Seaside holidays

It's good to read your posts as I have now lived on the east coast, ten minutes from the sea, for twenty years. I am selling my house and dithering about inland/coast but so many of you say you still miss the sea, thanks, I think I'll have to stick with my coastal choices.

There is something about walking on the beach that always makes me cry

Oh I know what you mean gillybob.

I love being by the sea, and especially on empty beaches. I am not religious as such but do have a strong spiritual side and I think the sea, the big sky and the wind makes me feel quite vulnerable - just a little speck in the Universe.

I remember just after my divorce I took the children on holiday to Filey, alone. It was dusk and we'd just had fish and chips. The children ran off along the empty beach and I followed on, walking alone, watching the sun set over the sea. I have never felt so alone, vulnerable and unloved and the tears just poured down my face. I trod on a pebble in the sand and it worked its way into my sandal. It was a white, flat heart-shaped one. Then the floodgates opened and I let it all out. I caught up with the children about ten minutes later. I had to tell them through my plastered on smile and red face that my eyes had been watering because the breeze had blown sand in my face. I still have that pebble.

Our childhood family holidays were few and far between. We used to travel long journeys down on the coach to Bournemouth or to Tenby. We didn't have a car so most summers were spent doing local bus tours to places of interest.

They were definitely 'beach holidays' as we had very little money. Mum would pack a picnic and sit in a deckchair and Dad would go for a stroll late afternoon and maybe grab a quick pint before coming back with fish and chips for supper. We'd play on the beach all day and splash in the sea. Mum packed a huge bottle of lemonade and odd cups from flasks for us to drink from. We'd eat our fish and chips on the prom and chase the seagulls before going back to the B&B and our big family room with shared bathroom for all down the corridor.

I remember thinking we were so lucky and that I'd love to be on the beach every day. That feeling of 'needing' a beach hasn't left me and I envy those who live near the sea.

I live 1000 km from the sea in any direction, and I so miss it.

For most of my childhood we went and stayed in a little bungalow right on the top of the cliff at Scratby. On rainy days we would go into Yarmouth and eat fish and chips and play in the penny arcade.

I used to be an early riser and would sometimes scamble down the cliff and walk on the beach before everyone else was up. Until my cousin came to find me as everyone was worried sick what had happened to me! I never saw a donkey or a Punch and Judy, but we were sometimes allowed to have a stick of rock, and one to take back home for our friends.

When we were older we had to give in to our father's dream of having his own boat and we spent a few holidays on hired boats (Falmouth area) and eventually on our own boat. We would sail across to Ostende, Knokke, and the Dutch towns along the coast.

Ah mosaicwarts I bet you’ll be glad to stay beside the sea!

Oh Day6 how poignant. I love that you kept that pebble.
x

Gosh JackyB setting out across the sea like that as a family! Were you scared? That wide expanse ....
?

We’ve always done seaside holidays and we are at Weymouth right now on our annual family trip. We hire caravans, do all the seaside things, donkey rides, arcades, ice creams, fish and chips, paddling/swimming if the weather lets us. There is myself, my daughter, her 4 grown up children and partners and one Grt GC and they all love re-enacting their childhood holidays we have a lot of fun.
Sadly this is our first year without DH?.

Tanith

Sounds lovely, Weymouth was my childhood seaside town, if we got lost we had to head for the clock and wait!

Sorry your husband isn’t with you, but sounds like you have lots of lovely family

Pre- mobile phones eh Sara65? We still managed.

Your family holiday sounds so much fun tanith with plenty going on. So sorry to hear you are widowed. I hope the good time helps mitigate the sad feelings you must be having.
x

All sing along now, 'Oh I do like to be beside the seaside. oh I do like to be beside the sea.........
We used to have just a day out coach trip to the seaside, mum, dad and younger sister when we were young. We went 'upmarket' when I was 11 and again at 13 years old and had a caravan at Sparrows Nest at Lowestoft for a week each time. We would catch a bus into Yarmouth and I can remember seeing Dora Bryan and Mark Wynter (Venus in Blue Jeans) singer at a theatre there. Happy times.
These days I love and don't laugh, 'Sunny Hunny' Hunstanton. I love paddling along in the sea with my daughter. Ice creams and fish and chips. We'll be going again in August. I always feel sad when we have to leave. Like others have said, there's something about the sea that I just can't explain.

Sharon

I’m so envious! A caravan indeed! How exiting!

