South Sudanese traditional dancers prepare to welcome Pope Francis during his visit in Juba, South Sudan on February 3, 2023. (Photo by Thomas Mukoya/Reuters)

While the lido was described as bringing “modernism to the masses” on the British coast it was just the latest example of a trend that had been developing since Victorian times – transforming seaside towns into resorts for leisure and entertainment. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, the fashion was for local authorities to build great piers stretching from the promenade out into the sea. The Eastbourne Pier, pictured here in May 1931, was erected between 1866 and 1870 to an ingenious design by Eugenius Birch, which saw the structure sitting on special cups allowing the supporting struts to “move” in bad weather. Arranged on the pier's 1,000-foot length were kiosks, a theatre, a ballroom and a camera obscura. 1931. (Photo by Aerofilms Collection via “A History of Britain From Above”)

A military band prepares to play the national anthems before Cuban President Raul Castro welcomes U.S. President Barack Obama at the Palacio de la Revolucion in Havana March 21, 2016. Barack Obama on Sunday became the first US president in 88 years to visit Cuba, touching down in Havana for a landmark trip aimed at ending decades of Cold War animosity. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Goats jumps to cross a stream as they are driven by a herdsman at Dashiwo village, on the outskirts of Beijing January 26, 2015. The Chinese Lunar New Year on February 19 will welcome the Year of the Sheep (also known as the Year of the Goat or Ram). (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

A Chinese People's Liberation Army soldier marches with members of an honor guard as they prepare for a welcome ceremony for visiting Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, June 12, 2017. (Photo by Andy Wong/AP Photo)

A traditional welcome ceremony prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group D match between China and England at Hindmarsh Stadium on August 01, 2023 in Adelaide / Tarntanya, Australia. (Photo by Naomi Baker – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump is reflected in a mirror as he and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman walk along the White House Colonnade on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. The crown prince was welcomed to the White House with all the trappings of a state visit, including a black-tie dinner in the East Room. (Photo by Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)

A female Chinese People's Liberation Army soldier looks at members of an honor guard preparing for a welcome ceremony for visiting German President Joachim Gauck, outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, March 21, 2016. (Photo by Andy Wong/AP Photo)