Kodachrome Snapshots of the British on The Beach

These mid-Century Kodachrome snapshots of the British at the seaside are a joy. There’s lots of shameless nostalgia here to warm the cockles. Let’s hark back to those halcyon days before the horrors of Priority Boarding, when we scoured the sand for gems (bits of broken glass smoothed by wind, wave and sad), something ‘n’ cress sandwiches, knotted hankies on men’s heads, aunt Maude sat on a deckchair pressing her aching feet into the chilly water, family chats centred around ‘But he started it!’ and we bathed in the resilience, hardiness and sheer bloodymindedness of going to a British beach on a drizzly summer’s day and making the very best of it….

Leaping – Location Unknown – Aug. 1960

Towan Beach 1960

Some sun!

2 Girls on The Beach – Date and Location Unknown

“Faster Derek, Faster” – Location Unknown – 1975.

Just Chillin – Kodak Slide – 1960

Dorset – Top Rank Processed 35mm slide – Aug. 1964

All images with permission of Matin Snelling.