Pontins Prestatyn
Obviously as a child, most people will say some of their fondest memories are when they went away on holiday. And I am no exception, and I have quite a good memory too. Up to the age of 4 we used to go to Pontins at Prestatyn in North Wales. Although the years may merge into one, I do remember the ladybird swarm, where mum simply put our raincoats and wellingtons on and sent us outside to play in essentially was a plague of biblical proportions! But that was the 1970's way of parenting, "go out and play!"
Another unusual aspect of 70's parenting was to tell ridiculous lies to your children so as to frighten you to death, like "if you're naughty a policeman will put you in prison and you'll never see anyone ever again!" Or my mum's favourite when I used to ask for my dad was, "He's run off with the Bogey man!" She told me this when we were at Pontins, so I took it upon myself to go and find dad and give the Bogey man a good telling off... Naturally I was soon lost and a kind man with his son took me to reception. I remember sitting on a chair behind a kind lady dressed as a blue coat, not feeling remotely frightened telling the staff I had to find the Bogey man because he had my dad. You can imagine my mothers face when she turned up to collect missing child from the reception and being asked why I would think the Bogey man had run off with my dad!
Red faced, my mum took me back to the chalet and should me where dad had been lying in bed all day with a stomach bug. She told me the lie to stop me disturbing him! Be warned what you lie to your kids about is all I can say. I have lots of other dodgier memories, like this puppet machine that had these hideous dancing dolls in them that fascinated and frightened me to dead all at the same time. I loved the chalets we stayed in and playing on the park. The little Noddy train that took you around the park and the yellow glass roof in the huge swimming pool. I actually thought I'd imagined some of these things until, by chance, we went there for a day visit and the swimming pool or chalets hadn't changed at all in 40 years... Hence all the photos.
Greenacres Porthmadog
From aged 5 to 12 years old we changed destinations and Dad began taking us to Greenacres caravan park in Porthmadog North Wales, which has created a life long love affair for the park, the town and the dunes on Blackrock sands. We first stayed in a caravan belonging to a friend of dad's from work, which was on what is Narcissis Way. I loved this old caravan, back then they used to have proper living rooms and bathrooms, which I think some of the newer higher grade models are reverting back to funnily enough. I remember loving Wonder woman, The Incredible Hulk and Spiderman on TV at around this time. I think I'd been watching Wonder Woman and decided I was going to create an assault course around the freestanding table and chairs in the living area using my bunk bed ladders and bedding! Naturally I fell off the ladders and busted my nose! I had a scabby nose for weeks afterwards.
I loved going to the beach at the end of the caravan park and where there are grassy dunes with rolling hills of soft, velvety sand. I loved it so much I have written a short story about the place and a
supernatural series based around the area. My brother and I would play bowls, make sand castles, dig huge holes and bury each other in them, take our Labrador dog, Bonnie for a run through the dunes, which she loved. As soon as we drove into Porthmadog, she would go mad in the car, whining and panting and as soon as we opened the car door, she would run off into the sand dunes.
So our job was to look after the dog while mum and dad unpacked. We had this obsession with jelly fish too. For some reason these huge jelly fish would get washed up on the beach and me and David would get sticks to try and pick them up with. How on earth we never got stung I do not know. We would also see how far we could jump off the highest sand dunes and land in the soft sand below. No fear then, although I did go back with my brother about 9 years ago and I dared him to jump over the highest dune and he did! Bonkers!
A few years on and another of dad's friend had bought a double chalet AND a new Monaco Riviera Caravan (which was very posh for it's time (picture across). I decided dad's friend must also be very rich to have a caravan and a chalet. I loved this caravan so much and wanted to live in it permanently. It had rich, red, velour curtains with proper tie backs, (which was my job to tie back in the mornings) and a lovely wine red and beige velour seating and dining area. I thought it was so pretty. The owners also had a speed boat, which he took us all out in when he turned up at weekends. It was great fun and exciting.
During our years holidaying at Greenacres, we had a number of family members join us in the fun. Nana and Granddad came to stay in the old caravan with us for a weekend once. Then my Aunt and Uncle came with my cousin twice, once they had a touring caravan which I always wanted to play house in because it was just too cute. I even tried to persuade my dad to buy a touring caravan, but he said the nearest he got to camping was in a static caravan! We'd go to the clubhouse at night and get dressed up in my favourite dresses (no jeans and t-shirts back then) and we'd be entertained by the camps staff with party games (a bit like what they do today, but there was no Bradly Bears, Sid the Seagulls, shops with endless amounts of expensive kids light up toys etc or highly polished wanna be stars and cabaret acts). Just a glass of lemonade, a packet of salt and vinegar crisps and then dance and play until carried back to the caravan exhausted.
