The ‘Now and Then’ column with Aled Jones: Focus on Bridlington’s north beach

The postcard is almost 100 years’ old and shows an amazing sand drawing which drew huge crowds back in the 1920s.

Aled Jones, who is a collector of vintage Bridlington postcards, also recreates the site as it looks today.

Mr Jones said: “Here is a splendid vintage postcard, date stamped August 12, 1928, showing the North Sands at Bridlington in all their beautiful majesty.

“What is particularly interesting about the picture is that it showcases a tradition that is rarely seen on the Yorkshire coast these days, beach art.

“The artist, a talented and creative man for sure, has produced a quite stunning mural in the sand featuring a church (bottom left) and one other local building.

“He certainly enjoyed a large fan base if the crowds gathering along the railings are anything to go by.

“The church is almost certainly St Oswald’s Church, Flamborough. But can any Free Press readers identify the second building to the far right of the picture?

“Other notable points of interest include a musician carrying an Irish harp, who may have been part of a Pierrot troupe, a portable beach changing tent, which were the height of fashion in the 1920s, and an ice-cream stall selling ‘pure ices’.

“I feel sadly nostalgic when looking at this postcard with the beach performers, refreshment stalls and sand art creating such a ‘variety’ feel that just isn’t present today.

“So much classier, so much better.

“One can, too, only admire the fearless attitude of the beach artist in crafting painstaking works of art that were so very short-lived due to the incoming tides.

“The modern ‘replication’ shows the many structural changes that have taken place to the seafront and harbour areas since the original photograph was taken.

“As you can note, the north promenade is now dominated by the vast new Leisure World complex, with the ‘Big Wheel’ on Royal Prince’s Parade occupying the site of the former Grand Pavilion Theatre.”