A HISTORIAN who has published a book about the British seaside has created an installation in her living room.

Kathryn Ferry was supposed to be holding a launch event for her new book Seaside 100: A History Of The British Seaside In 100 Objects at the Volk’s Railway visitor centre in Brighton this month, but has had to postpone the event because of the coronavirus lockdown.

Kathryn, who lives in East Grinstead said: “I was very sad to have to postpone the book launch.

“I noticed other authors are in the same situation and some are being really creative. I thought, how can I bring my seaside to life and make people smile and also engage my children?

The Argus: Author and historian Kathryn Ferry, and her new bookAuthor and historian Kathryn Ferry, and her new book

“I’d been collecting bits of recycling to make things and it occurred to me we could recreate the seaside in my living room.”

As well as using objects she has collected over the years which feature in the book, such as comic postcards, Kathryn got her son to build a pier from Lego and her husband even made a sandcastle.

The Argus: Kathryn's At Home On Sea installation in her living roomKathryn's At Home On Sea installation in her living room

She said: “I’ve got 30 of my objects from the book into my living room which I’m pretty chuffed about.

“I’ve been posting about the 100 objects on social media and I’m also inviting others to post about their own seaside memories using the #AtHomeOnSea hashtag, and people have responded really well.”

Kathryn said her book is a “feel-good” distraction from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Argus: Donkeys on the beach in Bognor in the 1970sDonkeys on the beach in Bognor in the 1970s

She said: “It’s filled with lots of sunny pictures to remind people of all the nostalgic treats of the seaside. It’s a chronological trip that uses objects and each tells a different story.

“There are the sticks of rock, ice cream, the amusement park, donkeys and weird modes of transport like the cliff railways.

The Argus: The knitted swimsuit is another object in the bookThe knitted swimsuit is another object in the book

“Brighton is really important in the global history of the seaside because so much of the architecture and the fashions were taken up elsewhere.”

Seaside 100: A History Of The British Seaside In 100 Objects is available from book retailers now.