Sun, Fun and Crowds

The inter-war period saw the annual holiday become part of the lives of large numbers of people in Britain for the first time. In the Edwardian age it had been a privilege enjoyed by the few, but by the end of the 1930s, 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; and what they did. We take in the first holiday camps, which opened in the 30s, 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. This intriguing account is richly illustrated throughout with a mixture of contemporary photographs and postcards, publicity material, posters, and modern images.