We always did B and B, all of us grandparents included, but it wasn’t as exiting as a caravan

I always wanted to go to Butlin’s, but my parents said it was common!

PS

Once saw Freddie and the Dreamers, at the end of the pier!

Sara65 Weymouth was my childhood seaside town as well. I remember being told to wait by the clock if I got lost. Either that or the lost children's hut. I last went back about 5 years ago and nothing had changed much. Still had donkey rides, Punch an Judy and the sand sculptures.

I have been so lucky to have always lived on the coast both in Sussex and Dorset, and like others I can’t imagine living away from the sea!
The sea and the countryside are essential for my mental wellbeing and I count myself very fortunate to have them literally on my doorstep.

Grandma60

It used to be amazingly crowded didn’t it? I remember standing at the waters edge, and having absolutely no idea how to get back to base!

For a few years my Grandma lived at Lee-on-Solent and we used to holiday with her. It had a pebbly beach but my sister and I donned our costumes (yes- mine was ruched!) and red jelly shoes and loved to jump the waves or float around in our blow-up rings. Dad taught us how to skim pebbles; he always had binoculars round his neck and pointed out the liners, such as the Queen Mary or Queen Elizabeth, heading for or leaving Southampton. We used to watch the hovercraft, a new invention then, sweep across the beach sending stones flying everywhere. Occasionally we would be allowed to swim in the outdoor pool or climb the tower and the highlight of the holiday was a 'boat trip'- across to Portsmouth on the Gosport ferry! Children used to delve for pennies in the mud beside the jetty and we were allowed to throw one each for them.

I miss living by the sea, our house was about 50 metres to the sea, I miss the sea air, and also going down for a swim. I found it a great place to unwind so relaxing. Used to like watching the lifeboat launch and also seeing the fishing boats go out and come back. Now we live about a 35 minute drive to the beach which is a shame I do miss it.

Sara65 Yes, we lived in Yeovil and used to travel to Weymouth by train. They used to run trains about every half-hour in those days. Steam trains when I was very young. Every train was, packed with familys with children carrying buckets and spades.

We used to travel from Kent to North Yorkshire every summer to visit my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I can clearly remember standing on York station with clouds of steam from the steam train billowing round me.

I loved the trips to the seaside at Maske, Saltburn, Scarborough etc. In photos I'm usually wearing a big knitted jumper over my costume!

We had caravan holidays on the East coast of Scotland , because my mother thought the West coast was ‘ common’ ( the Bodach holidayed on the West coast!) It was really just like being at home, as we were sent out to play with other caravanners’ children, and my father did all the cooking, with the occasional chippie tea as a treat. We got ice cream every day.

The beach is OK for a short visit, a quick walk perhaps, but not for a whole day! ?

Memories of gritty sandwiches. Trying to shelter from sun. Find a loo. Yuk!

I lived i a seaside town for 50 years. Locals only use the beach for dog walking.

We’ve just returned from a week at Perran Sands in Cornwall, Lots of families and dogs on the beaches at Perranporth & Harlyn Bay, took ages in the car on the A303 going past Stonehenge but who wants to spend hours in an airport.
Beach holidays seem very ‘English’, ice creams, fish & chips etc. Booked for next year.

I don't actually like seaside holidays. My favourites are Lakeside and countryside although the rest of my family love the beach type ones so there is give and take. I do know what you mean about senses and smells taking you back in time though. It is the same with records too. Whenever I hear Mungo Jerry kick off with In the Summertime - I feel young, carefree and happy and it is boiling hot too

Tedber

When I hear that song, I think of my friend and I black currant picking in the school holidays, I don’t know why!

I grew up in Devon and spent many happy holiday days on the sea at Exmouth, Teinmouth and if my Mum was feeling really adventurous we would go as far as Paignton on the train. My Mum's favourite was Teignmouth as we could shelter under the pier if there was a shower of rain but I loved Exmouth the most. Luckgirl I too remember the fairy lights at the cliff gardens. I was truly magical. They also had a park across the road form the beach and swingboats on the sand. When we went for a week we always had to go to Teignmouth though. We used to collect up the empty Corona bottles and take them back and get the 6 old pence and spend the money at the pier. I love the seaside and so does my dh who was brought up at Bridlington so he remembers spending most of the summer holidays at the beach. We love the seaside so much we bought a house in France at Morlaix which is a port town and is about 20 mins from the nearest beach. We spend 6 weeks there every summer and we love it. Family and friends come and spent time with us there too. I feel sorry for children who grow up in inner cities and never get to go to the beach.