Date: June 26th
Category: Vintage Travel | Seaside History | Antique Guidebook Series
Put on your wide-brimmed hat, pack your thermos, and don’t forget your swimsuit — we’re off on a railway holiday adventure straight from 1957, following the notes, nudges and not-so-subtle snobbery of an original British Railways Holiday Guide.
For this series, The Time Traveller’s Guild is travelling with an actual 1957 railway holiday guide in hand — revisiting its listed seaside resorts, recommended lodgings, and charmingly outdated advice. Can you still follow its path today? What’s changed? What’s vanished? And what lives on?
📘 The Guide: British Railways Holiday Guide – South & South East England (1957)
A compact, no-nonsense travel manual filled with:
- Resort descriptions (“bracing air,” “safe sands,” “modest amusements”)
- Accommodation listings
- Recreational suggestions (tennis, bathing, reading rooms)
- And of course: how to get there by train
Our first destination?
🚂 Destination #1: Bognor Regis, West Sussex
📍 As described in 1957:
“A family resort of sound character, favoured by His Majesty King George V and known for its health-giving climate and well-regarded bathing machines.”
Let’s see how it stacks up in 2025…
🏖️ Then vs. Now
Then (1957):
- Sandy beach with rows of deckchairs
- Promenade brass bands and donkey rides
- Beach huts for hire by the day or hour
- Direct trains from London Victoria and Waterloo
Now (2025):
- Beach still sandy — tick ✅
- No more bathing machines (unsurprisingly)
- The promenade is thriving with ice cream stands and live music
- Still reachable by train — about 1hr 45 from London Victoria
Verdict: Surprisingly faithful to the guide! Even the pier café serves a proper pot of tea.
🧳 Lodging, 1957-style
“Boarding houses and private rooms are numerous. Prices moderate. Booking essential during Wakes Weeks.”
We spotted several old boarding houses still running — now boutique B&Bs. One proudly displays its original “Full up for Festival Week” chalkboard sign in the hallway.
🚴 Top Tip from the 1957 Guide
“Cycling from Bognor to Littlehampton is encouraged for the agile and sun-seeking.”
We followed the route. It’s now a shared coastal cycle path — complete with sea views and a pub at the halfway mark.
📚 What We Brought from the Book
- A fold-out 1950s map of rail-connected resorts
- A list of what to pack (featuring “shoe polish” and “novels of an uplifting nature”)
- Suggested reading: Just William at the Seaside or A Book of Seaside Verse
📖 “Reading at the seaside is the height of cultivated repose.” – The 1957 Guide (possibly quoting someone important, but it doesn’t say who)
📚 Want to Know More?
- Coastal Britain Through the Ages by Neil Oliver
- Wish You Were Here: England on Sea by Travis Elborough
- British Railways Holiday Guides Archive – Guild special feature
- National Railway Museum Digital Collections
💬 Ever Travelled by Guidebook? Share Your Story: #1957SeasideSpecial
Do you have an old guidebook from your family? A favourite seaside line you still take?
Tag @TimeTravellersGuild with #1957SeasideSpecial — we’ll feature the best then-vs-now comparisons and vintage holiday memories in next week’s Seaside Showcase.
