Vintage Views with Aled Jones: A packed North beach scene
North Shore 1960s. In contrast to the area south of the harbour, this locality was quite slow to be developed.
There was little house building until the early 1930s, and even the wooden Sewerby Sea Defences weren’t rebuilt in stone until as late as 1929-31.
In the background is the Expanse Hotel, imagined in 1937, by the Horsforth builder E C Briggs. Built in the Art Deco style, it was surely an attempt to bring a touch of modern luxury to the resort; the lavish dining room doubled as a ballroom, and was well patronised all year round. The two top floors had sun balconies and below were underground garages.
It is a lovely summer’s day and there is a lot going on in the image. The beach is almost full up and the drinks tent in the foreground is no doubt doing excellent business. In this era changing tents were still a traditional part of the seaside scene.
Notice the row of beach huts, fronting onto the promenade. In 1966, when this picture postcard was sent, the cost of renting one for a week was five pounds. Removed in 1994.
To the left, out of image, is Burgin’s Fun City, the town’s first purpose-built amusement arcade. Built in 1923 it was one of seven amusement arcades at the resort by 1939. The building housed a ‘wireless telegraph’ for the public to use.
Despite the crowds in the image, from the mid-sixties problems had begun for our resort. Visitor numbers were on the decline, due in no small way to the loss in 1965 of Bridlington’s direct rail link to West and South Yorkshire. Sadly, the rise of the cheap foreign package holiday only made matters worse.
While plenty has changed in terms of how we like to enjoy ourselves by the sea, the one thing that hasn’t altered at all? The nation’s favourite seaside fare, fish & chips.
In 1966, a portion of fish & chips would have cost you about half a crown (2/6), which equals roughly to 15p in today’s decimal money.
A separate bag of chips cost just 6 pence (2.5p), the origin of the phrase ‘cheap as chips.’ And if you wanted a pint of Yorkshire ale to wash it down, the average pint of beer at the time cost two shillings (10p) a glass.
In the sixties, only three flavours of ice cream were available, chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. A single cornet would have cost you sixpence (6d) and there was always a van parked near the sands.