Weston-super-Mare serves as a convenient standby for anybody out of nearby Bristol wishing to barefoot a carpet of sand. Funnily enough, Weston provided a home for the great Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel while he was supervising the construction of the Bristol and Exeter Railway in the area. In 1949 if the sea was a tad chilly, people could use the neighboring swimming pool.
Rarely performed these days, the Punch and Judy show is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. Held on beaches around Great Britain in front of a mainly young audience, this particular show was photographed in Southport in July 1950.
The great British summer is often a damp and windy affair. In fact, it can get jolly cold. Which is probably why this family have the whole beach to themselves during a 1954 visit to Worthing in West Sussex.
Great Yarmouth in Norfolk has enjoyed a reputation as a resort destination since the mid-18th century—long before the advent of the motorcar and certainly before the invention of this miniature bus, pictured in 1955 traveling along the seafront.
Llandudno is the largest seaside resort in Wales. The town has been attracting holidaymakers since 1861. Pictured in 1937 is an acrobatic display taking place on the beach.
In 1879, the annual lights festival known as the Blackpool Illuminations was inaugurated. Blackpool Tower, seen here illuminated in 1949, was lit by 300,000 electric light bulbs, and attracted two million visitors during the first post-war illuminations.
Southsea on the southern tip of Portsmouth, began as a fashionable 19th-century Victorian seaside resort. For many years HMY Britannia used Portsmouth as a departure point for numerous voyages. In 1953, Queen Elizabeth II reviewed the Coronation Fleet in The Solent. The event drew thousands to Southsea Beach, where deckchairs were at a premium.
While less popular now, donkey rides were once a traditional feature of seaside Britain, beginning during the Victorian era. This youngster at Llandudno, photographed in July 1958, seems unsure of what ride to choose...
