Once upon a time holidays were not about Instagramming from First Class on a plane or boasting about luxurious infinity pools. For many, a trip to the humble British seaside, with donkey rides, a bucket and spade and loved ones was the highlight of the summer. These precious 'lost' days are being celebrated in a nostalgic new book dedicated to the nation's love affair with the coast. Author Sarah Freeman's work harks back to the heyday of seaside resorts like Blackpool, Margate, Scarborough and Morecambe, a time when summer saw a mass exodus to the beach. Sarah has charted the demise of the grand hotels, ballrooms, holiday camps, piers and amusements that characterised seaside towns in their halcyon years from the 1800s through to the mid 20th century.For many, a trip to the seaside, with donkey rides and a bucket and spade used to be the highlight of the summerThis precious era is being celebrated in a nostalgic book dedicated to the nation's love affair with the coastAuthor Sarah Freeman's book, Beside the Sea: Britain's Lost Seaside Heritage, shows resorts in their heyday
'In recent years, preservation trusts have successfully fought to save what's left of _'s seaside golden age, but for some of those piers, theatres and lidos it was too late.