New book celebrates 100 great things about the British seaside

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside, we do like to be beside the sea ...

Kathryn Ferry’s new book Seaside 100 captures in words and pictures the nostalgia and simple pleasure of strolling along the promenade.

From sandcastles, donkeys and piers to sticks of rock, beach huts, paddle steamers, promenade shelters and ice cream cones, Ferry explores the best-loved features of some of our favourite holiday destinations.

“The seaside is more than a place on the coast. It is a human creation designed for the pleasure of visitors. The things we expect to find there today are derived from the preferences of our forbears,” she said.

“Many of the attractions and treats they favoured have become staples of our own holiday experiences. Some hang on as mere remnants, others survive with almost iconic status.”

Using a mixture of historic images and modern photographs, Ferry takes a roughly chronological journey through the things that have made our seaside distinctive.