Watch: The evolution of 10 British seaside resorts from heyday to modern day
While we don't often give it much thought, we Britons are lucky to be surrounded by sea, with no shortage of beaches, rather than being a landlocked nation for whom the coast requires a long trek.
But we have only been descending en-masse to UK ocean resorts for the last century or so - a pastime that gathered steam along with the spread of rail travel at the turn of the 20th century. Since then, these coastal towns have had their fair share of ups and downs.
In this video (above) we take a nostalgic trip down memory lane from 1896 until today, looking at ten of the UK's best known beach resorts, with highlights below.
1. Blackpool
1934
A team of horses hauls boats down Blackpool beach to the sea in September.
1942
Visitors to the Pleasure Beach compete at a fun fair sideshow during the summer.
1950
Children leap into the waves from a boat trailer with Blackpool Tower behind them.
2004
A clutch of the town's heritage trams pass the Big Dipper.
2. Bognor Regis
1910
Holidaymakers crowd the narrow beach in the heat of summer, one grasps a Chinese parasol.
1933
A heat wave strikes and the pier swells with sunbathers.
1996
Revellers watch the International Birdman competition, which first took place in 1978.
2018
A quieter scene this May Bank Holiday.
3. Felpham
1900
A somewhat shabby beachfront scene with a working horse and not a pleasure-seeker in sight.
1934
English comic Claude Hulbert and entertainer Bobby Howes play cricket on the beach during a family holiday.
2016
Choppy seas on an early morning at high tide in the midst of winter.
4. Folkestone
1910
Passers-by admire the William Harvey Memorial Statue on the seafront promenade.
1930
A view over the Victoria Pier and its line of tented amusement arcades.
1964
Visitors pack the beach near the East Cliff, by the Warren, during the busy August holiday break.
2015
A similar scene, with a good deal more plastic.
5. Margate
1933
Deck chairs clutter Margate's beach during summertime.
1955
Two little girls enjoy ice cream with their family - an image that was used to accompany an article titled: "Is Your Seaside Holiday Really Necessary?"
2016
Britons take to the beach for a staycation, shortly after voters elected to leave the EU.
6. Newquay
1900
Happy looking women ride their bikes along the shore.
1950
A lifeguard teaches four young ladies how to handle a bodyboard.
2016
People have started taking tents with them to the beach.
7. Plymouth
1896
Boats collect in the bay of Plymouth Hoe as locals stroll along the promenade.
1921
A photo taken by the Great Western Railway and hung in railway carriages to lure people to the region.
1941
Families larking around in Plymouth's outdoor bathing pool.
2017
A somewhat depressing overview of the West Hoe pier - its pool empty.
8. Scarborough
1913
The bucket and spades are out, as are women in arguably unsuitable floor-length dresses.
1952
There are those deck chairs again, a lot of them.
1980
Fun for all the family on Scarborough's pebble beach.
2018
Brightly-coloured cabins overlook the shore, where children are still building sand castles.
9. Skegness
1900
The long pier, as it was more than 100 years ago.
1926
Bathers in classic 1920s attire, paddling about with umbrellas to shade them from the sun.
1939
The year Butlin's Holiday Camp opened in Skegness.
1982
The budget resort still going strong four decades later.
10. Torquay
1900
Horse-drawn carriages line up to transport visitors along the Devon harbour.
1922
A now familiar scene, the beach littered with deck chairs as summer draws in the crowds.
1956
And a not altogether familiar image of beachgoers plodding along the beach in fins and and snorkeling attire.
1970
Two young holidaymakers have managed to dodge the crowds on Oddicombe Beach by taking their moped up to a quieter spot.
2015
Deck chairs have gone plastic, and they don't look as nice.