Although,we also sometimes went to a pub down the road that didn't charge to get in and they did fried chicken or scampi in a basket then they'd put on a disco for the kids. I remember doing "Oops up side your Head." and dancing to Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners. Whenever I hear that song, it takes me right back to that holiday.
The second time my cousin came to Porthmadog, they camped in this huge tent on another campsite close by with Gran and Granddad. It is probably one of my most memorable holidays in Porthmadog. Dad got the Brothers in Arms album by Dire Straits, Zig Zig Sputnik and Dead or Live were in the charts and it was just a special time with my grandparents on the beach. I went to my first car boot sale, which I thought was marvelous and wanted to buy everything I thought was cute, but was probably just old cheap rubbish, but I'm a magpie for all things shiny and pretty.
We used to go for lots of day trips out over the years to places like Caernarvon Castle, Harlech, Abersoch, Angelsey, Portmerion, but the two things we did every year without fail was a trip to Criccieth to see the castle, sit on the beach wall and eat fish and chips then go to Cadwaladers ice cream shop for the most amazing ice cream ever. Like everything, Cadwalderwers is a highly polished commercialised chain across Wales now, but it started out at one little shop in Criccieth. I love the place so much I based my witches coven in
Didikai Witch there and when I had to return to the characters and Castle in the third book
Vampire Sorceress I spent a chunk of my Christmas break there, sat in what is now Cadwaladers Cafe looking out towards the Castle for inspiration. The other trip I loved was on the steam train to Blanneau Ffestinniog. And I still love doing those things to this day, along with exploring Portmerion, which is a colourful and bonkers make believe town used to film the Prisoner in the 60's, but I still love the fantasy aspect of the place even to this day.
Finally, the daft things we buy as a kid and think they're great! I collected foreign dolls, of a fashion, so I bought a very cheap doll in Welsh dress whose eyes fell out with one shake, it had the doll with these creepy, empty holes instead of eyes for years. Then I bought this old wild west lady doll with a massive head in a blue chiffon dress. They were all the fashion at the time, I believe they are called Southern Belle Bradley Dolls, but I dented her cheek as soon as I got her back to the caravan, she went to a good home years later though. And the other thing I remember buying was this cute little gorilla that sucked a dummy... I have to confess, I still have it!
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Red faced, my mum took me back to the chalet and should me where dad had been lying in bed all day with a stomach bug. She told me the lie to stop me disturbing him! Be warned what you lie to your kids about is all I can say. I have lots of other dodgier memories, like this puppet machine that had these hideous dancing dolls in them that fascinated and frightened me to dead all at the same time. I loved the chalets we stayed in and playing on the park. The little Noddy train that took you around the park and the yellow glass roof in the huge swimming pool. I actually thought I'd imagined some of these things until, by chance, we went there for a day visit and the swimming pool or chalets hadn't changed at all in 40 years... Hence all the photos.
During our years holidaying at Greenacres, we had a number of family members join us in the fun. Nana and Granddad came to stay in the old caravan with us for a weekend once. Then my Aunt and Uncle came with my cousin twice, once they had a touring caravan which I always wanted to play house in because it was just too cute. I even tried to persuade my dad to buy a touring caravan, but he said the nearest he got to camping was in a static caravan! We'd go to the clubhouse at night and get dressed up in my favourite dresses (no jeans and t-shirts back then) and we'd be entertained by the camps staff with party games (a bit like what they do today, but there was no Bradly Bears, Sid the Seagulls, shops with endless amounts of expensive kids light up toys etc or highly polished wanna be stars and cabaret acts). Just a glass of lemonade, a packet of salt and vinegar crisps and then dance and play until carried back to the caravan exhausted.
Finally, the daft things we buy as a kid and think they're great! I collected foreign dolls, of a fashion, so I bought a very cheap doll in Welsh dress whose eyes fell out with one shake, it had the doll with these creepy, empty holes instead of eyes for years. Then I bought this old wild west lady doll with a massive head in a blue chiffon dress. They were all the fashion at the time, I believe they are called Southern Belle Bradley Dolls, but I dented her cheek as soon as I got her back to the caravan, she went to a good home years later though. And the other thing I remember buying was this cute little gorilla that sucked a dummy... I have to confess, I still have it!
