The queue extended out of Brighton station and along Queen's Road.

It snaked down the whole length of North Road and into Marlborough Place.

Sometimes it even went back to the Royal Pavilion. People were able to sup a quick pint at the King and Queen as the queue shuffled by.

What am I talking about? Returning crowds on any busy summer Sunday in the halcyon days for Brighton shortly after the Second World War, when no one had heard of Benidorm or cheap flights to Spain.

Few people had cars and the railways provided trains every few minutes.

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people at the station last Sunday after a glorious day when I happened to be passing through but, as usual, there was the worst train service of the week. The few trains that were running were packed to overflowing.

There were still queues passing the King and Queen in Marlborough Place but on Sunday, as on every fine weekend this year, they consisted of traffic making its laborious way to the A23.

Brighton is a vibrant and busy place these days. It's the nearest South Coast town to the metropolis and news of its attractions has got around London.

If you go to other southern resorts, such as Bournemouth and Southend, you can see why people flock to Brighton. If you visit resorts in the north, such as Blackpool and Scarborough, they have a sad and rather dated atmosphere.

But Brighton is becoming a victim of its own success. It is hard to get into by almost any form of transport and even harder to leave. Action is needed now so that people's experiences of the resort are not simply being stuck in the heat.

It cannot be beyond the wit of the rail companies to put on more trains on Sundays and faster ones too. It should be possible to arrange engineering work on the main line so that it avoids peak times - such as during this year's arts festival.

While no one is going to sort out a permanent park-and-ride site for some time, there's no reason at all why Mill Road, used for Albion matches during the football season, could not be bought into use. In the medium term, it might also be possible to use Patcham Court Farm. Both sites are south of the bypass and would not conflict with council policy.

There is also no reason why all the traffic entering Brighton has to leave via the A23, which gets jammed easily, despite the one-way system. Visitors should also be encouraged to go east to the Marina and leave the city via Wilson Avenue and Woodingdean. Alternatively, they could leave by Dyke Road.

It might also be a good idea to encourage more people along to Hove, where the beaches are less crowded and there is more parking. They can then leave via Sackville Road, Hangleton Road or the Hangleton link road in comparative comfort.

The reason this is not being done is fear of offending the good people who live in the quieter parts of the city. But they (and, living just off Hove seafront, I am among them) should also be prepared to play their part in making the city a success.

It might even be worth Brighton giving a plug to neighbouring resorts such as Eastbourne and Worthing, which have both become much more attractive in recent years, saying they would be good as a summer Sunday alternative to the city.

Otherwise, the danger is that all the people flocking to Brighton will return to their homes with memories of cross crowds, rather than an enjoyable day chilling out on the coast.