Wednesday 7 July 2010

Wednesday 7th July 2010 - In days of yore............

Come on, out you come, you're quite safe;  I haven't got any photos!  I don't think I have anyway.  


All this talking about my hols has had its usual effect - it set me thinking about how different hols are now from how they were when we were kids.  My German friend,  - it's all her fault really.  She just happened to mention that she and her mum and 17-year-old son had just paid a nostalgic visit to a place where family holidays were spent in a caravan during the 70's.  In all the years I've known Heike, I never knew that.  And having known her late father I couldn't imagine him in a caravan at all, let alone one shared with 4 females (wife and 3 daughters).  I was completely swept away on a wave of nostalgia.


My dad would rent a caravan in Bridlington on the Yorkshire coast for two weeks each summer.  This was in the days when a caravan was just that, a place that was really meant to be dragged along behind a car.  It had Calor gas mantels for lighting, a Calor gas stove,  no heating and bare linoleum on the floor.   Almost everything you needed had tro be taken along from home - bed linen, blankets, pillows, towels and so on..  Where we went cutlery, pots and pans  and such were already there  but I know some were not so lucky..   Goodness knows how people managed who had to go by train, and some did!


It was the time of year (usually 'stop fortnight' on the steelworks when production stopped so maintenance could be done) when my dad - just like Heike's I suppose - got stuck into all kinds of things that dad's of the time didn't usually do, not working class dads like mine anyway.  I never remember him peeling potatoes (spud bashing)at home or doing the dishes. He did in later years or else mimuther wouldn't let him go to the pub, but not then.  Not that he overdid it, like..  Neither did us kids.   But there was men's work and women's work and the two didn't mix - unless it was mimuther going out tatey picking to help the family finances..


It can't have been much of a holiday for mimuther because she srtill had to do everything she did at home but in a much smaller space.  Some of it was self-inflicted.  I shouldn't think anyone actually SAID she had to sweep the place and dust every day but I suppose it passed the time away while she was waiting for the spuds to boil!  There was another thing:  she cooked every single day.  I don't remember eating out or hacing dfish and chips.  We must have done surely but I think it wqas so rare I've forgotten.


Ooh, one year we had a change and went to Mablethorpe on the Lincolnshire coast  instead. They hired a bungalow but still had to take sheets, towels etc.  Dad's brother and mother came too I remember.  It was a great adventure for us kids because we'd never been in a bungalow before.  And we had neighbours, just like at home.  They were on holiday too and we never saw them again after that but I remember we were all very close for 2 weeks.  Maybe the fact that they were just 2 parents and child and we were 2 parents, 3 kids, uncle and Grandma had something to do with it. It must have been a bit squashed up in dad's car after all.  

We only went to Mablethorpe that once so it must either have been too expensive or the grown-ups didn't like it or, most likely, the caravan at Brid was booked out.  Mind you,  Keith and I have been there twice for single days (in 38 years) and the place still holds no charm except (aww go on, just one photo...)
 
 Love to all,
.
 xxxxxxxxxxxx

9 comments:

Jan said...

Oh yes I had forgotten those gas mantles ,did you ever put a match through one trying to light it ? the kids fault of course making the caravan rock just at the wrong moment ,that was the story anyway ,hee hee ,'happy days '...love Jan xx,

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Thank you for all the lovely memories of days past today. Family holidays are treasures for sure.

Ally Lifewithally said...

Angie We used to go on holiday to Pakefield an Aunt owned a caravan down on the site and we went for free :o) ~ they were wonderful times and you reminded me of all the happy memories I have of those holidays Thanks for that ~ Ally x

Keetha Broyles said...

Those are bungalows???

I have a jig saw puzzle set at the beach and it has little changing huts all in a row that look just like that, only have that wide!

Elizabeth said...

Hi!

I just read a comment you left at Lura's blog about young people not knowing the first verse of your national anthem. Outside of churches here, I think that is happening among young people here, too. I live in a heavily LDS area and it is alive with patriotism. When I was living in my native South, there was a lot of patriotism among Christians there. But I think a lack of country pride is affecting a lot of people everywhere.

I enjoyed stopping by.

Hope you having a wonderful day.
Elizabeth

Andy said...

I remember caravan holidays like that. The gas lights which were a right b****r to light at times were just a little problem compared with needing the loo in the middle of the night! Mind you despite all the trials and tribulations they were a cheap holiday, when my father was ill my brother and I cashed in our National Savings stamps to hire one at Winchelsea Beach-the cost £1

Grammy Staffy said...

Isn't it fun remembering times past. I remember my mom and me driving across dessert states to visit my brother. Our car didn't have air conditioning so we would take spray bottles with water in them and spray ourselves off to try to cool down. We didn't have a radio so we would sing the miles away. My, our kids would think such a trip was child abuse these days.

Have a great day..... have you heard any more from Marie?
Hugs, Lura

Rita said...

Great stories Angielso nice of you to share them with us.
Rita

Marie Rayner said...

You know Angie, we never ever went on any holidays when I was growing up. We might have been taken to the beach once during the summer months and been given the treat of an ice cream cone that same day. I know . . . I WAS deprived!! Sounds like you had lovely holidays! I think I got gipped!! Nevermind, I'm making up for it now.xxoo

PS - What happened to Sian on Corry Street. Last thing I saw she was laying on a bench in agony whilst ryan went for help!