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from Janis entitled "SEASIDE MEMORIES" |
The seaside holiday originated in the 17th century,
when doctors recommended cold sea water baths and
even drinking seawater as cure-alls. But the Victorians
really started the love affair with our coast. Men
in one-piece knitted costumes and ladies in skirted
beachwear would hide their modesty inside bathing
cabins before dipping their toe in the water. The seaside
was off-limits and sorely missed during the Second World
War. On the first post- war Saturday of July 1945, trains
carried 102,889 trippers to Blackpool. More recently, the
double blow of September 11th and the foot and mouth
disease devastated British tourism. But it is recovering
and last year Uk people made 167.3 million trips to home
destinations. This time of year brings back memories of
my holidays spent at the seaside. How everything has
changed since I was a small child. I had a wonderful
treat of having a holiday at the seaside There was a
thrill of a whole new wardrobe of new clothes, marking
you out as holidaymakers. Mum used to take me in to
old Rattenburys and we would buy a few nice clothes
for me a beautiful swirling sun-ray pleated skirt and
dresses or the dirndl skirt, worn with a an embroidered
Hungarian blouse. And must not forget the shirred
elastic swimming costume that squeezed you like a
corset or the knitted ones which held the water and
stretched to twice their size. I remember my father
sending for holiday books from the Sunday papers, News
Of The World and The People by the end of the week
the books had arrived on the doormat and mum and
dad used to look through them to see which seaside
place had the best beach, but surprises we always
ended up at the same old seaside place called
Dovercourt being just the three of us only on an
occasion we would go to Bournemouth if all the family
was going with us. One year we went to Swanage and was
with my sister Joyce, Peter and family who came with us.
The day finally arrived for our holiday and we were up
at 5am to get washed have breakfast and off we went to
Brentford station to catch the 8am train not owning a
car we had to go by train, dad carrying two heavy suit
cases and mum and myself carry bags bucket and spade we
were glad to reach Brentford Station if it wasn't for the
heavy luggage it was a nice walk down Clifton Rd the air
was so fresh as there wasn't so many cars on the road. We
would met up with all the other holiday makers and all
board the train together I used to like to look out of
the open window and see all the smoke coming from the
front of the train as we passed fields and houses.
When we arrived at our guesthouse in Dovercourt we would
unpack our suitcases and head of to the beach, Sticks of
ock, fish and chips along the prom, saucy postcards,
catching starfish in breakwater pools, and donkey rides
on the beach I used to love watching the Pierrot shows
on the pier I used to like to make sand castles putting
paper flags on the top of the castles with the help of
my father. We always seemed to get sand in our sandwiches.
On the beach most people would be kitted out in voluminous
wide-legged beach pyjamas. Rubber paddling shoes or white
sandshoes brought up brilliant and gleaming with a lick
of Blanco. I had a very fair skin and as sun cream was
unheard of the only protection I had was a big straw hat
and my father made a large handkerchief carefully knotted
at each corner or sometimes he would use his newspaper.
But after leaving the beach no matter how hard you tried
there was always a little bit of sand left between your
toes that rubbed like mad as you made your hot and weary
way back to the guest house.
Always about the forth day of the holiday it would rain
and out came our Pac-a-Mac or your plastic hood in its
own little carrying case it is the typical English seaside
weather! The holiday soon came to an end so we spent Friday
evening packing our cases and went to bed early to get up
in the morning for an early start to catch the train back
to Brentford. I will always have my favourite childhood
memories of my holidays by the sea. These days with
holiday's abroad children are growing up in a different
world to which I knew and loved as a child.
I hope you enjoy the rest
Don't forget to send your Comments
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Last Updated: 6th NOVEMBER 2005
when doctors recommended cold sea water baths and
even drinking seawater as cure-alls. But the Victorians
really started the love affair with our coast. Men
in one-piece knitted costumes and ladies in skirted
beachwear would hide their modesty inside bathing
cabins before dipping their toe in the water. The seaside
was off-limits and sorely missed during the Second World
War. On the first post- war Saturday of July 1945, trains
carried 102,889 trippers to Blackpool. More recently, the
double blow of September 11th and the foot and mouth
disease devastated British tourism. But it is recovering
and last year Uk people made 167.3 million trips to home
destinations. This time of year brings back memories of
my holidays spent at the seaside. How everything has
changed since I was a small child. I had a wonderful
treat of having a holiday at the seaside There was a
thrill of a whole new wardrobe of new clothes, marking
you out as holidaymakers. Mum used to take me in to
old Rattenburys and we would buy a few nice clothes
for me a beautiful swirling sun-ray pleated skirt and
dresses or the dirndl skirt, worn with a an embroidered
Hungarian blouse. And must not forget the shirred
elastic swimming costume that squeezed you like a
corset or the knitted ones which held the water and
stretched to twice their size. I remember my father
sending for holiday books from the Sunday papers, News
Of The World and The People by the end of the week
the books had arrived on the doormat and mum and
dad used to look through them to see which seaside
place had the best beach, but surprises we always
ended up at the same old seaside place called
Dovercourt being just the three of us only on an
occasion we would go to Bournemouth if all the family
was going with us. One year we went to Swanage and was
with my sister Joyce, Peter and family who came with us.
The day finally arrived for our holiday and we were up
at 5am to get washed have breakfast and off we went to
Brentford station to catch the 8am train not owning a
car we had to go by train, dad carrying two heavy suit
cases and mum and myself carry bags bucket and spade we
were glad to reach Brentford Station if it wasn't for the
heavy luggage it was a nice walk down Clifton Rd the air
was so fresh as there wasn't so many cars on the road. We
would met up with all the other holiday makers and all
board the train together I used to like to look out of
the open window and see all the smoke coming from the
front of the train as we passed fields and houses.
When we arrived at our guesthouse in Dovercourt we would
unpack our suitcases and head of to the beach, Sticks of
ock, fish and chips along the prom, saucy postcards,
catching starfish in breakwater pools, and donkey rides
on the beach I used to love watching the Pierrot shows
on the pier I used to like to make sand castles putting
paper flags on the top of the castles with the help of
my father. We always seemed to get sand in our sandwiches.
On the beach most people would be kitted out in voluminous
wide-legged beach pyjamas. Rubber paddling shoes or white
sandshoes brought up brilliant and gleaming with a lick
of Blanco. I had a very fair skin and as sun cream was
unheard of the only protection I had was a big straw hat
and my father made a large handkerchief carefully knotted
at each corner or sometimes he would use his newspaper.
But after leaving the beach no matter how hard you tried
there was always a little bit of sand left between your
toes that rubbed like mad as you made your hot and weary
way back to the guest house.
Always about the forth day of the holiday it would rain
and out came our Pac-a-Mac or your plastic hood in its
own little carrying case it is the typical English seaside
weather! The holiday soon came to an end so we spent Friday
evening packing our cases and went to bed early to get up
in the morning for an early start to catch the train back
to Brentford. I will always have my favourite childhood
memories of my holidays by the sea. These days with
holiday's abroad children are growing up in a different
world to which I knew and loved as a child.
Don't forget to send your Comments
top-left corner of this page.