Page 75 - All About History 55 - 2017 UK

By the middle of the
19th century, towns
such as Brighton had
already expanded, numbering 44,000 in the 1841
census. Other popular resorts like Blackpool and
Llandudno had started much smaller, but with the
industrial centres of Manchester and the Midlands
not far away, they rapidly turned into the must-go
places for groups of friends and co-workers looking
for a few hours of fun.
In response to such high demand and the
ability of some holidaymakers to even stay for a
night or two, accommodation became a valuable
commodity. A range of boarding houses and
hotels sprang up to suit every budget. Resorts that
regarded themselves as catering for the better class A young couple frolic in the foreground
while others enjoy the sands at Yarmouth
of person — places like Brighton with its royal links
beach, taken in 1895
to the Georgian era and Ryde on the Isle of Wight,
with its proximity to Queen Victoria’s Osborne With typical Victorian enterprise and invention, strict ties of social boundaries that they fully
House — tended to already have large, grand hotels technology and mechanisation had their parts to embraced. Ladies’ swimwear become slightly
as close to the seafront as possible. play. Electric lighting illuminated the promenade, less restrictive and more risqué; the sexes mixed
But for Blackpool and similar destinations, steam carousels and fairground rides appeared on openly on the prom; bawdy ‘what the butler saw’
the lack of deeply rooted tradition meant they the prom and the pier. Competing resorts made machines appeared in the arcades; and comedians
had more freedom and could virtually start from bold statements to attract customers, and what told rude jokes in the music halls.
scratch. Boarding houses and small hotels became better way than with a replica of the Eiffel Tower Tired of increasingly having to mix with the hoi
booming businesses, but one rule applied no at Blackpool to embody a sense of pride and polloi, the upper classes began to abandon their
matter where you stayed: the closer to the sea, the success? The beach had not been forgotten — it traditional resorts. Instead they spent their time
higher the price. And unscrupulous landlords were was now just part of the whole drama and no and money on foreign holidays where, for now at
always looking for ways of extracting as much longer the main character. What had been created least, the masses could not follow. What was
out of people’s pockets as they could by whatever for the seaside break was more choice and less left were the majority who had
means necessary — especially what was meant reason to leave. learned how to relax and enjoy
by a ‘sea view’! From rather sedate, genteel beginnings at the themselves, willing and able to
With the development of the resorts came start of the Victorian age, by the end of the 19th spend their hard-earned cash on a
the expansion of the wealth of the towns and century things were starting to look somewhat dazzling array of entertainments.
what they were able to offer in entertainment for different. As the era progressed, so did the resorts, It was the working man
holidaymakers to spend their money on. In many expanding not only in size but in what they had and his family who had taken
cases, the local pier would be extended to become to offer. Demand drove innovation not only in the ownership of the seaside
even more impressive, offering a greater variety of construction of new entertainments but also in holiday. With ever-improving
entertainment than before. transport, with rapid improvement of the railway conditions for workers,
Building was sometimes on a grand scale, with network to help quench the ever-popular thirst to the popularity of what the
the creation of much more indoor entertainment get away from it all. Victorians created continued
to combat the unpredictable British weather. People from all walks of life now shared the to rise, leaving a legacy that
Aquariums, amusement arcades, ballrooms and experience and attitudes, and standards slowly still rings true today — and it
even circuses were constructed as permanent started to change. Many traditional ladies would is them we must thank that
fixtures to keep the public entertained and still not take a dip in the sea, but for a younger, even now we all still love to be
keep them spending. more liberal generation, it was a release from the beside the seaside.

Southport Southend
The local corporation first made plans for a pier “Standards The longest pleasure pier in the world,
in 1840, but it was not until 1859 that work it was originally built in 1829 as an
began. It was designed by James Brunlees attraction for visitors from London and
and first opened in 1860. Developments slowly started extends out into the Thames estuary.
over the years have seen waiting rooms for The wooden pier was only 180 metres
boat passengers added, the pier lengthened long when first opened, but it was
and widened and a tramway built. A further to change” extended over time and by 1848 was
already the longest pier in Europe.
extension in 1868 brought it to its final length. already the longest pier in Europe.
extension in 1868 brought it to its final length.
© Alamy, Getty, Thinkstock, Kevin McGivern

1,107 2,158
metres metres
75