Figure 4.-- This is a photograph of my parents and us boys from one of our seaside holidays. This one was taken in 195?. I usually wore sandals on these summer holidays. This photographs show the type of clothes worn on holiday. I might have worn white socks at the weekend on Sunday but not after turning 7. It was then knee-length grey socks.

I just read Jonathan's account of his family holidays and it reminded me of our holidays just a few years earlier. His was a different experience to mine. We never visited a campers park for a holiday. We visited the seaside. There were on towns on the East Coast. Whitby, Scarbrough, Bridlington. Each was visited in turn. In 1959. The warmest and sunniest English Summer I can remember we visited the Isle of Man. This broke the tradition and we never went to these places again as a family. I went with my Gran to Brighton in 1961. There was no holiday away in 1960. Dad had a bad accident that year and my twin brother and sister were born. In August 1962 we went to Morcombe for a week. This is near Blackpool. Out for a walk, seagulls crying overhead brought back my childhood memories of summer holidays. I decided to write up some of my exoeriebces. I looked at the few photographs that exist about them they show that there were three different types of holiday. First were family holidays. The second type are without parents and lastly holiday with a guardian. The period covered is from the 1950 to 1962.The documents relating to these holidays are photographs, postcards and movie film.

Seaside

So let me begin with the memories of the family holiday. We liked to visit the seaside. There was always great excitement after the Christmas holiday when the summer holidays were thought about. My family’s holiday was to visit Yorkshire’s East Coast, close ro Balackburn. It was always to the seaside but rarely to the same place. The places visited were Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington.Each was visited in turn. In 1959. The warmest and sunniest English Summer I can remember we visited the Isle of Man. This broke the tradition and we never went to these places again as a family. I went with my Gran to Brighton in 1961. There was no holiday away in 1960. Dad had a bad accident that year and my twin brother and sister were born. In August 1962 we went to Morcombe for a week. This is near Blackpool.

Preparations

It all began when Dad wrote to hotels to book our stay. I eagerly awaited the replies, but it was a disappointment to learn that the hotel was full. Until the joyful day when a letter arrived confirming our holiday residence was booked. I was particular excited about our seaside holiday to Scarborough. In preparing for the holiday I liked to look at maps and photographs about where I was going. Maps fascinated ne. Of the family holidays I have never forgotten my first visit to Scarborough. It may be that my grandparents added to my wonderment of my first visit by telling me stories of their Scarborough holidays. Time seemed to go at a snail’s pace in my desire to be on holiday. Mum’s wisdom reassured me that the holiday would eventually come and it did.

The Going

I remember when the big day came. I wore my new holiday suite for the journey. Peoole in the 1950s dressed up fot such events. The sun was certainly smiling for me that day. Our cases had been packed a few days before. We made sure that the doors and windows were locked. There was a note in a milk bottle cancelled milk deliveries for a week. My brother and I left first and mum followed. Dad was last and he locked the front door. He always saw to it that we travelled by train. This was all before the time that many people had cars. We travelled by train. Seeing trains a few weeks before the start of the holiday made you wish and to see trains weeks before the holiday would make want to be on holiday. I found the railway station was very crowded because the whole town seemed to be there for their train to the seaside. In my excitement the waiting was frustrating but at last the train came. We piled into the compartment. The ride there was always filled full of excitementI claimed a corner seat. The carriage soon became hot and uncomfortable. I fidgeted and tried to read but I soon tired of that and looked out of the window at the passing scenery. The ride home in the train was always a sad time because you were going home.

Hotels

We alwats stayed in hotels, but at the cheaper end of the market. Today these would be considered bed and breakfast hotels. They provided three meals a day. Mum insisted on this type of a holiday. Her philosophy that she too wanted a break from homekeeping. Having meals cooked by someone else was her idea of a holiday. The small family hotels we stayed at provided accommodation and meals. There was a lounge and little else in the way of things to do. It was expected that once a meal was over you would seek activities in the holiday resort. This was beach during the morning, an outing in the afternoon and town amusements in the evening.

Holiday Camps

Holiday camps werevopular at the tume. Dad would not tolerate the Billy Butlin holiday camps. He had enjoyed these places in his youth, but now aa s fatherr with young children felt that they should be more suitable for youngsters who wanted to holiday with there peers and not be with their parents.

New Friends

There were always lots of other children staying at the hotel who we made friends with and enjoyed playing together. We went to bed about 9 o'clock and always wanted to stay up longer but that five minutes more often stretched out to be a good half hour extra fun packed play.

Seaside Food

Seaside food to me is ice cold milk shakes, ice cream and strawberries, banana splits, toffee apples and candy floss.

