JULY marks the start of the big summer getaway.

As soon as the schools shut down for the six week break, or longer, the great escape begins.

Whether it be a few days by the coast or a jaunt abroad, families will be seeking to spend time away from the places that form part of the familiar routine throughout the year.

Traditionally, the seaside has always been an attraction for families. Resorts such as Morecambe, Scarborough, Filey and Blackpool have always proved popular offering affordable fun for everyone.

Children love to take their buckets and spades to the beach and savouring ice creams and fish and chips by the seashore is an enjoyment passed down the generations. Oh and not forgetting those all important stick of rock souvenirs!!!

How times have changed though. These days social media is crammed with holiday snaps usually taken over toes - which will be perfectly polished if they belong to a female photographer!

Images capturing pool or sea views are quite often accompanied with the proverbial pint or whatever aperitif they are having in the shot.

Holidays are a time for relaxing and de-stressing. They offer a break from the usual routine and, more importantly, give families the opportunity to spend that all important precious time together.

Of course, not everyone will be tripping off abroad. Travelling has become a costly experience, especially if you have a large family, so staycations offer a cheaper alternative.

Lovers of the great outdoors enjoy nothing better than selecting a site and pitching up their tents - although camping isn't as appealing if graced with the pleasure of the usual damp and dismal British weather.

As we have already witnessed, there can be significant downpours even in the summer but it shouldn't spoil the fun - just pack some waterproofs and you can still enjoy the break.

For those with camper vans or caravans then the world really is their oyster. Sticking a pin in a map and hitting the open road may sound old fashioned when you can punch an address onto the screen of a SatNav, but it still gives you the same sense of freedom.

But there is more to Summer than holidays. Summer is the most colourful time of year when we see the leaves on the trees become dense and fresh.

Our gardens finally wake up and welcome the growth of new flowers. There are smells associated with the summer too - freshly cut grass; meat sizzling on the Barbecue for Al Fresco dining and the sight of farmers as they set to work in the fields making hay - fodder which will see their livestock through the winter.

And the wildlife - waking up to bird song; watching the bees out and about as they collect pollen from plants are simple pleasures we all take for granted. All these simple pleasures have been enjoyed by generations.

We tend to see more people too in the summer months as we embrace the warmer temperatures and spend more time outside instead of hurrying out of the cold into the comfort of our homes during the colder months.

Galas, fetes and fairs are common place on the calendar at this time of year bringing colour to the community. Candy floss as well as the usual stalls and distractions, the likes of hook-a-duck; crockery smash; tombolas, raffles and rides are just some of the things we look forward to during the summer.

Parks are another popular venue offering families the opportunity to pack up a picnic and play simple games such as hide and seek or 'catch' within a picturesque place.

Compared to some of the costly destinations families head to during the summer, parks are free and are just as pleasurable - making your own fun should be encouraged as it is good for children's imaginations.

Parks also provide a healthier distraction to the techy gadgets that are commonplace within all our lives.

Older generations may remember summers spent playing with their pals in the fields and woods.

Life was refreshingly simple then without the fears and restrictions faced by today's young generation and photographs of folk frolicking with friends in the water at the local Lido or catching some rays in the park are bound to evoke fond memories for many.

Looking through our archive, our nostalgia writer and researcher, Odele Ayres, has discovered images reflecting summers down the years in Bradford and District including striding out over the stepping stones at the beautiful Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire - just some of the many pleasurable pastimes captured in the T&A archives.