wemburywaves

On this day in Wembury — 26 May 1950

A Western Evening Herald advert from this date shows Heybrook Bay Motor Services Ltd running regular bus excursions from Plymouth to Wembury and Heybrook Bay beaches. By 1950, these seaside runs had become a cherished post-war ritual — a sign that normal life, leisure, and local tourism were returning after years of wartime restriction and petrol rationing.

The company, based in Plymstock, offered an escape from the city to the coast for just a few pence, linking the tram terminus at Oreston or Elburton with Wembury’s cliffs and sands. The advert also highlights private coach hire for clubs, sports, and summer outings, showing how community groups — from church socials to workplace clubs — were once again able to organise day trips and picnics.

These motor excursions helped to cement Wembury’s reputation as “Plymouth’s playground by the sea”, at a time when few families owned cars. The sight of full charabancs heading down the narrow lanes to Heybrook and Wembury was a familiar one throughout the 1950s, linking generations of city residents with their favourite stretch of Devon coast.

(Western Evening Herald, 26 May 1950)