AN article in our Coastal Cornwall series has prompted reader Des Kent to send in an evocative picture from the past.

In the feature article, we told how Bude with its bracing Atlantic air and glorious beaches has been a popular resort in the north east of Cornwall since Victorian times.

The piece carried the fascinating information that back in the 19th century women were encouraged to use Crooklets beach in the town for swimming, while men were directed to nearby Summerleaze.

The postcard picture sent in by Des shows the ladies bathing beach at Crooklets with a number of changing tents. The image was captured by Thorns of Bude, the town’s earliest photographers, who operated from the middle of the 19th century.