Beach Play and Toys

Mum and dad stayed in the place on the beach were dad had erected the canvas deck chairs. We wandered down to the sea and splashed about in it. We made friends with other children that were there too. Dad always bought us a bucket and spade for digging in the sand and making sand castles. The castles were built were wonderous to us but the incoming tide destroyed the hours of work we put into building them. On the last day of the holiday my brother and I could choose a new toy. The trip to the toy store was always a joy. even now when I am on holiday I treat myself to new gift at the end of a holiday.

Holiday Clothes

Holiday clothes between 1953 and 1960 consisted of suit to travel in. This we wore to the theatre or cinema in the evenings and to important events that we attended. During the day we wore a blazer, short sleeved shirts, khaki shorts,ankle socks. I don't recall these being white. They were often a sandy brown colour and brown sandals. We wore swimmimg trunks on the beach. We changed into swimming gear on the beach.

Photography

England was the wealthiest country in Europe with incomes above Germany and France and other European countries. Generally a country's photographic record was a function of percapita income. But income was not a perfect determinant of photography. Europe's largest photographic record appears to be German. As far as we can tell the largest number of photographs seem to come from Germany. We are not sure about 19th century studio photography, butwe have found far more snapshots from Germany than any other European country. We can only assume that more Germans had cameras than the English. We have found what look like English snapshots in the first half of the 20th century. But on reflection many of them were actually taken by professional photographs set up on the streets. There were of course also studios where photographic portraits were taken. But the stree photographers were much less expensive and more covenient. Beach resorts and parks were especially common places to have family portraits taken. You could ask a street photograher to take a portrait. But often in high traffic areas they took photographs of people who walked by. They or an assistant wpuld pasd out cards with the name of the studio and a print number. The photographs could then be viewed at the photography studio. If the photograph was wanted then it was purchased. A British reader tells us, "My parents never owned a camera so all the photographs are of our holidays. This was taken as we walked along the prom in Sarborough during 1956.and collected a day or so later. . We are on our way to the beach to play cricket. Dad has the bat. Mum is behind rummaging through her bag. Looks as if she called out to dad who turned to see what the problem was. It was at that moment the photograph was taken. There by recording an incident of the moment but now forgotten."" We see a lot of German park and sea side photographs as well, but they look more like family snapshots.

Our Holidays Visits

We had many family vacations and I can remember each of them. I have had lots of happy and enjoyable holidays throughout life but I think those of my childhood have a special place in my memory.They were all in seaside trips in England and what I now would describe as cold water. But we had great times. This was before cheap air fares and holidays to Spain and Portugal and beaches with lovely warm weather. Our famiky trips were all to the neraby northeastern coast. I took two trips on my own and got down to the Channel Coast.

Scarbrough (1956)

On our arrival at the hotel we were met by friendly staff and they showed us to our room. I met other children and easily made friends with them. We played together in the children activity centre. Scarbrough castle was the place I remember visiting. I could see the castle when we played on the beach. I longed to explore it. I got my wish and went to the castle with my parents. It was a very enjoyable visit. The steep climb up the bank and then the inside a vast piece of grass land. I always liked places that were smugglers haunts. We explored everywhere. We were told about how the castle and the town were shelled by the German navy in WW1. I looked for the remains of the shelling but the damaged building had either been pulled down or repaired. We found that parts of the castle wall had fallen into the sea. In the 17th century the castle had been a prison but I never found a dungeon.Early one evening I found out about smugglers. We visited an old house which was claimed to be the smugglers den. There was a hole in the wall which was supposed to be a secret passage which led to the sea. I was disappointed because I could not go down it. I found it a very scary tour. I had an interesting visit to Scarborough’s lighthouse. It was the first time I had climbed a spiral stairway. I was fascinated to see the lamp and to learn that the measurement of the lights power candles needed to make it. I also listen to guides story of its history. My parent’s took me on an evening walk along an illuminated woodland trail in Peasholm Park.The other enjoyable attraction in Peasholm Park was the naval battle on the park’s lake. It was a WW2 story which culminated in a naval battle involving the Royal Navy attacking a WW2 surface raider. I had many holidays with my parents but there came the summer I had a holiday without them. I enjoyed the fun fair and being on the beach and playingin the sea. In the evening we would visit the theatre and local cinemas. There was an open air pool in Scarbrough. It was a scene of an adventure that my brother and I got into about 1958. This was the time we learning to swim. I had perfected the doggy paddle but my brother could not swim. We had bouancy aids which we clutched in our hands as we climbed the steps to the waterchute. Mum and dad had told us were to meet them once we were changed. We saw the water and the water shoot and in our excitement we rushed off to have fun. Mum and dad saw us but we were too far away for them to stop our dash to the water. They were horrified to see us climb the steps to the waterchute. Mum alerted a life guard who dived into the water to rescue my little brother because once down the water chute we found ourselves in trouble the water was deeper than we expected. I was able to make it to the side but the life guard rescued my brother. We got a good telling off.

