It’s a tradition as British as cucumber sandwiches and the Royal family – holidays at the seaside.

And with the recession having hit holidaymakers’ pockets worse than at any time in living memory, more and more people are choosing an English beach over the Mediterranean.

Despite the terrible weather that has dashed hopes of a barbecue summer, tourists are flocking to some of the West Midlands favourite holiday destinations in their droves.

Holiday bookings website TravelSupermarket has found searches for hotels at British beach and seaside towns have increased by 44 per cent on last year.

There has also been a 17 per cent boost in bookings for the English Riveria – towns like Torquay, Brixham and Paignton.

The Camping and Caravanning Club is reporting a “dramatic” rise in interest over recent weeks and the Highways Agency is expecting 10 million cars on the road network while a million more passengers than last year will go by rail to Bournemouth, Blackpool, Windermere and Scarborough.

The Express & Star took a day trip to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset to catch up with Black Country folk enjoying their holidays.

At a two-hour drive away it is one of the most popular destinations for people from the region, hence its affectionate nickname of Midlands-on-Sea.

And it turned out that, despite the torrential rain, the summer seaside experience is about more than sun, sea and sand.

Fish and chips, candyfloss, sticks of rock the amusement arcades or walks along a blustery beach were just some of the favourite activities West Midland people listed.

They were there in force during the rain this week – and their prayers for sunshine have finally come true this weekend as the summer, lost in July, makes a reappearance. Despite the rain this week, there was a distinct air of optimism in Weston about the future.

It is just over a year since a devastating fire destroyed Weston-super-Mare’s best loved landmark.

The 105-year-old Grand Pier’s pavilion went up in flames and holidaymakers feared all they loved about the town would go with it.

The pier will still be shut for another year but is currently being renovated. A contractor for the work was named yesterday and it will soon have a new pavilion as part of a £30 million makeover by brother and sister team Kerry and Michelle Michael.

Among the new attractions will be a 4D cinema while old favourites such as the ghost train and Edwardian tea rooms will be rebuilt. The search is also on to find 250 staff to work there.

More than six million people visit Weston every year, generating more than £256 million for the local economy. And the owners of are well aware that, while they are integral to the success of the town, there is more to the seaside than just the pier. Michelle Michael said: “Kids don’t mind getting a bit wet. The parents would like it to be sunny but whether it is or not a trip to the seaside is a welcome change. It’s unique and people see it as a chance to go back to the childhood holidays they remember.

“If you go abroad you may well have the weather but when its 40C you spend most of your time in an air conditioned box because you have to be so careful.

“Britain has 50 piers still operational. There’s something about them that holidaymakers just love.

“I think the seaside just means something different to everybody. The youngsters like the dodgems, the grandparents like the promenade and a place to sit and read a book, just watching the world go by. Young professionals like to have somewhere to come away from work and enjoy a glass of wine.

“The British love affair with the seaside is going through a revival. It’s back to basics and no frills for a lot of people.”

It will be May next year before the new pier opens but Miss Michael said it would be worth the wait. “Before the fire we had spent £500,000 on the new go-kart track”, she said.

“Now we are spending £7m on attractions. There are 68 new poles and we have to comply with modern business regulations.

“The whole thing has to be insulated and that means it is going to be heavier, so we have to prepare for that. I think it has affected the economy losing the pier for a while but when the fire happened there was an 18 per cent rise in the number of visitors.

“A lot of people came to see what had happened to the place they remembered from their childhoods.

“The new building will be 60 per cent bigger. Where previously we had six attractions – the dodgems, the go karts, the ghost train, the crazy house, the balloon wall and the free fall – we will have 17 when we re-open. In place of the 300 machines we will have 500.

“We had eight shops and catering outlets but we will now have 20.”

The rebuilding of the pier has become a tourist attraction in its own right. But there is plenty more to enjoy at Weston, even if the sea does its usual disappearing act. There are the flashing lights of the amusement arcades, but also the miles of seafront, English cafes and quaint walks through Marine Lake to to the town’s old Birnbeck Pier.

Gail Mee, aged 55, from Bearwood has been coming to Weston-super-Mare on holiday for more than 20 years. She and her late husband Stuart, who ran a scrap metal business and died eight years ago, were regular visitors. For the past two years Gail has made Weston her home pretty much full time and is now a regular on the cabaret scene, singing in the hotels.

The grandmother of four said: “It’s not just a town for the summer. We have the carnival in November and the beach race in October, the hotels are always booked up.

“There’s a lot that people like about the English seaside. The air is clean and the water is clear. When the weather is good it takes hardly any time to get a tan.”

Smethwick-born carpenter John Middleton, aged 60, was on the beach with stepson Marc Afford, a 36-year-old lorry driver from Tamworth, and granddaughter Natalie, aged nine.

Despite the rain they were determined to build a set of sandcastles. Mr Middleton said: “I used to come with my mother and father when I was a kid. We had a motorbike with a side car. Whenever it was raining we’d make a brew in the bus shelters.

“We like it because it’s not too far to just come for a day but we’re here for the week.

“There’s a lot of talk about people staying in Britain because of the recession and I think that’s true, but then everyone remembers going to the seaside as a child and that stays with you so there will always be people in seaside towns.”

Trudy Kennard, aged 33, from Simmons Drive in Quinton came with her children Jade, 12 and Damon, seven, as part of a group of 12.

She said: “We’re just here for the day. We try to come down every year because its just somewhere a bit different.”

Vicki Biggs, aged 40, and son Joshua, 10, of Flavell Street in Dudley were on holiday for a week.

Vicki, who is going to study art and design at Dudley College in September, said: “We love the seaside, it’s always a really friendly place. I think if I had the choice I’d live here. It’s a shame about the weather but the seaside is more than sunshine and sand, it’s a chance to get away from the routine and have a bit of fun.”

Coach driver Chris Hawes was in one of a fleet of four buses from Bloxwich bringing youngsters and their families to the town.

The 65-year-old, who works for Adams Tours, was with the Bloxwich West Children’s Centre, including Carol Shaw, who were having a day out.

He said: “We get lots of seaside trips this time of year, as you’d expect.

“Everyone just likes to have a chance to relax, ideally with a bit of good weather.

“We get sent all over the place – to Blackpool, Llandudno, Southport and Rhyl.

“ I think my favourite is Southport because you’ve got two towns in one – it’s good for just walking around and for the shopping so it’s the best of both worlds.”

Wrestling with their umbrellas during a downpour were Colin and Janet Butts from Great Barr.

Mr Butts, a 66-year-old retired transport supervisor, and 60-year-old Mrs Butts, of Caddick Road, had brought grandchildren Olivia, nine, and Morgan, five, for a day out. Mr Butts said: “We’re only down for the day and weather-wise we picked a bad one.

“Having said that I think it’s all part of the seaside experience. We all know what the English weather is like.

“Going to the seaside when it’s raining is a very British thing to do.”

Wolves fan Gary Bennett from Bilston is a regular visitor to Weston-super-Mare.

The 44-year-old of Pickwick Place has spent the past week there with wife Christine, 40, and sons Luke, 13, and Matthew, 20.

He said: “We’ve been coming for 12 years, sometimes for a day, sometimes for two weeks.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s raining at the seaside there’s always plenty to do.

“It’s just an easy, relaxing getaway. It’s not too far to go and you can just jump in the car and off you go.

“When you go abroad you pay more and have to sit in a stuffy airport dreading the inevitable delays.

“But by going to a British beach you can straight on with your holiday and make the most of every second.”