Two thousand take part in annual sandcastle challenge

What could be nicer on a lovely hot day like this than going down to the beach to build a sandcastle? And if one sandcastle is good then hundreds must be even better.

That's what was happening on the beach at South Shields today (July 3) where children from more than 100 local schools left all thoughts of computers and mobile phones behind and set off for some traditional seaside fun.

The heyday of beach fun may have been back in the roaring 20s when trains and buses brought people to the seaside resorts across Europe in their thousands - even if they remained slightly overdressed.

Today there was something of those glory days on Sandhaven beach at South Shields where 2,000 children flocked for the annual Sandcastle Challenge.

Each team was given four square metres of beach to create a masterpiece in sand based on the theme The Hoppings.

And what did they do with their individual patches? Well, there were traditional castles, but also ice cream cones, a duck and even a tank.

And in some of the displays the children themselves became part of the exhibit.

Five winning schools each received £500 pounds and the accolade of being champion sandcastlers. It had been a day, everyone agreed, worthy of the glory days of seaside fun.