Bradshaw's Guide of 1863 was the staple book on what's what and where's
where for the mid-Victorians and it gives the modern reader a unique
insight into the world of the nineteenth-century railway travellers. The
guide introduced the notion of seaside holidays to the general public
and thanks to the railways it became possible for a town or city dweller
to catch a train for a day-trip to the coast and still be home in time
for supper. 'Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside, I do like to be
beside the sea! I do like to stroll upon the Prom, Prom, Prom! Where the
brass bands play: Tiddely-om-pom-pom!' Using Bradshaw's Guide
illustrated with contemporary images and seaside postcards, John
Christopher and Campbell McCutcheon take us on a tour of Britain's
Victorian resorts.