General Chat

Hi Maddiecow,

I grew up near Margate but haven't lived there for many years. There used to be a pub in the old part of town which had Christmas decs up all year round - not sure if that's what you can remember. I think it had changed ownership last time I was there a few years back.

Back in the 70's I used to go to the beach nearly every day in the summer hols with my cousin, as his parents owned a guest house about one minute away. Every day was an adventure, digging holes, making sandcastles, paddling in the sea. I didn't go in the sea much as it used to irritate my legs, they would come up in itchy blister type sores! Never did find out what that was, luckily I don't suffer from that any more.

After our day on the beach we were lucky just to have a short walk back to the house and a nice bath & tea. I remember one day we'd been burying each other in the sand and my hair was absolutely caked in it and it wouldn't wash out. My mum had to chop lumps of it out - the next day we had our official school photo. I was 5 years old and even now I cringe to look at my jagged mop in this photo!

The first and only seaside holiday I had as a child was when I was ten, the last year of WW11. My Dad drew out his National Savings Certificates and took Mum, my younger brother and I together with a friend of theirs whose husband was in the Army, to Southport for a week full board in a guest house

Unfortunately the sea was always way out but

we did play on the sand and I remember going to an open-air swimming baths and coming down the slide where Dad was supposed to catch me at the bottom, but missed and I went under, was frightened of deep water for a long time after. Dad bought Mum Friend and myself a marcasite cross with a chain which I still have. 66 yeard later, wouldn't part with it. for the moon.
Years later when I had my children we nearly always went to North Wales, mainly because we had a static caravan there at Point of Ayr.



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We used to go to Margate, I am sure the place was called the Bryn Marie or something and used to have a pass into Dreamland, I ... I've heard its since gone .....there used to be a house not far from the beach with a christmas tree and lights in the window all year round - I was told as a small child Santa Lived there ....anyone know if its still there?

My Dad did the same with his railway passes.
We used to go to stay at Dartmouth.
Loved going on the train from Paddington to kingswear,steam train in those days.
Then over the Dartmouth ferry.Spent the days mostly at Paignton beach

I think all our memories of past summers are selective Fiona. If summers really were long, sunny and hot, the saying 'saving for a rainy day' would never have come about lol

A lot of our old holiday photos show us wrapped up in hats, coats, gloves, etc., or peering out from under umbrellas. Which is very odd, as I remember the summer holidays being hot & sunny from start to finish:))

Somerset. Dawlish, Weston, Torquay, Brighton to mention a few.

My dad worked on the railway and saved his free passes, and that's how my parents could afford to us away every year.
Many of my school friends never had a holiday.

Gwyn, I know what you mean about missing the Isle of Wight.

Sometimes, because my mum's health wasn't great, I would be fostered to my grandparents in New Milton, which was only a mile from Barton on Sea, and the cliffs there. The cafe we used to go for tea sometimes is gone now, over the edge of the cliffs, but they used to do a lovely cream tea, and Gran would have a boiled egg, brown bread and butter and an assortment of cakes.

Anyway, the view of the Isle of Wight was alway welcome, and the neadles and lighthouse. We could hear the foghorn from a mile inland sometimes.

When I was a child (not that many years ago lol)

We always used to cornwall (as i have family there) the local beach was Porth Beach the beach was lovely

I remember one holiday I dug a really big hole in the sand and burried our only football never to be seen again as i could not remember where I dug the hole

So if anybody finds it

Its mine LOL

Deb K x

I lived near Portsmouth and we used to go to Southsea beach, - mostly pebbles. Across the water was the Isle of Wight and for years if I visited any other beach, it felt as though something was missing, without that view. Ocean liners used to pass on their way to and from Southampton and naval boats were frequently in and out of harbour, so you had to watch out for the 'wash' of fast water which could drench the picnics of the unwary, if too close to the shoreline.

Sometimes, like Sheila, our parents took us to Hayling Island because there was alot of sand there if the tide was out. This was quite a performance and we at first used to go by train, packing the picnic, rugs, knitted swimsuits etc all into the deep well of my younger sister's pram. We even took a birthday cake for her one year.
Later when we travelled to Hayling by bus, we had to get out when we neared the island because the road bridge was not strong enough to take the combined weght of the vehicle plus passengers, so we all got out, walked across the bridge, then caught the bus again at the other side. My memories are the same as Sheila's, but sometimes we would be allowed to visit the funfair to buy candy floss. It used to fascinate me seeing it spun and collected and twirled onto a stick. The modern day plastic bags just don't have the same magic!.

Gwyn

TW me, I had a knitted cossie, and boy did it stretch, only wore it once, when I came out of the sea in Bournemouth it was down to my knees, I was five or six and not impressed!!

We lived near the sea when i was a child and used to regularly go to Lee on Solent, Hill Head or southsea, all mainly stony beaches. In Southsea Mum would meet up with her sisters and they would all sit in deck chairs and chat, Dad would drive down and join us after work to take us home again.

We also used to drive to Bognor, Brighton and Swanage. Dad would go in the water but he was no swimmer, Mum used to say he was like a jelly fish, used to go round in circles.

joy didnt even see the snake!!! it was a snake, and it wasnt seaweed!!!! im telling yas lol

I have piccies of me in my little rouched cossie taken at Herne Bay,Littlehampton and Bognor.
Remember having the sandwiches on the beach,candy floss and toffee apples.
Yes TW no swimming after you had eaten for at least an hour
Had to go in for a swim on my own,mum never went near the sea,dad only paddled.Neither changed out of their day clothes at all
Remember it as a lonely trip really,no other kids with me,and parents very old fashioned and stuck in their ways

I gather you looked quite "Petite" in yours then.**M**.:o)>.pmsl.

So who owned one of those knitted cossies then? You know the ones, they absorbed the entire English Channel as soon as a wave hit you.

Turning Right out of the front gate, couple of hundred yards walk,down the cliff path and on to the beach,lived in Penrhyn Bay at the time,Close to The little Orm.if anyone knows it .Pendorlan Rd. the house name Bethany.**M**.

On holiday in Lydstep Bay, near Tenby, my son, who was 2 then, collected shells from the beach. One of them was still live but we didn't know it then.

We were sharing a caravan with my mum and stepdad. After a couple of days, there was a horrible smell in the caravan, and we all blamed stepdad's socks! Mum even boiled them to get rid of the smell. I kept changing my son's nappy, and still the stink persisted.

Then he pulled his little bucket of shells out from the cupboard under the sink, and the stench was unbearable!

STARY
that snake was a piece of sea weed lmao

i remember your brother telling you a limpet

was a baby tortoise lol

Used to go by train to Littlehampton for day trips.

Margate or Shanklin would be the week holiday.

Remember sleeping 3 in a bed at Margate one year as Mums youngest sister joined us at short notice.

Watching rock being made was a highlight

Maureen

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