A CENTURY of seaside history will be the subject of the next lunchtime talk at Scarborough Art Gallery by former history teacher Keith Johnston.

Keith was head of history at Scarborough Sixth Form College until his retirement.

He is now studying for an MA in modern history at the University of York, and is heavily involved in the activities of the Scarborough Archaeological and Historical Society.

Keith said: “Tying in with the Seaside Snaps exhibition, my talk will cover the history of Scarborough as a seaside resort in a particularly fascinating period of the town’s past.

“Using a large number of pictures, many of them old photographs, to illustrate the points, it will show how the resort changed and developed during the period, but also how in many respects there was a continuity in the things that people did at the seaside.”

Tickets for SMT’s lunchtime talks, which will usually take place on the third Thursday of the month, are £2.

Talks start at 12.30pm and last about an hour.

Places are limited, so booking is recommended. To book, or for further information, phone the art gallery on 01723 374753.

The current exhibition at Scarborough Art Gallery, Seaside Snaps, can be seen until June 21.

It features photographs of the town’s holiday industry dating back to around the 1860s.

The gallery is open Tuesday to Saturdays, from 10am to 5pm, plus bank holidays.