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Where was your first holiday?

I think my first holiday was possibly Bournemouth. I have the vaguest memory of my dad holding me as I screamed at the sight of the sea!

After this, most of our holidays were at either Weston or Southsea.

My grandparent's familys were from Bristol (Hambrook) and Thornbury, so we also visited relatives there.

I didn't know until later, that my grandparents often paid for the car hire (usually an A40) that enabled my mum and dad to take us on holiday most years.
 
My first holiday was in 1939, the summer on the eve of war. All the family went to Torquay. My mom is in the black jumper, she had just fallen down a cliff, you can see her cut leg. I'm in the pushchair, anything but sweet, I think I was having a tantrum.:rolleyes:

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Di you poor moms leg. Yes you do look cute in those sun glasses. I never went to Torquey till I was about sixteen then I worked at Babacomb for a few weeks in a hotel loved the views from there but it was not the job for me. A few more photo's of our holiday. The first is uncle Harry the second mom and myself and the third myself. Jean.
 
Jean,
Is that you in shades?.Well, it's been an exiting day,with your nan and my gran...perhaps friends,certainly neighbours,so I am off up the wooden hill,to Bedfordshire.
Shall start a thread for all our nans and grans...tomorrow.
goodnight.:).
 
My first proper holiday was in 1954 in a caravan at Challaborough bay in Devon, dad borrowed a clapped out Morris minor from a workmate, I can still recall it's number OON 64 .It took 12hrs to get there as there was no M5 back then & it kept overheating.
We took our own kids there many years later & little had changed but a more recent passing visit showed that nearby Bigbury on sea was totally altered with the beach frontage buildings on stilts demolished & fancy apartments built in their place.

They still have the bizarre tractor on stilts to take you over to Burgh island altho it's not the original 1930's one
 
Izzy never been there or heard of it but sounds lovely and quiet. Have you any photo's of it?. A few more photo's of our Talybont holiday. The first is myself the second mom and dad doing the washing and the third a group of us Holte road kids just doing what kids do. I am on the right in long shorts. Jean.
 
Here I am on probably my first Holiday, Walton-on-Naze 1950. We had relatives there (the town's bakers - I still remember the wonderful smell of hot bread from later holidays with them!)
 
The first holiday I actually remember was to Cliftonville in about 1955. There was Mom, me, my Great Aunt Lil (dear old soul), my Aunt Dot and my two cousins Lynne and Robert. Travel courtesy of Flight's Tours, which in those pre-motorway days meant a long. long trek down the A41, the North Circular and the A2. We all put up at the Norton Hotel in Godwin Road, which was owned by my mother's second cousin Harry Somerfield, a dead spit for Leslie Randall, even down to the cravat. We thought it incredibly posh! I can remember that the weather that week was perfect, and we were in the sea from early morning to late afternoon. Eating meals in the dining-room in absolute silence also remains as a memory...

Last year I had a look at Cliftonville when I was in Kent on business. Times have changed...the Norton Hotel is now flats, and most of the other hotels and B&B's in Godwin Road are DHS hostels for the hordes of East Europeans who appear to flock there. A shame it's gone downhill - I always liked Kentish seaside towns.

Big Gee
 
G G Jean said:
Izzy never been there or heard of it but sounds lovely and quiet. Have you any photo's of it?. A few more photo's of our Talybont holiday. The first is myself the second mom and dad doing the washing and the third a group of us Holte road kids just doing what kids do. I am on the right in long shorts. Jean.
Click to expand...

Jean, our first holiday was at Dyffryn Ardudwy, the next stop along the railway from Talybont. We lived in Marston Green and walked the mile from home to the station, "lugging" our luggage (is that where the name came from?) as we went. Then, local train to Birmingham New Street, lug the bags on foot to Birmingham Snow Hill and board the train to Barmouth.
Disembark at Barmouth and board the local train to Dyffryn. Disembark yet again and lug a further half mile to the holiday camp.
LNT 661 was the number plate on our home for the next two weeks, an elderly caravan, painted green and utterly fascinating to us kids, I'm the oldest of four, and I can remember the excitement and sheer happiness of that holiday.
We returned several times over the ensuing years, once, my parents could afford to rent one of the timber-built chalets that we regarded as posh. It seemed the lap of luxury!
Last year, some 48 years after my first visit, my wife and I look a long weekend break in the area and we visited the site. Imagine my delight that, despite the changes wreaked during the best part of half a century, the "posh" chalets remained. Much smaller than I remembered, of course, but I'm twice as tall as I was then!
I used my mobile to take photos of said chalets and forwarded them to my siblings, all of whom came back with messages of fond memories.

