Let’s dip safely
IF a miracle occurs and the sun appears this Bank Holiday, you may be taking a trip to the seaside.
Paddling, collecting shells and building sand castles before a picnic lunch and a snooze.
A day at the beach is one of our greatest British pleasures. And, if you can escape the seaside parking rip-offs this paper exposed last week, one of the few free attractions left.
But in the past few days our coastline has been hit by a terrible tide of tragedy as 12 people drowned in separate incidents.
All were caught out by the strength of innocent-looking waves, by hidden quicksands or powerful rip currents.
Nitharasan Ravi, 22, perished with four pals during a day trip to Camber Sands.
Choices
The lads are thought to have fallen into deep underwater channels and, despite being strong swimmers, were overcome by the rising tide.
Nitharasan’s family claim they could have been saved if the beach had lifeguards.
An online petition demanding the council fund them has attracted thousands of signatures and started a nationwide debate.
For while the admirable RNLI lifeboat charity provides most UK lifeguards and many are volunteers, the full- time ones need funding. Which is why trained rescuers patrol just one in four of our 754 bathing beaches.
Following the Camber Sands, tragedy the local Rother District Council said such incidents are extremely rare.
But it added: “In recent years we have seen a change in the make-up of visitors to Camber, including more people from outside the area who are not familiar with the sea and the dangers it can pose.”e.” What, a holiday resort attracting visitors from elsewhere? Smacks of buck-passing to me.
Of course we all must act responsibly and heed red flags and safety notices. And cashstrapped authorites s do face tough choices.
But last weekend nd in Tyne and Wear I enjoyed a picnic on the beach of King Edward’s Bay. It’s only 200 metres long but there were three RNLI lifeguards on duty.
So are beach patrols rols just another post code lottery? A local council has just spent £ 100,000 on “bin n police” to search through people’s recycling. Another wasted £82,000 sacking cking a clerk who gave tomato plants s to some staff and not others.s.
And officials fficials in Cornwall bought £100,000 worth of Italian treesrees only to find they wouldn’t uldn’t grow there.
Town burghers always find cash for potty pet projects – but how w about investing in our seaside ide safety?
Many y UK coastal resorts were ere left to decay after holidaymakers s started jetting to the Costas in the e 70s. And yet “staycations” aree growing in popularity post Brexit. exit.
So if we’re heading ding back to the beaches we have e to be sure our families have fun under the watchful eye of trained lifesavers.
The RNLI is providingroviding temporary lifeguardrd cover at Camber Sands ds this Bank Holiday.
It shouldn’t needeed a miracle to have them m on
our beaches. DO you ever wonder why Queen Victoria’s enormous bloomers are all over the place?
Every few months another pair surfaces in a dusty attic somewhere and goes undie the hammer at auction.
Last year a set of HM’s vast drawers sold for a record £12,000 while some supersize silk ones netted £6,000. What was Victoria playing at? Did she find it amusing to drop her drawers on royal tours and leave them like calling cards – or was she stalked by a Buck House knicker nicker?
Nope, The Queen’s undergarments were often given to members of the royal household as treasured keepsakes – until the great-great grandkids cottoned-on to their worth. ITV’s much-hyped new bonkbuster Victoria starts tonight. In this “intimate portrayal” of the Queen and Prince Albert, sexy Jenna Coleman and hunky Tom Hughes will be getting their kit off to reveal the royals’ steamy bedroom antics. And to knock Aidan Turner’s torso off the ratings top spot when Poldark returns to BBC1 next Sunday, obvs.
It has already been dubbed the new Downton Abbey and is a sure-fire hit.
So I suggest you start checking those old trunks in the loft.
Because one flash of Jenna Coleman in her scanties and Queen Vic’s knicks are going to be bigger than ever.