Getting Away From It All: the growth of Victorian seaside resorts in the North West by Dr. Mike Winstanley
A very large audience greeted the return of Mike for another of his beautifully illustrated talks. This time, some members recognised several of the seaside resorts shown, albeit in their 19th century heyday.
Surprisingly, the fastest growth in town development was the fashion for resorts with social class divisions very evident. The reasons why and how some became select, and some were labelled popular were outlined succinctly by Mike. Grange and Southport are examples to this day of the “select” whilst Blackpool was called ‘The World’s First Working-Class Resort’. He took us on a fact filled trip through the reasons why some places developed and succeeded, with the economic background to employment in such as the mills, regulated by the 1850 Factory Act, having a major impact, which together with the development of railways and steamboats widened opportunities for travel. Land development also played a significant part in where and how growth took place.
Information about the visitors, and residents of the resorts, gleaned from the census returns of the early 20th Century, and contemporary posters and advertising of the delights to be found, (not least the legendary joke figure of the Seaside Landlady), were shown to members clearly delighted by Mike’s presentation, with a return visit by him with another fascinating slice of history hoped for before too long.