Kodachrome Snapshots of the British on The Beach

'Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside! I do like to be beside the sea! I do like to stroll along the Prom, Prom, Prom! Where the brass bands play, Tiddely-om-pom-pom!' - John A. Glover-Kind (1907)

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

Leaping – Location Unknown – Aug. 1960

Snapshots kodachrome british beach 1950s 1960s

 

Snapshots kodachrome british beach 1950s 1960s

 

Snapshots kodachrome british beach 1950s 1960s

 

Snapshots kodachrome british beach 1950s 1960s

 

Snapshots kodachrome british beach 1950s 1960s

 

Snapshots kodachrome british beach 1950s 1960s

Snapshots kodachrome british beach 1950s 1960s

Snapshots kodachrome british beach 1950s 1960s

 

Snapshots kodachrome british beach 1950s 1960s

Towan Beach 1960

Snapshots kodachrome british beach 1950s 1960s

Some sun!

 

2 Girls on The Beach - Date and Location Unknown

2 Girls on The Beach – Date and Location Unknown

"Faster Derek, Faster" - Location Unknown - 1975

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

Just Chillin - Kodak Slide - 1960

Just Chillin – Kodak Slide – 1960

kodachrome 1960s beach

 

Dorset - Top Rank Processed 35mm slide - Aug. 1964 color snapshot

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

 

All images with permission of Matin Snelling.

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