I was just thinking about summer holidays today and remebering our family holidays in Broadstairs, Kent.
We started going there in the mid seventies, for the last week in August, I remember my brother and I were so excited only ever having been to the seaside once before but now we were to spend a whole week.
The day finally arrived as we made our way to Victoria Station to board the coach, it was a three hour journey and we gazed out of the window watching London disappear then out in to wide opens spaces taking us closer to our destination, we finally arrived at 1pm to be picked up by David the owner.
On arriving at "Woodleigh" a large house wich had seven family sized bedrooms a sitting room come dining room we were welcomed my Rae davids wife and taken to our rooms, my brother and I shared bunk beds which was a first for us.
We spent that first Saturday walking around the town, it was quite Dickensian but also Charles Dickens did actually have a summer home there, and quite a lot of the town paid hommage to his book titles "The Old Curiosity Shoppe" being one such place we always visted.
We walked along the front and saw Viking Bay for the first time, the beach where we would spend most of our time.
After Breakfast on sunday we made our way to the beach, and there we stayed until time for Lunch at 1pm (Guest house were quite strict about mealtimes) then back to the beach for the rest of the day the weather glorious, we met several other families that year and we were to meet every year for the next twelve years or so it was like a home from home.
Rainy days were spent in the amusment arcades or playing Bingo..lol or just walking around the town, we used to go to a bakery that made fresh doughnuts and had the machine in the window and we used to watch the batter being whisked then being plopped into the hot oil when done would be then dipped into the sugar, so delicious being eaten hot.
On the beach apart from making sandcastles swimming and causing general mayhem while the adult basked in the sun we watched the Punch and Judy shows took Donkey rides(which I managed to fall off..lol).On Fridays the big treat was to go into Margate and go to the Dreamland Funfair (Sadly now gone) comming back late to finish packing to go home on Saturday.
Yasmin
18 comments:
Wow! Yasmin. That's my kind of holiday. I would have loved that. Brilliant entry. Love Pam xx
Seaside holidays, now you're bringing back memories, Yasmin.
I know Broadstairs, although not from that context.
Hope you're having a nice weekend.
Guido
I bet this has revised memories for many ,yes foriegn holidays are great, but the childhood ones were magic ..love Janxx
Thank you for sharing your childhood memories. I only went there once but I did spend many a happy hour at Dreamland, was sorry to hear it had gone.
What a lovely entry Yasmin. I enjoyed it so much. Such wonderful childhood memories..the best kind.
Hugs, Joyce
That was very touching. Childhood memories like that were meant to be shared. Thanks, it made me smile :)
http://journals.aol.com/lattedah711/lattedah/ Tracy
Most excellent memories! I never went the same place twice on vacation. That would have been really fun.
Traci
Great memories. Made me think of my youth and fun times at the beach.
Dawn
What a lovely entry, I was there with you whilst I was reading it. I have never been to Broadstairs and now I think I must go. I have been to Margate a couple of times but it was a long time ago. Hmmm, you must have been rich as a kid to go away every year, we only managed one holiday and that was to the Isle of Sheppey as children and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We stayed at Leysdown in a holiday camp and I think it was for a week but it was wonderful. I seem to remember it was booked through our Provident lady, remember them? Her husband drove us there. Whilst there, we got my grandparents a little monk with a nodding head as a present which came back into my possession a few years ago, its a very treasured item to me and a great reminder of that holiday with mum and dad. Thanks for jogging my memory. Hugs, Tells x
We never got to go on holiday when I was a child. We were too poor.
The odd day to the seaside sticks in my memory just as much as your's do still. I can still see it as clear as your wonderful weeks holiday described above. Halcyon days they were too.
Memories....aren't they lovely? The stuff of life gone by.
Hugs
Jeanie xxx
Have never visited that part of England I have been to Dover but only to the ferry when I was 14. those were the days. Love Joan.
Great memories ~ sounds like you used to have really good time :o) Thanks for sharing with us xx
Jenny
http://journals.aol.co.uk/Jmoqueen/MyLife
This sounds like a wonderful vacation with your family. I think it is amazing you met the same people there for so many years and you still maintain contact with some, that is incredible. I love the photos, that is the Old Curiosity Shoppe in the photo ~ it looks so lively!! The little donkey is a huggable little fellow ~ too bad you fell off. ;) I enjoyed reading about your vacations.
Lisa
You really do have a talent for painting pictures with your words. You've made me hungry for hot doughnuts!--Sheria
Your pictures remind me of the summer days of my childhood at the seaside.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/acoward15/andy-the-bastard/
what a lovely memory. I have some lovely memories of our summer holiday in our caravan. Whenever we tried to go to wales something would happen, the car engine blew up one year, the car rolled into the caravan, a friend of the family reversed into our car!!! seems most of the disasters were to do with the car. But we did have some fantastic holidays in our caravan. thanks for sharing yours.take care mrs t xxx
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I really enjoy hearing about this vacation spot as I was such a big fan of the English novel and read a lot of Dickens. I love to see the English movies about their novels. They know how to do it. They have the locales! I could always get lost in an English novel! I am so glad that you were able to develop such an attachment to the place, making friends that may last a lifetime! Gerry
Great entry! Those are beautiful memories.
Lori
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