On
the left, wearing the cloche hat is my husband's Great Aunt Pat, beside
her daughter Annette - with unknown friends. Judging by the fashions
and the age of Annette, it was most likely taken in the late 1920's
on the beach at Margate in Kent, where the family lived.
I
am a Blackpudlian - born in the famous north west seaside resort of
Blackpool, Lancashire, famed for its golden beaches, three piers and its tower.
Modelled on the Eiffel Tower and built in 1894, Blackpool Tower rises
to 520 feet - facts drummed into us at school.
A surprisingly empty Blackpool beach with the Central Pier and the famous Tower in the background.
The earliest picture of me enjoying the beach. I reckon this was taken in June 1945, as my father here was in uniform. I know that he had leave between marking VE Day in Germany and then being posted to the Far East.
Toddling along with my father.
Our
own family holidays were taken in Bournemouth on the south coast of
England, where a great friend of my mother ran a small hotel. All the
ingredients of traditional 1950's seaside fun were there - setting up
deckchairs, playing on the beach, making sandcastles, eating icecreams taking donkey
rides, exploring rock pools.
With
my mother. Every summer she made me a new sun dress and I remember
this one in green and white polka dots, with shoulder straps on my
dress and a bolero to go over it.
it must be a
photographic quirk that Dad appears so sunburnt in the photograph above, because he did not lead a particularly outdoor life to get that brown.
Digging
holes with my brother. You can tell this must be the 1950’s - those were the days before the anti-smoking campaigns and my father is happy to enjoy his cigarette, long before he ditched the habit. Goodness knows why I was I wearing a
hated rubber swimming cap, as I could barely swim at this stage? I suppose to keep dry my long hair which was usually in plaits.
A happy picture of my brother looking very natty in his knitted bathing suit and sunhat.
Digging down to Australia?
And if you cannot get to the beach, why not enjoy some sandy moments at home? Granddaughter having fun in her sand pit.
Finally join in the seaside fun, with this popular music hall song from 1907 - "Oh I do Like to be Beside the Seaside".
View from the top of Blackpool Tower looking down on the North Pier.
Adapted from an earlier 2018 post.
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Sepia Saturday gives an opportunity for genealogy bloggers
to share their family history and memories through photographs.
Click HERE to see what other Sepia Saturday bloggers ahve been up to this week.
What excellent beach memories of your family!
ReplyDeleteGreat beach photos, and I bet precious memories :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the nostalgic trip to the beach. I could use it as it'll be freezing here tonight.
ReplyDeleteYour family photos at the beach evoke good feelings. And the memory hated swim caps!
ReplyDeleteA fine selection of beach photos to match the prompt, but my favorite has to be the one with you toddling along with your Dad - your expression as you look up at him is as adorable as they come! :)
ReplyDeleteAn excellent set of photos, and nice match with the prompt chair on that first one. The last photo amazed me -- the Blackpool tower is indeed tall! And I love all the 1950s photos at the beach. I have similar treasured ones from the same period.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos to illustrate Blackpool's beach. My father-in-law's family was from Blackpool, but I don't recall seeing any beach photos. Not every family had a camera. When I first visited "beaches" in Britain, I was surprised how many consisted of shingle stones or mud instead of sand. But I was impressed at the determination of British folk to enjoy the seaside despite cold wind and water.
ReplyDelete