The Great British Seaside

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside, oh I do like to be beside the sea....

Britain, being an island, has a considerable amount of beach. There are a few number of seaside resorts around the UK. They're not as popular as they once were (with more and more people going abroad for their holidays).

Useful notes on the UK seaside:

• Despite Brexit and no longer being part of the European Union, Britain is (for the moment at least) part of the Blue Flag scheme. If the beach has a blue flag flying, it's met EU standards for cleanliness and you can safely swim there.
• Don't go topless unless you're on a nudist beach.
• If you want surfing, head to Cornwall (or West Wales, or Donegal or Portrush in N.Ireland)
• Bear in mind that the sea water is not going to be as warm as it is in the US or Australia.
  • Unless, of course, you're from the region surrounding the Gulf of Maine, in which case the water might actually be slightly warmer. Or Alaska, where the water will be much, much warmer.
• Be prepared for rain, especially if you're in a heatwave.
• Suncream remains a good idea, irrespective of how sunny the seaside may actually appear.
• Windbreaks, no matter how hilarious the concept may seem, are also frequently a good idea.
• Be prepared to defend your food. Seagulls are quite vicious in tourist areas.
• British seaside resorts are known for their piers, which started as simple landing stages and were then elaborated with attractions, theatres, food shops and so forth. Some of the longer ones even had minature railways constructed along them. Many are now in a state of disrepair, sometimes speeded up deliberately by malicious people.