HOWEVER busy Weymouth beach has been during the heatwave of these past few days, it's nothing to match its popularity in the 1960s!

As you can see from this photo, there's not a patch of sand to be had and 'a worst nightmare' and 'horrific' is how some beachgoers remember it. 

In contrast, here's a picture of Weymouth beach taken on Sunday, July 28 - busy, but there are visible patches of sand in sight!

Weymouth beach on Sunday, July 28, 2024Weymouth beach on Sunday, July 28, 2024 (Image: Rustic Photos)

This jam-packed beach in the 1960s is how many people remember beach trips in the past.

As you can see from the US flag nearest to the camera in this photo, international flags would be displayed along the length of the prom.

The mass gathering was popular with some, but less popular with others!

When this photo was taken, the tide was in at Weymouth beach pushing everyone up the sands. 'Busy busy times,' one reader remembers.

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One reader remembers: "Those were the days. Mum used to take us down early and then come home when the crowds arrived."

For another, escaping the crowds was a priority. They said: "This is why we would always go to Sandsfoot, Southside at Ferrybridge, or 'back beach' down the bottom of Pirates Lane!"

Another popular location for avoiding the crowds was Newtons Cove, one reader suggested.

"I can remember going in late 1960s, yes, it was that busy so went to Castle Cove, Greenhill and Hamm Beach was horrific on Weymouth Sands," one reader said.

Another crowded Weymouth beach scene from the 1960sAnother crowded Weymouth beach scene from the 1960s (Image: Courtesy of Chris Osborn)

This reader would also be selective: "We used to park in the Lodmoor car park and walk down to the beach there. It was much quieter. Then back to the car for a fry up on the primus stove. We also had a beach hut once near Greenhill. Happy days," they recall.

Someone else noted: "This was before the package holiday and cheap flights abroad."

"We used to look down the beach from our beach hut at Greenhill in the summer and say it looked like the river Ganges! It did used to get packed at the height of the summer season," one reader remembers.

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It was easier for youngsters to get lost back then.

One reader said: "I remember it being packed also and having to get there early or go to Preston or Abbotsbury.

"That’s why so many kids ended up in the 'lost children' area."

"I remember it like that," another reader recalls. "When we went to the beach as children our parents gave us a talk to aim for it if we got lost. Usually the children's hut I think!"

Another reader remembers: "We used to swim off the pier and don't remember the beach like that - but then I would just walk along the prom and try avoid crowds anyway!"

There was disappointment on a beach outing for this reader, who remembers: "I went on a church choir outing about 1963 and on the beach I lost a half crown - all the pocket money I had - and I never found it! I couldn't have any ice cream or anything for tea when we went to Fortes! I was scarred for life!"