Culture Spot The British and the seaside

Today, I’m sharing some really interesting information about the traditional British seaside holiday. Everyone I know has deeply embedded memories about going to the seaside as a child, building sandcastles with buckets and spades under (as we probably mistakenly recall) cloudless skies. I’d never really thought about it as a very British tradition before, but apparently it’s quintessentially British! So, check this out!

The transformation of seaside towns into resorts started in 1789 when King George III was advised to spend time close to the sea for his health. The sea air, sea bathing and even drinking seawater were considered beneficial for your health and the king took his royal family to Weymouth, a seaside town on the south coast. The advice benefitted both the king and the town of Weymouth, which became the king’s favourite holiday destination, one to which he regularly returned until 1805. Following the king’s lead, holidaying at the seaside became extremely fashionable for those in high society and resorts sprang up all round the coast. George IV, his son, was also advised to take the sea air for medical reasons. He favoured Brighton as it was closer to the capital than Weymouth, and this resulted in the rapid growth and popularity of the resort and its nickname of ‘London by the sea’. This king’s legacy was the construction of the Brighton Pavilion, an innovative and elegant building, incorporating both architectural and interior decorative features from all round the world. The seaside became a playground for the rich, the artistic and the frivolous!

The heyday of the seaside resorts in the UK came in the late 1940s, in the post-war years. More people could afford to travel greater distances to stay in the resorts of their choice. By now, many seaside traditions were well-established, and these annual breaks were the time for the traditionally straitlaced Brits to let their hair down and exhibit another side to their character! The seaside brought the opportunity to indulge in food, enjoy the sunshine, and have a lot of fun! The children were treated to sugary candyfloss, rock and ice creams and the parents bought postcards. Many stereotypical images of the British on the beach date from this time: men with socks and sandals and knotted handkerchiefs on their heads; pink-skinned sunbathers whose fair skin couldn’t take the sunshine; the stoicism of those determined to enjoy a beach holiday at all costs, in spite of the rain, wind and cold!

The British love affair with the seaside came to a sudden end in the late 20th century when cheap flights made it more affordable to visit other countries, where the weather was better and more reliable. Package holidays meant that a family could buy flights and accommodation abroad for the same price as a week at the British seaside, if not less. Seaside hotels closed, piers deteriorated and the end-of-pier entertainers looked for work elsewhere. However, today, after decades of globetrotting, the popularity of the ‘staycation’, whether for economic reasons or through choice, is growing again. Many British seaside resorts are reinventing themselves and attracting large numbers of foreign tourists, hoping to sample some aspects of the British seaside culture too.

1 Read the blog and decide if statements 1–5 are true (T) or false (F), or if the information is not given (NG).

1 □ The first UK seaside town to become a resort was Weymouth.

2 □ Recently, members of the royal family have preferred east coast seaside destinations.

3 □ British men used to protect their heads with unusual coverings.

4 □ In the 19th century, people were concerned about sunburn.

5 □ Package holidays are the most popular type of holiday for foreign visitors.

2 Match the highlighted words from the text with their definitions.

1 A holiday spent in your own country

2 When something is given a new life

3 Travelling around the world

4 Very typically

5 Strict manners

6 Got in a bad condition

7 Relax and enjoy

8 Good for you

3 CS1.1 Listen to a podcast about the British seaside and answer the questions.

1 Who might find this programme useful?

2 What personal examples does Chloe give when talking about the different traditions?

4 CS1.1 Listen again and complete the fact files with 1–3 words in each gap.

The first ones were built in the 1 century.

The purpose was to transfer people from the 2 ___ to the shore.

The longest is Southend-On-Sea at 3 ___ km.

The oldest is at Ryde on the Isle of Wight, over 4 ___ years old.

Invented in 5 ___ by John Moore.

First used by passengers on the decks of 6 ___ .

Traditional colour of beach deckchairs was 7 ___ and white stripes.

Very hard and very sweet.

First sold in 8 in 1887.

Skill can take 9 years to perfect.

The first fish and chip shop in the UK opened in 10 ___ .

Fish and chips were traditionally wrapped in 11 ___ .

Packaging had to change due to 12 regulations.