Bridlington, sometime 1950's.

It is a black and white photograph.

Not sure of the actual date but probably 1950's. There is a large crowd milling about on a very, evidently, hot and sunny day although it could have been any time between Easter and Midsummers. The venue for the congregated numbers is a kiosk selling cups of tea, slices of cake, biscuits ,fancy pastries and platters of egg and cress, ham and egg and corned beef sandwiches with crusts already beginning to wilt in the shaded but still oppressive temperatures .

Kiosk may be a rather flattering description for what is a tent like structure, temporary for the day or a short holiday season. The canvas roof, four sided rises to a pinnacle and underneath are three serving counters made from trestle tables. The rear vertical of the enclosure is a full cloth wall against which are placed the very large capacity tea urn, a separate water boiler, stacks of white plates sorted on the basis of size from saucer to tea plate to large dinner plate and some shop sourced glass display cabinets containing the goods for sale in a magnifying and enticing effect.

Below the servery positions are the skirts of the glorified ex army surplus encampment, creased and streaked with spillings from enthusiastically filled and received best china tea cups. The canteen is staffed by three apron clad ladies, stout and matronly but skilled in catering for the masses. A chalk board, string tied to one of the corner upright poles has a succint choice to match the displayed fare. TEA-CAKE-BISCS-S'WCHES. The tariff may be slightly higher than that in the main parade of shops, just a mere stiff walk away, but the prime location and convenience justify a little bit of profiteering after the austere wartime and post war years. After all, Rationing is still is place for the more scarce staples and goods.

A queue snakes away from the refreshmnent encampment. There may be three serving points but it is a British crowd and there is an unwritten etiquette in the art of patient waiting and of which there is understandable pride. On a closer study of the old photograph a few things, to modern eyes, appear very strange.

The women are dressed in formal clothes. There is no doubting that it is a hot day and compacted shadows indicate it to be about midday but the standard attire comprises thick frock dress, stockings, heavy leather shoes more functional than fashionable, perhaps a cardigan and for the senior ladies even an old, straggly and past its best fox fur draped over the very white flesh of the neck as the only natural skin visible. Those bare headed have tightly pinned hair in a bun or high up on the crown. Headscarves hide the regimented ridges of hair rollers. Large floppy hats adorn a few in protection against the sun as if any trace of a sun tan is both unladylike and coarse.

The men are fully suited and booted. The uniform tincture of the print does belie some variation in the colours of the formal wear even if it is just many shades of black or dark grey. These are evidently demob suits. Hands are thrust into deep fabric pockets either scouring for change for the tea break or searching out the means to roll up a cigarette. All of the men, bar none have hats, stylish gangster type hats with a wide brim and silk band. They stoop and keep their heads down as if being watched in their endeavours by the missus or, more likely on a day out, her mother as well.

The queue shuffles along slowly. Remarkably there is no litter in sight. This is not what we would regard as fast food today but a civilised dining experience on the finest flatware. At the end of the day it is accepted that none of the utensils or china will be unaccounted for and any accidental breakages will have gracefully been paid up in full. Most unusually is the fact that there are no children or young adults at all in the picture. The fashions of the time, however, make it vey difficult to actually put an age or accurate social demographic on those present. Looking back to my memories of, in particular my Grandparents they always dressed as old people, very formal, and not really very different from the styles of the 1930's even though they were of no advanced age. I often wonder if there was a single date in the calendar, sometime, but not too far in the future from that photograph  when the men suddenly and unanimously decided against wearing a hat and the ladies tore up their bloomer undergarments but kept them under the kitchen sink as best quality dusters and dish-cloths.

I visually zoom out of the photograph. In the far background is a bit of a heat haze but very distinctly the edge of a stretch of shallow and rippling water. The line of customers have left a shuffling trail in soft sand. In the foreground are a few stripey low slung chairs.

This is a day at the seaside, on the beach, post war style, England.