Considering at every possible opportunity I go on holiday the people who know me may be surprised that this wasn’t something that was ingrained by my parents. They rarely go abroad and my dad dreads it.
There may have been a camping holiday as a kid. We defo had an old 70s tent (which I used aged 21 on a camping trip to IOW). My mum took me to Rome on a coach aged 7 (a stop off in Paris left me with enduring memories of overflowing toilets and dead cats) to visit relatives there, my sister got to go to the IOW with my dad for the day. Equity in our family
We also went to Rome to see family when I was about 13. We went on school trips. My sister had the worst French exchange ever.
We were lucky we had gradnparents who lived in a nice cottage in Dorset who had us most summers. I was also lucky to have the relatives in Rome so could go and spend summers there in my late teens.
Our first proper family holiday was when I was 19 - an all inclusve to Cuba. Since then I am off every opportunity I can (money willing).
My mum and dad never went abroad…you just didn’t in those days unless you were middle class. The nearest my dad got was training with the Canadians before the Dieppe raid and Training Paras before Arnham. On both counts he was transferred out just before they went into action…fortunately. As kids I can remember two caravan park holidays…one ended in a flooding incident…no don’t ask.
The missus and I don’t have kids (partly by design) so we’ve been fortunate to have regular holidays throughout our married life. After retirement I was constantly badgered to go on a cruise…something I always said I’d never be old enough to do. Well it seemed like I was being a bit of a shit so I agreed to one of the Western Med.
Fuck me I enjoyed it. It’s flexible enough to be whatever you want to make of it. If you’re gregarious you can dine at a large table…if you like your own company a table for two. There’s always something to do on sea days and intersting places you always promised yourself you’d visit on shore days.
With airport security and cattle class flights, living 20 minutes from Southampton Cruise Terminal, it’s a bit of a no brainer really.
oo I love a holiday me. As a kid we would go to Cornwall regularly, camping or caravan. Camped on the sand dunes in Alderney and sat next to the pilot in the trilander on the way back. Went to Kavos in Corfu when there was only one nightclub. Es Cana in Ibiza with the parents too.
A few trips around Europe with mates, once in a 1959 Ford Prefect and once in a stunning convertible Triumph Herald. No planned route, just picked up hitch hikers and went wherever they were going. Ended up in Yugoslavia!
Our daughter had been around the world before she was 1 year old. So far she’s been to Vegas, Tahiti, Makemo, Thailand, France, Portugal and Bulgaria.
Off to Tahiti and Huahine a week on Wednesday. I will be posting photos to make you all pig sick
We regularly went to Bowleaze Cove near Weymouth when I was little. Dad had a friend who had a caravan on site but, in those days, caravanning was very primitive. I hated the outside privvy!
Our last family holiday was actually Glastonbury last year, and we went the caravan route. Didn’t mind caravan living one bit, but was a pain in the arse for the festival. Mile in, mile out every day. I fell on my arse going to Metallica three times. Thinking about it, we’ve done a couple of caravan parks and UK getaways too. Always loads of fun, and somewhat necessary in this age of black mirror individualism. We spent Christmas at the lakes a couple of years ago, taking the dog. Completely cut off from any sort of mobile internet signal. No wifi. We played games and went for walks with the pooch. Was ace.
EDIT:
If you’re a Southampton exile like me, and are considering going to the city during the summer, there is a great caravan park out in Hamble. My mate had his 40th there last year, and we spent a couple of nights there.
We used to take our kids camping at Bowleaze Cove. Another favourite was along the coast at Seatown, Chideock - fairly basic facilities but the Anchor pub right on the shore was a great place to watch the sunset.