I really must book a holiday in the same chalet before they go the way that all things do, in the name of progress. I'll do it tomorrow. I'm glad I read this thread.

Ian
 
Lloyd you were a bonny lad. Big Gee no speeking to you a hotel I ask you. Just tents for us Holte road lot and a hired open top lorry. Shame I have no photo's of the lorry but my brother wrote about our experiences in the December edition of Carls Brumagem where he said the women sat on crates and plucked chickens on the journey ready for cooking when we arrived. We once sat on a load of nicked amunition and we made the newspapers when we got back and they arrested the holiday organiser. The amunition was courtesy of the IMI for the farmers. Good times those. Jean.
 
Ian I am sorry I didn't mean to not answer your post. I too loved Dyffren but I always called it Duffrin. I too would love to go back to Talybont and spend a week visiting the places I went to on my holidays as a child. I see you were posher too as you stayed in a green caravan. I have more poto's of our holidays always in that same field. Jean.
 
Jean, Duffrin is the correct pronunciation of the name. I don't know about being posher....the green caravan had a single aluminium skin and condensation, and the occasional earwig, would fall upon us during the night. The thing is, we didn't know any better, or even care!

Ian
 
Ian all I can say is they were some of the best times of my life. Imagine kids today looking forward to roughing it for two weeks sleeping on pillows filled with straw and havin a hole in the ground [no seat] for you loo?. In those days the farmer who rented out his field were the poor ones and our parents would take our cast off clothing for their children. In return we would receive a couple of rabbits in the post for Christmas gutted with a big onion inside. Think that was to preserve the meat. Jean.
 
My first was to Paignton Devon with my friend and his parents, I was about 9. First week away from Mom, I missed her terribly :cry:
I haven't been back since.
 
Jean,

We only had a hotel because a relation owned it, and doubtless gave us a reasonable discount. Anyway, it wasn't exactly The Ritz!

All the best,

Big Gee
 
I have already put on this thread the Gt.Yarmouth was my first holiday in 1952, but I thought I would add that we couldn't afford to go by train so we used to go by coach. I am sure it was Worthington's coaches, and as we lived off Icknield St., poor old dad had to carry those cases what seemed like miles to me. Does anyone remember that coach company and where they were?
 
Maggs,

Worthingtons was a well known coach company. They were in Hurst Street near the Hippodrome.

Old Boy
 
I remember staying in a caravan at winkups caravan park towyn near rhyl in about 1965 you had to cross a railway bridge to get to the beach. there was a fair in rhyl with a ride called the mad mouse.
 
Hi Sporty,

We also went to Winkups. It wasn't our first holiday. I would think these were taken about '57.

Ann
 
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There coaches look posh now don't they? Where was there coach station in the 1950's. Do you remember Alf? Thank you for sending the info.
 
This was my first holiday without my parents at Great Yarmouth. Mr Jennings is my friend Jackies father and her sister Georgina is on the photo. Jackie and myself slept in a tent for the fortnight and went fishing on the broads most days. This photo would be of interest to Dave Bath who knew the family. Jean.
 
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I am enjoying this "first holiday" thread very much and the photos are so good. My first holiday was at Aberyswth but I was only 18mths old and I don't remember it at all. We went back when I was about 4 years old and I remember going to Talybont. In future years we went to Margate and Cliftonville (Lido and Dreamland). Stayed in guest houses until Mom got fed up with being on a meal schedule, etc. and having to dress and redress us three for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am surprised Dad's arms didn't grow from carrying those heavy suitcases.

In the early l950's we had our first caravan holiday at Cromer, owned by a Mr. Armfield who worked with Mom at Sun Cycles. It was the first of many caravan holidays. I can remember Dad fetching the fresh bread everyday at Cromer....the smell was heavenly. There was a newlywed couple in the next caravan and the man used to sing "You Touch My Fingertips and My heart is aglow " all the time. I now know that song "My Resistance is Low" Amazing what you remember.
 
Stitcher said:
oldMowhawk, the new avatar is the result of trying to understand the BRAwomin on this site. Especially Maggieuk.
Click to expand...

Bit late to this thread but it was worth the wait for that Trevor it made my day, I will go away now and compose myself and start again:D:D:D
 
First holiday age 4 in 1946 to Rhyl,Dad ,Mom,2 kids and tent and camping gear on a motor bike and sidecar.
I have never been in a tent since ,hate the thought of it.
 
jennyann, now you have brought another memory back to me, I would be about 12 yrs old when we went to Clifftonville/Margate. I loved Dreamland every evening, and went swimming with my dad at the Lido every day. I have been back and looked at that sad Lido, it is just derilect now:cry: but it is possible to see how nice it was.
 
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