Jeanette writes:
In 2012 a group of local residents shared their childhood memories for our A Day at the Beach project. While reading their stories it struck me that although they had many happy memories of their days at the beach almost all of them recalled how sad it was to see our seaside towns decline over the years and become so quiet, as Rene remembered:
“Even at night time there was always crowds of people going walking up and down and going through the Spanish City. You couldn’t get moved. To see it now, I can’t understand why people spend as much money going abroad when they’ve got Tynemouth and Whitley Bay to go down and enjoy it.” Renee’s Day at the Beach
And Tom, whose family owned pleasure boats on Tynemouth beach for over 100 years, told us:
“The busiest times would be July and August Bank Holiday, whereas now you can go down on a sunny day and there are only handfuls of people there.” Tom’s Day at the Beach
While walking on the beach this morning, I wondered what they would think now as once again it seems no matter what time of day or whatever the weather, from Tynemouth to Whitley Bay our coastline is alive again. As I watched the surfers and swimmers brave the North Sea, the early morning dog walkers and the joggers running past the leisurely strollers, I sincerely hoped they were all feeling the same as Alan did all those years ago when as a young boy in the 1930s he recalls:
“If you go to the beach you’re not bothered about what’s around at the top of the cliff or what’s going on, you’re involved in what’s here and now, on the beach or on the rocks, and the pastime that you enjoy fulfils your mind all the time.” Alan’s Day at the Beach
Fast forward all these years and it’s great to see so many people once again enjoying a day at the beach and just like Dorothy I’m sure lots of children will feel like she did when she remembers:
“The thing I hated most was having to come home. We were never ready to come home we always wanted to stay!” Dorothy’s Day at the Beach