To use our own knowledge and a source to explain why the seaside was a popular destination for the working classes in the 1930s

Key words Charabanc Boarding houses Holiday pay Bathing suits Bathing machines Punch & Judy

Boarding Houses & Hotels Holiday makers stayed in Boarding houses Richer people stayed in hotels The boarding houses were strictly run, People were offered bed and breakfast and would not be allowed to return to the boarding house until the evening

Holidays with pay were introduced between 1922-1938 A committee of inquiry report in 1938 recommended the gradual introduction of a statutory right to holidays in July 1938. The Holidays with Pay Act gave workers, whose minimum rates of wages were fixed by trade boards, the right to one weeks holiday per year.

Holidays for the rich 1900-1920 Holidays abroad were only for the rich There was an excellent RAIL NETWORK through Europe and the rich made regular trips to France and Switzerland

Poorer people – 1900-1930 Poorer people did not have the time or the money for long holidays abroad. They took short trips to the seaside and travelled in an open top motor car called a CHARABANC , or train

Bathing suits Before the 1930’s women were not allowed to show arms and legs on the beach Women wore long dresses made from wool or flannel so they would not be transparent in the water. They were also weighted to stop the dresses rising up Lycra and latex were not invented until 1932 By the 1930’s men began to go swimming without shirts. Throughout the 1930’s swimsuits gradually began hugging the body.

Bathing Machines Back in the 18th and 19th century, ladies just couldn't strip to their swimwear and run towards the waves. There are certain sea-side etiquettes that needed to be observed Getting oneself seen in their bathing costumes by the members of the opposite sex was certainly not one of them. To help women maintain their modesty and dignity, a simple contraption called the “bathing machine” was developed. A bathing machine resembled a wooden changing room commonly seen on beaches https://youtu.be/P9ehLXR26rg

Watch the clip Clacton beach 1929 https://youtu.be/-5Shv-z_VW4 Note the clothes worn and activities families are doing on the beach.

Punch & Judy Punch and Judy came from Italy to London, the first show was in Covent Garden in 1662 Punch & Judy puppet shows became popular entertainment for seaside holiday makers in 1930 – present day. The scripts are not as violent now. https://youtu.be/TyLsO6LpLSI