beside the seaside

we have just got back from a fabulous (and very cheap) weekend away by the sea. I have travelled all over the world both with family and with work, but there is nowhere quite so lovely as the british seaside on a sunny day (well there are more lovely places obviously but nowhere quite so nostalgic!)

deckchairs, ice cream, the smell of the sea, happy children....................so full of nostalgia

we went to Beer on the Devon, Dorset border about 5miles from Lyme Regis . The weekend was organised by a friend an parent at our local village school - she is the dynamic owner of a large event company, so she managed what the rest of us always talk about doing but never actually do - booking a family weekend away that wouldn't break the bank. Group excursions can be the stuff of nightmares and bad sitcoms however off we set, 16 adults and 19 kids, straight after school (ahem Hardakers late as always!!). Our accomodation for the weekend was the YHA at Beer. I can almost hear the snorts of derision now from some quarters! But I have to tell you it was fantastic. we hired the whole hostel for about £135 per family, we had masses of space both inside and out, the rooms were lovely and clean as were the ample (but communal) bathrooms. The manager (great, friendly and very hard working chap) ordered us a keg of Otter ale for the weekend and they had a licenced bar as well

What was so lovely was that although with siblings the childrens ages ranged from 3 to 13 there was no squabbling or arguing and none of them said " can we watch telly" all weekend.

on sunday morning some of the dads went out on a mackeral fishing trip in the bay, they came back with quite a haul.

we were sad to leave on saturday afternoon, but when we arrived home - to a house like an oven , Mr H lit the barbeque and we had chargrilled mackeral for tea. happy days!!