Victorian Holidays

1. In Victorian times, the population began to have more money and more free time.

2. Victorian workers were given Saturday afternoons and Sundays off.

3. The development of the railways and cheap fares meant that working-class people could afford to buy tickets.

4. More and more Victorian families began to go on day trips, or holidays, to the seaside.

5. They believed the fresh sea air was good for their health.

6. In 1841 Thomas Cook began his travel agency.

7. He made profits running train excursions to the Great Exhibition.

8. The rise of steamships and railways enabled the company to organise holidays all around the world.

9. In 1871 the Bank Holiday Act was passed establishing four set holidays a year.

10. Victorians visited the developing seaside towns such as Blackpool, Morecambe and Scarborough.

11. Some just made day trips, others would stay for a week in the guest houses and hotels that were being built.

12. The seaside was popular because of the bracing air, which people believed would improve their health.

13. Victorians did not sunbathe, it was not fashionable to have tanned skin.

14. People remained fully-covered, even on the beach, and ladies carried parasols to protect them from the sun.

15. Swimming was popular with Victorians and people entered the sea from bathing huts.

16. Entertainment developed at the Victorian seaside towns.

17. This included, music halls, theatres, dancing, zoos, funfairs and pleasure gardens.

18. On the beach there were donkey rides and Punch and Judy shows.

19. Sticks of rock and candy floss became popular.

20. The first fish and chip shops opened in 1860s.

21. The Victorians built metal piers with bandstands and shows.

22. People strolled down the promenades that had been built so that they could take the sea air without walking on the sand.

23. Sea-water swimming pools were created in many resorts.