Seaside holidays

get your bucket and spades ready

Tedber, that was 'our' song. It was top of the charts for several weeks in the summer of 1970 when we first met. DH-to-be had just got his first car and we did 'have a drink, have a drive'. No breathalysers then! Still brings back feelings of heady romance when I hear it!

I'd forgotten how long lived those cozzies were. Mine was a dingy shade of green and was probably new - or freshly-acquired second hand - for that holiday when I was seven. I'm sure it lasted until I had to have a sleek black one as part of my secondary school sports kit.

My favourite thing on a beach was digging pools and canals to join them up. On the right kind of beach you could make quite a sizeable network before the tide washed it all away, or conversely, before the tide retreated so much that it all dried up. Of course, with a falling tide, you just carried on building further and further down the beach. I've still enjoyed doing that with the DGC, but the spades you get nowadays are not the strong metal ones which actually worked, but feeble plastic efforts. I don't remember ever chopping off a toe with the metal ones... (sigh)

My ruched swimsuit was pink, for some reason. My other clothes weren't pink, so maybe it was a hand-me-down. It did last for a long time though.

Newnanny, well done! I'd have been going frantic if I'd been your Mum and realised what you'd done!

Newnanny

Hilarious!

Just remembered a funny story.......we were at Teignmouth and my Mum saw a boat trip leaving and we begged her to let us go for a ride around the bay. I was 8 and my sister was 4. She handed me the money and we ran down and got on the boat and sailed off. The boat was not going around the bay though it was a ferry going across to Sheldon. We had to wait there for about 2 hours before another ferry brought us back. My sister kept crying and we spent the change on ice creams. My Mum was worried sick as she found out it was a ferry not a trip around the bay and was not sure we would know to stay close and get the next ferry back but we did.

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.

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 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

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.

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 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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

PS

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

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!

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.

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

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