BANK HOLIDAY.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20308, 6 August 1931, Page 11

BANK HOLIDAY.

PLEASURE IN ENGLAND. HEATH, DOWNS, AND BEACHES THRONGED. (awTisH oriiciA.li wiuutss ) (Received August 6th, 5.5 p.m.) 11TJGBY, August 4. Fine weather prevailed yesterday over a great part of England, and very large August Bank Holiday crowds thronged tha beaches. Seaside places and riverside resorts proved popular, and the Heath, the Downs, and public parks around London were in possession of picnic parties. Road traffic was exceptionally heavy, but there was a remarkable absence of 6erious accidents, due, it is believed, to a desire shown by drivers of motor-cars and coaches to observe the social and moral obligations suggested in tho Ministry of Transport's highway code. Railway traffic was also heavy, a largo number of epocial trains being run to the Sussex and Kent resorts from London, while Southend, wliero it is stated 6000 slept on the beach on Sunday night, experienced the usual invasion. Holidaymakers' trains, totalling 110 arrived in Blackpool during the <Jav. \ Several bathing fatalities are reported, including the drowning three members of one family at Wittering, near the Islo of Wight. Yesterday was the 60th anniversary institution of the August Bank Hobday, which was first observed in 1871 after the passing of an Act in that year. The end of the Bank Holiday weekend coincided with a severe storm of thunder which broke over London and the south-eastern counties last night, and crowds returning late were drenched by heavy rain. High seas in the Channel and tho Thames estnary huffetted pleasure steamers, delaying some for four or live hours. The crossing from Franco was declared to bo the worst this summer.

The storm was followed to-day by a thick fog over the sea, in which an oil-tanker of 6000 tons went ashore near Dungeness, but was refloated this afternoon, and all shipping was slowed down.