It's only small loose grains of worn or disintegrated rock, battered by the waves over long years, but sand can be a lot of fun. Bill Hicks once described the beach as the place where dirt meets water. He didn't see the attraction of a sandy strip, but millions of holidaymakers do, choosing to spend   their vacation period each year alternating between getting sand stuck to their lotioned legs and stuck to their wet bums after a swim. For such a small entity, it certainly seems to get in the most curious of places, and for many, the feeling of holiday is intermingled with the sensation of discovering sand weeks after you've got home, in the car, in your ears, sandwiched in a book, at the bottom of your handbag, in the turn-ups of your jeans... MP

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