THE days of tea, pop and crisps at Silecroft beach are close to returning after many years as councilors try out a pop-up café scheme.

A steel storage container on the beach car park will form the café and work is progressing to get it up a running for the summer season.

Behind the project is Whicham Parish Council and the idea came from a public consultation held in 2011.

Going back 40 years or more there was a small wooden kiosk at the other end of the car park supplying visitors with refreshments.

You could buy bottles of pop by firms such as Marsh’s of Barrow.

Its best seller was Marsh’s Sass – made to a secret recipe - and there would have been a penny or two on offer to people who returned the empty glass bottles ready to be washed and use again.

Nearby Kirksanton was home to the Bank Spring Brewery, which once owned 30 pubs and hotels.

As well as brewing beer Bank Springs also produced fizzy pop and acted as a local bottler for Guinness Extra Stout.

It was founded by James Wilson Brockbank. He died in 1908 and the brewing buisiness was split between his children.

In July 1954 all the pubs were sold to Matthew Brown, except the King Billy at Kirksanton.

The sale followed the death of the last surviving brother – Arthur Fox-Brockbank.

Silecroft still has a railway station but no longer sees crowds of visitors.

On the August bank holiday in 1929 a total of 230 people took the train from Millom to Silecroft for a day on the beach.

On summer weekends there would also be several Cumberland Motor Services double-decker buses getting people from Millom to and from the beach.

Staying near the beach in caravan or tent remains popular but the site has changed greatly over the decades.

In 1957 there was a major row over expansion plans at the Silecroft caravan site.

It had been bought around 1954 by the planning board as a new venture.

A Millom News article noted: “At that time the site was more like a shanty town and several semi-derelict structures stood on the field.”

The huts were removed and pitches laid out which cost £5 and 16 shillings a year to rent.

The site’s only fan was village shopkeeper Ernest Tyson.

He said: “It is not unsightly to me. I appreciate it in every sense of the word, although it could be improved on.”

You can keep up with progress on the beach café project at https://www.facebook.com/silecroftbeachcafe/