There is nothing quite like a British holiday as a child especially one to the seaside.
What began in the 18th century as an escape exclusively for society’s wealthy elite, is now loved and cherished by all, and to this day, we flock in our droves to experience the best of the British coast.
We cannot get enough of those traditional seaside attractions we have all grown up with, so we thought we would take you on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, to look into some of those experiences you may have had as a child on holiday at the seaside.
1. On the way there, you’d always become embroiled in a nail-biting game of 'First to see the sea.”
Sometimes there’d even be 20p on the line which raised the stakes significantly.
If you were heading to Blackpool, this became “First to spot the Blackpool Tower”, which seemed easy at first, until you’d mistakenly identified a distant electricity pylon as the iconic attraction.
2. For Fish & Chips, the seaside is the plaice (sorry) to be, and you will undoubtedly have tucked into this British classic for your lunch.
You also began to realise that for some reason, they just seemed to taste that little bit better when you were eating them on the seafront out of some takeaway packaging.
3. Unfortunately, the local seagull population was also well aware of this, and would stop at nothing to try and steal a chip from right underneath your nose.
Your enjoyable lunch suddenly became a Crystal Maze challenge as you ducked, dodged and dashed away from the hordes of dive-bombing seagulls. Once you reached safety and could enjoy your food in peace, you couldn’t help but laugh it off.
4. Once your Fish & Chips had settled, there were '99' Flake ice creams, sugared doughnuts, fudge, candy floss, cinder toffee, mint humbugs and of course, seaside rock to go at.
In fact, it seemed as if there were more variations of rock than there were grains of sand on the beach. You could even get rock that looked like a plate of food. There was also something special about seeing sticks of rock that had the name of the resort all the way through!
There were also certain areas of the shop that mum wouldn’t let you look at because of what looked to be rude-shaped rock lollies.
5. There always seemed to be one family that came to the beach with “the works.”
Deckchairs, parasols, wind breakers, deluxe gas barbecue grills. You name it, they’ve got it. They were like beach royalty. And they really seemed to get on your mum’s nerves.
6. You met another child on the beach whose parents had convinced if they dug a hole in the sand for long enough, they’d reach Australia.
It didn’t seem plausible, but your own parents said the same thing as they laid out their beach towels and lathered up with sun cream before your dad fell asleep and your mum buried her head in the latest Danielle Steele novel.
So, you decided to join the excavation crew, armed with your brand-new bucket and spade.
Usually this ended one or two ways. Either you’d give up on Australia and instead try running back and forth with buckets full of seawater to see if you could fill the hole with water. Or you’d instead decide to bury each other in the hole – much to the delight of your parents who pondered how they would clean the damp sand from between your toes.
7. When you weren’t digging holes, you could search for shells.
Mostly you’d find pebbles and bits of discarded plastic that looked as if they were older than you, but if you were lucky, you’d find a shell! You decided to test out the theory that you if you put it to your ear you could hear the sea.
8. You became obsessed with winning the novelty keyring you spotted teetering on the edge in a penny pusher arcade machine.
And you were prepared to throw the entire weight of your (parents’) financial resources to make sure it came home with you.
Once your own source of two pence coins ran out, you’d start shiftily walking around each machine looking for stray coins that previous winners had left behind or that had somehow fallen down on their own accord, as if they were a sign from a higher power that had given you another chance.
9. Your parents always told you that “the sea air will help you sleep”
You weren’t sure whether it was true or not, but it seems to be an urban myth that’s stood the test of time – it’s probably something you still tell your own children today!
The sea air could’ve been the cause, but then it also could’ve been down to the fact that you spent all day around the beach and walking up and down the promenade.
10. When it was time to leave, you would always want to come back for more.
It doesn’t matter how many times you visited your favourite seaside resort, you would never tire of its traditional attractions and the experiences you had as a child.
What’s more, no matter how old you are now, that feeling most likely continues, although maybe now you take the roll of the parent in some of the scenarios we’ve mentioned!
When it comes to the coast, the UK is framed by some of the most popular destinations in the whole country, combining top tourist hot spots, beautiful scenery and a wealth of attractions to suit everyone.
Our selection of the UK’s finest seaside resorts is so broad, you’ll most certainly be spoilt for choice.
Check out our selection of seaside short breaks and coach holidays today.