of The Tomorrow People released by Revelation Films.

This page created by Elizabeth Stanway (May 2005). Email me here.

Clacton-on-Sea, Essex Clacton-on-Sea features twice in The Tomorrow People and, unusually, features as itself on both occasions although they are seperated by more than twenty years. Clacton is the setting for the first half of the story of The Vanishing Earth, in the first series of the original 1970s television version, in which it is visited by the Tomorrow People's friends Ginge and Lefty. It made a cameo 'reappearence' in the 2005 Big Finish audio adventure A Living Hell during which Paul and another Sap friend, Jo, found themselves abandoned there unexpectedly. (Right) Clacton Pier Head (as seen in May 2005).

	There is evidence for occupation in the Clacton area since the Neolithic period (although much of the earliest settlements have been lost to coastal erosion) and has been continuously settled since Great Clacton was founded by Saxon settlers. In the early 19th century, when seaside holidays became popular, visitors started to arrive and a railway station was constructed. The seaside resort of Clacton-on-Sea (a couple of miles from Great Clacton) was opened in the mid-1860s, complete with pier (opened on 27th July 1871). The town was largely founded by one entrepeneur: Peter Bruff (1812-1900) - described as the Richard Branson of his day. (Left) Clacton Pier Head as seen on the Tomorrow People in late-1972/early-1973. Screenshot © Freemantle Media

Clacton-on-Sea is a traditional British seaside resort in north eastern Essex, open to the North Sea on the East coast of England. Despite the often cool temperatures and damp weather, it boasts a long stretch of sandy beach and has been a popular getaway for many years, hosting a Butlins holiday camp (which closed in 1985) and a funfair on the pier. The pier itself was initially a small cargo pier, but was extended and broadened in 1893. The resort continued to be popular through the 1950s but began to wane in the 1960s as British holiday makers began to be attracted by the more reliable weather of beaches overseas.

	(Left) Clacton sea front as seen on The Tomorrow People in 1973. (Right) Clacton sea front in typically damp and grey weather - May 2005.