Birdlington (1957)

Bridlington is a North Sea resort town south of Scarnborough. The town has pre-Ronan origins. It is located in East Riding near Hull. north of Hull. It is a minor fishing port and is especially known for its shellfish. It has a mix of small businesses, but the primry indstry is seasonal tourist industry. The fishing port was known as Bridlington Quay. When a chalybeate spring was discovered, the Quay ws developed into a seaside resort (19th century). The first hotel opened (1805). Wih the advent of the railroad, Birdlington became a popular holiday resort for industrial workers from the West Riding of Yorkshire. After World War II, the British tourist industry was hurt like many English resorts by the advent of inexpensive air fares to Spain and other warm weather destnations. Britain has some nice beaches, but the cold water of the North Sea or even the Channel can not compete with the lovely warm water of southern Spain. Sport fishing continues to be a popular attration. I recall our family holidays at Birdlington and friends that we made there in 1957.

Brighton (1960)

My next holiday was in 1960 to Brighton where we had relations. It was the only one in which I had a guardian to look after me. I was on holiday with my guardian who was my granny. She reassured my parents that she would take care of me. At least that was her intension but I ended up looking after her when she became ill on the train. Granny lost her false teeth down the train’s loo during her sickness! Fortunately she recovered by the time we arrived in Brighton. I was delighted when I saw the sea as we left the station. I had a fantastic week, roaming about this seaside town with my cousin. It was the first time I had been away without my parents. I was 12 at this time so this was a sign that I was growing up. I liked this frieedom.I soaked up the atmosphere. I knew I was going to have a happy holiday and I did. My holiday was made more exciting because I made friends with my cousin. She was called Tracy. We were the same age, both 12. We went everywhere together. We had similar interests so we got on well together.We had a happy time together wondering around Brighton without an adult being with us. For the first time I was free to roam around with my cousin. Each morning we went to the beach. We swam in the sea. It is a pebble beach and sometimes oil gets between the pebbles. One day my trousers got full of oil. They had to be dry-cleaned. In the meantime I got to wear my new long trousers. After swimming we went for an ice cream. We went on long walks through the parks and along the undercliff trail to an old windmill. One wet afternoon we spent the time in Brighton aquarium. On another afternoon we travelled on the historic seashore electric train. We were having a really good time lazing in the sun, swam in the sea and had had lots of ice cream but the wonderful holiday of freedom ended and granny and I returned home by train.

Morecomb (1962)

There was one last family holiday. In 1960 my twin brother and sister were born. It was 1962 before we went on holiday as a family. We went to Morecombe in September. It was the last time I did things with my mum and dad. They had two toddlers to look after so my brother and I did our own thing. The one activity I remember is visiting the sailing ship which had been used in the Walt Disney film of Treasure Island. I enjoyed this visit and thought how cramped sailing was in the 18th century. Sadly, this ship caught fire while it was being renovated. It was a sad end to a famous sea going vessel.

Devon: A Holiday without My Parents

My first holiday without my parents happened because my father had a terrible accident and he was off work for a long time. My parents arranged for me to go on holiday to the church youth camp. I too travelled to Devon by bus. It took the group to the seaside where our camp was. It was an exciting journey because it was my first experience of travelling at night. Early the next morning we arrived. When we alighted from the bus we were a long way from where the camp was. We trudged along the trail to it carrying all the camp equipment there. It was a cool, misty morning in which the sea fog blocked out the sun. The swirling mist made our walk an eerie experience. We were billeted in tents. Each tent had an older teenager in charge. Mike was our leader. We saw a lot of him during the camp. He was just a bossy and did not let us step out of line. There was another boy called Robert. He had a good sense of humour.I found it exciting living in a tent. It was wonderful to wake each day to the sound of bird song and then to be up and about enjoying the fresh morning air. There was a narrow track which led from the camp, along the cliff tops to the sea. We followed the steps down to a sandy cove. We went swimming in the afternoon and also returned in the evening. There were problems we had to watch out for. We had found to be careful walking across the uneven, wet, slipper and jagged rocks. We spent enjoyable treks through the countryside. We tried our hand at pony trekking along k. It was scary because we rode quite close to the edge. We experienced a summer storm during our camp. We were caught in it on our return to camp after our evening swim. We were crossing a field when suddenly the heavens opened and the thunder erupted. We raced back, as fast as we could, but by the time we reached camp we were soaked to the skin.We made our own evening entertainment. It was a camp concert which we were child performers. There were lots of singing and comedy sketches. On the last night we had a camp cinema show in the big marquee. I forget what the film was but the sound was squeaky because the film had not be fitted tightly enough in the mechanism. We returned home the following day knowing our holiday was over but we had memories of happy camping.

William Eric Ferguson