For those of you enjoying a staycation this year or those just dreaming of an ideal holiday, this blog article on holidays in wartime Cornwall might be of interest seeing how a previous generation coped with restriction and made do in the circumstances: https://www.philhadleypublications.com/blog
Never knew about surfing in the UK in WW2. edit. OK just reading this. UK Surf History - Interactive Timeline | Museum of British Surfing
Neither did I. Also from that link, Mad Jack Churchill The Government tried to stop holidays in WWII, but Brits couldn't be deterred from jollies From BBC People's War site BBC - WW2 People's War - Holiday Time in WW2
"Stay at Home Holidays" - Search our collection | Imperial War Museums STAY AT HOME HOLIDAYS: ENTERTAINMENT AND RELAXATION IN WARTIME LONDON, ENGLAND, 1943 Object description: Peggy Franks pours tea for her friend Pinkie Barnes as they enjoy tea in the sunshine in the garden as part of their 'holiday at home'. Both are wearing swimsuits. A medicine ball can be seen on the grass beside the table.
Immediately after my Father arrived home after demob, I along with my Brother and Sister were packed of too Wales for a fortnight on a Gov. sponsored holiday, I believe these holidays were available to all married ex Servicemen with kids to allow them to have some alone time with their wives (And most likely breed a lot of Boomer Babies)
You got me looking at other James Jarche photos. This one fits the thread. Didn't see it on the website in post #1. British war workers take a seaside break on a beach in Cornwall, 6th... News Photo - Getty Images British war workers take a seaside break on a beach in Cornwall, 6th September 1943. (Photo by James Jarche/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Yes, same photographer, same beach in Newquay, same date, as the first two in my blog article. I wanted the article to be wider than just James Jarche and Newquay so only used two of his. Likewise with Robert Astrella I could have used any number including ones of the G7 Summit beach at Carbis Bay. But thanks for posting the war workers pic and helping to make this thread more interesting.
Can't work out if they're immediately post-war as '1945', but there's a really nice set on Filey Holiday camp re-opening on IWM: Search our collection | Imperial War Museums HOLIDAY CAMP GETS GOING AGAIN: EVERYDAY LIFE AT A BUTLIN'S HOLIDAY CAMP, FILEY, YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND, UK, 1945. © IWM (D 25922) IWM Non Commercial License HOLIDAY CAMP GETS GOING AGAIN: EVERYDAY LIFE AT A BUTLIN'S HOLIDAY CAMP, FILEY, YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND, UK, 1945. © IWM (D 25921) IWM Non Commercial License 1915: "On 16th November 1915 near La Brique, France, a man was badly wounded and lying in the open unable to move, in full view of and about 350 yards from the enemy's trenches. A corporal of the RAMC and Private Caffrey at once started to rescue him, but at the first attempt were driven back by shrapnel fire. They tried again and succeeded in reaching and bandaging the wounded man, but just as they were lifting him up, the RAMC corporal was shot in the head. Private Caffrey bandaged the corporal and helped him back to safety, and then returned and brought in the other wounded man." John J Caffrey VC - victoriacross
Chatting with my Mum today . I knew she used to get put on the train by her Mum in Swindon & travel down to south Wales to stay with her Grandmother. That started when she was 8 which would be the summer of '44. Yes, a lone 8 year old on the train. Different times.
Would being an evacuee count? I spent a year or two with my aunt and cousins in Rothbury, a pretty Northumbrian town.They were from Newcastle which was at risk. As for the seaside, civilians were banned especially on the east coast because of risk of invasion.
This photo shows summer holidays 1943. The boys of Bodmin County School (later known as Bodmin Grammar School) are taking their bikes on the train to go to Penzance to help out for a week potato picking. The photo was by Bodmin photographer George Ellis.