By Frank Barrett, Mail on Sunday Travel Editor

PUBLISHED: 14:55 EST, 6 July 2013 | UPDATED: 15:06 EST, 6 July 2013

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According to forecasters, Britain has just embarked on a long-awaited heatwave finally banishing an interminable period of awful weather. There's only one place the British want to be when the sun breaks through and to help you make the very most of being beside the sea this summer, we've produced this indispensable guide to Britain's 50 best beaches, along with information on the country's best piers, seaside pubs and restaurants and, of course, fish and chips.

This summer's off to a flyer: Let's reignite our love affair with British coastal resorts (pic: Bamburgh in Northumberland)

The seaside has always enjoyed a special place in the affections of we Brits. When I was a boy in South Wales, a day trip to Barry Island or Weston-super-Mare was as much fun as any of us had the right to expect. Recalling some of my happiest childhood days, I conjure up those sunbaked afternoons (it was always sunny when we went to the seaside) eating 99s, as trails of ice cream ran down my arm. The British, more than any other nationality, have an unbridled delight in a day at the beach.

Sunshine at last: Britain is currently basking in gorgeous temperatures and there's never been a better time to explore our coastline...

One of the first tunes I can remember hearing on the radio was Reginald Dixon at the organ of the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool playing Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside. When industrial labourers first earned the money and the time for holidays, they knew they wanted to be beside the sea: on summer's days, millions headed in trains and charabancs for resorts like Blackpool, Brighton and Scarborough. These were places that became wholly devoted to jollity ('There's a famous seaside place called Blackpool,' observed Stanley Holloway in the famous monologue Albert And The Lion, 'That's noted for fresh-air and fun.')

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Britain's best beaches: 50 of the nation's top stretches of sand