WHO remembers the devastating flooding in West Bay in 1979?

Reader Patrick Collins has sent us these fascinating photos of the flood water which swept into the resort.

He recalls: "I was camping there with my family at the time, in a small tent at the top of the field, safe from the water, when the site began to be flooded.

"We watched the water rise and valiant efforts made by staff and holidaymakers to save the static and touring vans, many owners of the latter being absent from them.

"Tow-bar locks were cut off and caravans dragged to higher ground around us. A holiday maker with a landrover saving many of them.

"Not all caravans were saved and we watched some floating about. The holiday makers with their suitcases, were evacuated by the Army, I think, in their amphibious vehicles to the Colfox School in Bridport. We stuck it out in our little tent, until the waters subsided."

Patrick has preserved the memories of his rather unusual holiday on 35mm slides which were used, he said, because good cheap processing for colour photos was not available.

He adds: "As a keen photographer since the age of 11, I thought and still think now, that slides were better. It was commonly accepted then that slides have a better range of colour and came alive when projected onto a screen in our homes.

"It’s very different now of course with digital photography and mobile phones being able to take very good photos."

Patrick was born in June 1941, three months after his family home was destroyed by a German bomb, and one month after his father was captured at Crete. He was a prisoner-of-war for five years and Patrick never saw him until the war was over.

The first family holiday was at Bowleaze Cove, Weymouth and getting the bug for caravan holidays, the family had a caravn built which was taken to Preston, Weymouth and put on the Seaview site, just a farmer’s field then.

In later years the family bought another caravan, a factory made one, and for about two years ,it was sited right on the beach at Freshwater site, Burton Bradstock.

Patrick said: "My cousin Andrea and I used to walk along the beach to West Bay to fetch milk for my twelve years younger baby brother, Bill.

"Once we found an injured puffin, carefully carried it back to our caravan, was referred to another holidaymaker, ‘who knew all about birds’, he took one quick look and callously wrung its neck.

"We then moved this caravan to the council-owned site at West Bay, and had many good times in it there, until we emigrated to New Zealand in 1957, for just two years."