Fifty-five piers. Two weeks. One eccentric road trip. Before the seaside of their youth disappears forever, two friends from the landlocked Midlands embark on a peculiar journey to see all the surviving pleasure piers in England and Wales. With a clapped-out car and not enough cash, Jon and Danny recruit Midge, a man they barely know, to be their driver, even though he has to be back in a fortnight to sign on. Join Jon and Danny as they take a funny and nostalgic look at Britishness at the beach, amusement in the arcades, and friendship on the road.

From the abandoned piers to the dazzling arcades, celebrate the British seaside through the lenses of Britain's most popular photographers, featuring Tony Ray-Jones, David Hurn and Simon Roberts and new work by Martin Parr.--Museum website.

The inter-war period saw the annual holiday become part of the lives of large numbers of people for the first time. In the Edwardian age, it had been a privilege enjoyed by the few, but by the end of the thirties, 15 million people were going away to the coast for a week or two. This book explores all the facets of the seaside holiday - where people went, and why; how they got there; where they stayed; what they did; and what they wore. A visit to Blackpool's Golden Mile to leer at its lurid attractions, including the unfrocked Rector of Stiffkey, contrasts sharply with the remote, unspoilt beaches of Cornwall. We take in the first holiday camps, which opened in the thirties, as well as some wonderful modern hotels that were the epitome of sophistication and style. We examine the architecture of pleasure, in the form of cinemas, piers, lidos and pavilions. For those who remember the seaside holidays of their childhood, this fascinating book will conjure up many nostalgic memories.

This detailed academic cultural study looks at the rise and fall of the seaside holiday in Britain. John K. Walton offers a broad interpretation of the holidays and resorts, looking at who went, where they went, what they did, and how they were entertained.

This is the only guide to all 58 extant British seaside piers, including details of location, history and current operations, archive and contemporary photography and a gazetteer.

Drawing on the archives of Mary Evans Picture Library, Images of the Past The British Seaside is a nostalgic promenade through the history of Britains seaside resorts from their early genesis as health destinations to their glorious, mid-20th century heyday, subsequent decline and recent regeneration.British coastal resorts developed during a period of vast expansion and social change. Within a century, the bathing phenomenon changed from a cautiously modest immersion in the sea to a pastime that prompted the building of vast art deco temples dedicated to the cult of swimming. Once quiet fishing villages mushroomed into bustling seafronts with every conceivable amusement and facility to entice visitors and secure their loyalty for future visits. Where transport to the coast may have once been via coach and horses or boat, soon thousands of working class day-trippers flooded seaside towns, arriving by the rail network that had so quickly transformed the British landscape. This fascinating book follows these shifts and changes from bathing machines to Butlins holiday camps, told through a compelling mix of photographs, cartoons, illustrations and ephemera with many images previously unpublished.Covering every aspect of the seaside experience whether swimming and sunbathing or sand castles and slot machines The British Seaside reveals the seasides traditions, rich heritage and unique character in all its sandy, sunny, fun-packed glory.

How has the seaside been photographed? From the roaring waves of the nineteenth century through the reportage of the 1960s and the critical documentary of the 80s and 90s, to what is perhaps the more intimate work of the last ten years. No-one can tell it exactly the way it is. We all have a vision of the seaside which is uniquely our own. Memories, false and real, are aided and abetted by photography, a unique, fascinating, but in the end unreliable source of evidence. And time changes everything. What remains are a set of substantial fragments, thoughts along the way, obsessions, records, constructions, journeys. Ours for the taking

Richly colourful photographs that capture the nostalgia and vulnerability of British seaside resorts. From Blackpool to Brighton, the pastel colours, faded arcades and worn-out carpets of British coastal towns evoke a particular nostalgia. With the changing tides of the British political landscape these traditional resorts appear fragile and some are falling into disrepair. Nevertheless some are thriving (thanks to regeneration funds), and all retain a special charm and retro appeal. Shooting for more than a decade since 2009, Rob Ball has documented over 35 coastal towns. His images serve as a record of a unique culture that is at risk of disappearing forever.

An illuminating, lavishly illustrated introduction to the history of a great British institution - the seaside.

Fantastically famous scenes and sites to colour, including everything from the Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, the changing of the guards, Kew Gardens, the Royal Albert Hall and Buckingham Palace to the dinosaur hall in the British Museum.