Who remembers hiring floats as a child at Weymouth beach?

Thanks to Elizabeth Aurilia for this incredible picture of her brother and sister and a friend bringing back happy memories of hiring the floats and taking them out to sea in Weymouth.

Elizabeth writes: "Weymouth beach - my brother and sister and a good mate on floats.

"We could have them all day because mum would take mugs of tea and home made fairy cakes to the young men who were in charge of the renting….it was a good system.

"I learnt to swim because I once fell off in deep water and had to quickly doggy paddle to survive! As we all did in those days - right? Of course I never told my mother."

Elizabeth also points out the beach huts in the background, which her family rented every summer. She also remembers 'the summers always seemed so hot'.

A favourite snack of hers to enjoy on the beach was whelks.

"Do you remember there were two beaches really - divided by the pier bandstand?" she asks.

"Ours was the pebble beach and the other side of the pier bandstand were the 'soft sands'.

"The holiday makers all went to the 'soft sands' and the residents went to the pebble beach. I secretly preferred the soft sand beach but never admitted it ! (I loved the striped wooden huts that sold white china cups of tea and whelks in little cups of vinegar (and fizzy drinks)."

Having seen the picture Sandra Fairbairn notes: "I’m pleased to see I wasn’t the only girl wearing a swim hat in the sea … such style."

It is thought that the Weymouth floats were owned and rented out by Mary and John Butcher.

Another reader, Sandra, remembers: "We owned our beach hut no 135 near Greenhill Gardens steps and cafe (which was only an ice cream hut in the 50s).

"It went out of storage in May and had to be off the beach by the end of September. We had it until the late 70s. My dad used to look after the cuckoo clock in the gardens for many years.

"I still have family in Weymouth and Portland but live in Cumbria now. We had many happy times at the hut.

"Mum used to cook Jersey royals over a primus stove to go with salad for Sunday lunch. We loved swimming out to the floating raft when the tide was right."

But not everybody could enjoy the floats on the beach...

Margaret Smith tells us: “I loved watching those floats! My mother would never let us go on them, to my sorrow! Possibly because she could not swim, so could not have got us out of the sea if necessary?”

Dinner AND tea were enjoyed on the beach

This adorable photo of Susan Muir shows her at one with the world during those lazy hazy days of summer on Weymouth beach.

She remembers: “Many long, hot, summer days spent on the beach - from early in the morning until bedtime, my Grandmother would pack sandwiches, tea, cakes, etc so we could eat our dinner, tea. Happy days.”

Gillian Hillidge remembers those long summer days when it felt like no-one had a care in the world and has shared this picture with us.

Avril Jackie Me Mom on the beach at Weymouth, 1947 or 8. The pebble part of the beach beside the Pier Bandstand. Shared by Gillian Hillidge

Christopher Robin remembers 'great times on the floats as a kid' while Paul White says of the picture of the floats, "Great picture. Had a lot of fun on the beach and on those floats. Great days."

The wonderfully nostalgic picture brings back a tidal wave of memories for Val Saunders who tells us: "Weymouth beach was,and still is the safest and most fabulous beach ever. In the 50s we used to love having donkey rides and watching Punch and Judy. Such happy memories of my home town."

A rather enterprising scheme on the beach as a youngster is remembered by Derek Morley.

"Two memories come flooding back having read through this, taking our tennis rackets down in the evening and sift around the units for our pocket money.

"Second memory was learning to swim with school in the sea on Weymouth Beach," he writes.

Lee Selby remembers growing up 'eating sand' on Weymouth beach!

Lee Selby remembers growing up 'eating sand' and posted these photos of some fabulous times as a child on Weymouth beach.

Lee Selby loved his childhood on Weymouth beach

Life seemed a lot simpler then. Sally-ann Harris points out: "Happy days glad we had those simple childhoods with no tech just our own imagination and friends to have fun with."

We want to see your cute childhood pictures on Weymouth beach - and of course hear your memories.

Send them to joanna.odonnell@dorsetecho.co.uk or post them on our Facebook nostalgia group at www.facebook.com/groups/WeymouthNostalgia