‘Up to about forty or fifty years ago travelling was a solemn act, not to be enterprised nor taken in hand unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly,’ so writes the Belfast News-Letter in September 1888. But all of this had changed; from the inception of the railways ‘day excursions’ had become ‘entirely modern pleasures,’ the British seaside and countryside opened up to visitors who could travel there easily by train. This was the railway revolution, which opened up the seaside to ordinary, working class people. …
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This August at The Archive we will be taking a look at the history of the Great British seaside, from bathing machines to bathing costumes, and today in this special blog we will explore one of the seaside’s most familiar sites: the beach hut. The Sphere | 30 November 1957 Using our newspapers, we will take a look at how the beach hut became popular, and how in the 1920s and 1930s newspaper columns brimmed with advice on how to furnish …
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Following on from our look at the history of hiking, and how it became phenomenally popular in the 1930s, in this blog we will look at the birth of the camping holiday. Bank Holiday Under Canvas – Newquay, Cornwall | The Sphere | 19 August 1933 So read on to discover when and how the camping holiday became popular, and what it was like to camp in the early twentieth century, at a time when camping represented a new found sense of …
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In May 1844, the below advertisement appeared in the Cheltenham Chronicle: A Six Weeks Tour, by Steam, to Athens, Smyrna, and Constantinople, calling at Gibraltar and Malta – with the option of visiting, en route, Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, and Gibraltar. The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company’s well-known splendid Steam Ship ‘Tagus,’ 900 tons and 300 horse power, will start from Blackwall on Thursday, 20th June, for the above ports. Time occupied in the Passage, out and home, about six weeks …
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By 1939 there were an estimated three to four hundred holiday camps established across the United Kingdom, with the smallest housing fifty beds, and the largest with six thousand or more. What was behind the surge in popularity? We explore the holiday camp phenomenon by delving into the pages of the British Newspaper Archive, using the myriad of advertisements, photographs and articles located there to discover more about this mainstay of the British seaside resort. In 1936 William ‘Billy’ Butlin …
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At the beginning of September 1936 the Nottingham Evening Post describes ‘an invasion’ taking place in Kent. But this wasn’t an invasion of a military kind. It was in fact an invasion of hop-pickers, arriving in the county for the hop-picking season. The annual trek of 40,000 hop-pickers to the green fields of Kent has begun, with an invasion of caravans, horse drawn lorries, cars, covered wagons, perambulators and even London taxis. Our photo shows hop-pickers at work at Paddock …
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Unsure of what to wear for rockin’ around the Christmas tree? Or worried about finding that perfect gift of stylish fashion for a loved one? Concerned about keeping warm while on the slopes or simply embarking on some Christmas shopping? Fret not! Our newspapers are overflowing with advice and ideas for all your fashion concerns this holiday season. Dressing for the occasion Everyone is busily engaged making preparations for Christmas, and albeit it is essentially the children’s season, there are …
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Winter and your garden Winters can present challenges to those of us blessed with a green thumb. But, perhaps, the challenges have, at times, been over-exaggerated. The Illustrated London News commented on an illustration of ‘frozen-out gardeners’ chanting out a street melody of ‘we’ve got no work to do-oo-oo’: There are few but what have heard this miserable chorus, bawled out by half a dozen wretched-looking fellows, bearing bunches of frozen greens on the tops of long poles, as they …
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Can there ever be too many Christmas decorations? A home offers ample opportunity for dressing it up for the holidays, and we’ve found both traditional and unconventional Christmas decorations highlighted in The British Newspaper Archive. Which would you use in your own home? Traditional decorations Unconventional decorations Jazz up your Christmas decorations with some unconventional touches. The Tatler highlighted a Christmas mobile in their 8 November 1957 issue: ‘Snow crystals airily floating in space or gaily coloured glass Christmas tree balls …
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Please note that the BNA Helpdesk will close at 1pm on Christmas Eve, and will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day – it will reopen at 9am on Friday 27th of December. For the New Year, the Helpdesk will close at 5pm on New Year’s Eve, and will be closed on New Year’s Day and also on the 2nd of January – it will reopen at 9am on Friday the 3rd of January. During this time we will …