Some time during the school break we would go on holiday to the seaside. It was never referred to as the coast, always the seaside. I remember holidays in Sidmouth, Swanage, Whitby, Bridlington, Cromer. When I was about eight we went to Cornwall, a journey so long that we took two days in the car.
Our family had a small stove which ran on methylated spirits so we would find somewhere to stop and fry sausages to be eaten in buns. This was to remind Father of his days in the Boy Scouts. They were a real treat. The sandwiches which Mother used to take sometimes were very boring in comparison and the stove and sausages had to come out at least once every holiday. Very occasionally we would buy food en route. Here I am wearing one such purchase to the amusement of my Mother and sister.
We played Pub Cricket in the car. You scored runs by the number of legs represented by the pub name , so The Swan or The George got you 2. The Bull was 4, The Coach and Horses was best with 10 [two horses plus the coachman] The Queens Head or The Railway Tavern had no legs and you were out....
ReplyDeleteThat's a good one.
DeleteWhat lovely memories of trips to the seaside. I used to get car sick (still do unless I am driving or seated in the front seat) even without reading. My father (and later, my step-father) learned that the car had to be stopped every so often so I could get out and long car journeys became even longer! As a result, my father would drive with the four older children in the car and my mother would take me and my youngest half-brother in the train! My father would meet us at the train station at the other end and we'd go to the hotel or wherever we were staying.
ReplyDeleteYour family had to be very well organised!
DeleteWe didn't have a car, so we always went by train to North Wales during 'holiday fortnight' when all the local factories would shut down for annual maintenance and special trains were laid on to take workers and their families away to Pestatyn, Rhyl etc. We would go on day trips by coach while we were there, but both myself and my sister suffered with travel sickness, so it could be a bit of an ordeal.
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