Interesting Beach Fact

[mrs_overall]

(may be of particular attention to seaddogg who mentioned he was going for a paddle)
In the late 1980's the E.C. issued a directive about the minimum standards of sewage in the sea. Most sea side resorts failed, but some went right off the scale, namely Scarborough, Brighton & Blackpool.
The Government decided that the cheapest way to deal with this was to draw up a policy which officially declared that these three resorts do not have beaches.
I don't know what they decided to call the area between the land and the sea (sewage buffers?), but there you have it.

[Gromit]

This link explains it.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bm890d6wELIC&pg=PA21&;lpg=PA21&dq=Blackpool+designated+no+beach+after+failing+standard+test&source=bl&ots=sB3SruDdEz&sig=62874gG9w84M8acHmcDIsW8KumA&;hl=en&sa=X&ei=kQE1VIXUJJSS7Ab7noDgDg&;ved=0CCkQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Blackpool%20designated%20no%20beach%20after%20failing%20standard%20test&f=false

In short, the EC asked the UK for a list of its traditional bathing beaches. Whitehall knew that several would fail basic tests, so they ruled the Blackpool beach was not a traditional beach, because they had set the criteria of what was a traditional beach too high. 1000 people had to be on a Kilometre of the beach for many days for it to be a beach.

[mrs_overall]

An interesting article. Thanks Gromit

[The Builder]

Mrs Workwear .......... "minimum standards of sewage".
I'm sorry that standards are slipping. Down here in the deep South, our sewage tends to be of very high quality.

Perhaps it's a dietary thing oop North?

[janbee]

Brighton is a squalid dumping ground at the best of times. I know, as I live there. Much has been done to try to improve the quality of the seafront and water but it is still a dumping ground .

[EDDIE51]

Back in the 1980s standard method of sewage treatment in coastal area was to just dump it in the sea from an off shore pipe. Some of the pipes were as little as 50 yards from the shore. That is now illegal and full treatment is mandatory for all sewage. This has lead to a massive improvement in the cleanliness of beaches in the UK.

[mrs_overall]

Back in the 1980's we had a sewage pipe in the sea here off Whitby. It was a popular place for us to go diving as the edible crabs there were huge. We used to take bets on which one of us would surface with the most used condoms draped over our diving equipment.
Talk about being young and foolish.

gives The Builder a stern look

[RATTER15]

I agree with The Builder!

I understand that on the northern seaside beaches, you cant swim in the sea, you just go through the motions!

[mrs_overall]

^^groan

[jno]

the crabs may well have been huge, but considering their diet, I wouldn't want them on mine.