SKINNY wee runts aren't they? It's 1955 and children were only given sweets as a special treat, and they ran everywhere, so obesity was rare. This is Largs where the beach was mainly shingle. The adults didn't go in the water themselves it seems and were happy to take their deckchairs down to the water's edge and dip their toes in. The men would only go as far as turning up their trouser legs past their shins. It might not look that glamorous but Largs was only a quick train ride from Glasgow, and there were palm trees along the promenade which could make you think you were in a more glitzy location.

The palm trees confirmed the view that the gulf stream from Mexico gave Largs and the Ayrshire coast milder weather and a water temperature which meant you didn't actually freeze to death if you went in it, although the wee boy at the back doesn't seem to be convinced.