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We didn't have money for expensives holidays, staying in hotels and the like. And it wasn't yet common to venture accross the Channel to France and Spain as is now much more common. We did, however, take a Summer vacation every year. We would stay at caravan parks, meaning a camper park for your American readers. We didn't have a caravan of our own, but you could rent one at these parks for much less than the cost of a hotel. These were permanent camps. Some people had caravans, but most like us just rented the camp caravans. Normally we rented a camper for a 1 week stay. They were very basic, but had cooking facilities. They were cramped, but as boys we loved it. We usually went go beach resorts. We all looked forward to it. I wasn't so aware of it at the time, but the water at English beaches is cold! Even on a nice warm Summer day. We would stay in caravan parks. We visited sites all along the Dorset, Devon, Sussex, and Kent coasts. They were wonderful family vacations.
We would have fun at the beach and go for lovely walks in the countryside where we would enjoy a picnic lunch. My brother was keen on fishing. There was always lots of other children at the caravan parks so we would meet new friends.
We didn't have money for expensives holidays, staying in hotels and the like. And it wasn't yet common to venture accross the Channel to France and Spain as is now much more common. We did, however, take a Summer vacation every year.
We would stay at caravan parks, meaning a camper park for your American readers. We didn't have a caravan of our own, but you could rent one at these parks for much less than the cost of a hotel. These were permanent camps. Some people had caravans, but most like us just rented the camp caravans.
Normally we rented a camper for a 1 week stay. They were very basic, but had cooking facilities. Of course that meant mum had to cook. Another HBC reader remembers that his mum wanted none of that. She wanted a vacation from cooking on their summer Lncastershire holidays. Bill's family was cramped, but the boys loved it. We usually went to beach resorts. We all looked forward to it.
I wasn't so aware of it at the time, but the water at English beaches is cold! Even on a nice warm Summer day.
We would stay in caravan parks. We visited sites all along the Dorset, Devon, Sussex, and Kent coasts.
They were wonderful family vacations. We would have fun at the beach and go for lovely walks in the countryside where we would enjoy a picnic lunch. My brother was keen on fishing. There was always lots of other children at the caravan parks so we would meet new friends.
I remember lots about the holiday pictured here, even though I'm only about 4 or 5 years old. Although the caravan site is on the coast, the beaches there weren't really suitable for children our age. There was an outdoor swimming pool on the
site with a metal turnstile gate entrance ... and that's as close as I ever came to it. My brothers were allowed in, and it looked like SO MUCH FUN! I could see
slides in there... but alas, I was too little to go in. (Maybe it was just my eldest brother that was allowed in, because my other two were only one
year and two years older than me, but I'm pretty sure I was the only one not allowed.) I remember my brother pointing at another man on the site and telling me he looked just like the headmaster at school (junior school.) I went up to the man and told him he looked like my brother's headmaster and he laughed and smiled. (Funny the things youbrememberas a child.) I never saw this headmaster as he left before I went to that school, but 30 years later when I set up a web site for my old school, I came across photos of that headmaster - and he looked EXACTLY like the man I'd seen all those years ago on holiday. it was amazing. I aslo remember dad buying us each a little rubber ball to play with, on yellow, one green, one red and one blue. Mine was the green one and we had those balls for years. (I still remember which colours belonged to my other brothers too!) The caravan had gas lamps and were not eklectrified, and I'll never forget the smell of them being lit in the evenings!
Here I am in the magnificent Dorset countryside. I'm on the left, aged 11 or 12 now. This was the last year I wore shorts, even on holiday. Also notice the sandals which we often wore on holiday.
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