beaches – the joy of five

Children, East Sussex, Families, Family Life, Holidays, Large Families, Memories, Seaside, Shopping, Siblings, Summer

The Best Of British Summertime

September 8, 2018February 4, 2019by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment

This years summer has without a doubt been absolutely outstanding weatherise. We have had the opportunity to have so many outdoor adventures that have been blissfully sun drenched and have allowed us to to create some fabulous sun kissed memories.

Unfortunately though due to our perpetual bad luck the weather took more than a turn for the worst for our break at Camp Bestival when it brough us gale force winds and torrential rain. And then again when we had a week away in Chichester. Although it stayed warm…ish I could count on one hand how many times we saw the sun.

We filled our week with crabbing trips, cathedral visits, plenty of shopping, eating way to many fish and chips and spending hours at the penny slot machines. Paddling in the sea searching for fossils and cosying up to watch endless reruns of Mrs Doubtfire and Karate Kid.

But the day on Wittering beach really stuck in my mind. With my jacket tied up under my chin, makeshift barriers shielding us from the wind and towels on standby to ues as makeshift blankets I had a little giggle to myself at how typically British we all were.

Not one of those families on that beach was going to let the weather defeat them. They were going to see the day out with their sand filled sandwiches and flasks of hot tea, they were going to build sandcastles and search for sea shells and yes some of them were also going to face a dip in the sea.
And do you know what, they will all be talking about that day on the beach for years to come with fond memories and proudness of their grit and determination.

I myself look back fondly of trips to Devon as a child where we would be having car picnics to shelter from the rain and chattering teeth from the chill of the swimming pool, and do you know what I wouldn’t change those memories for the world and I hope my gang feel the same.

Children, Families, Family Life, Uncategorized

Fearing The Worst

August 27, 2016by thejoyoffive10 Comments

Quietly sitting on an idilic beach of sweeping sands, calm cool waters and children contently playing.
This sounds like the perfect setting doesn’t it? And this was our day yesterday until the our hearts sank and we were to experience one of the worst fifteen minutes of our lives!

We were all trying to build some super duper sandcastles and getting quite engrossed with the jobs we each had.

Number four asked to go and get some water for the moat and as there was a little pool that had collected in the sand a couple of metres from where we were sitting we were more than happy for him to fill his bucket and come back.

A couple of minutes later I looked up to realise he was no longer there!

I calmly walked with my husband down to the sea I the hope that he had wandered down there to collect the water.

Both of us separated into different directions to scour the beach and then panic set in as he was nowhere to be seen.

It was like looking for a needle in a haystack with hoards of people covering the beach and hundreds of little boys fitting the same description of our precious little boy.

I’m really not one to panic when the children wander off normally but I have never experienced this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn’t shake.

My husband ran off to find a lifeguard while my mind was still wizzing around at one hundred miles an hour.

With the worry of the five people that had so tragically been taken by the sea in Camber Sands firmly at the forefront I my mind I was lost with what to do.

After about ten minutes the lifeguard’s radio went and he had been found.

He must have lost his bearings when he went to walk back up the beach and found a lady that kindly bought him back to the lifeguard hut for us.

There he was sitting calmly, without a worry in the world which was a far cry from how I was feeling.

I had burst into tears at the shear relief of seeing his little face, something I feared I had never seen again.

It was a real reminder that we should never get complacent of the huge dangers the sea can bring and how it could have been such a different outcome.

Children, Families, Family Life, Holidays

Point And Shoot:Holidays

August 24, 2016by thejoyoffive3 Comments

When the weather is good holidaying in the UK is an absolute delight.

We have been blessed with some fabulous weather in Chichester this week and the kids can’t get enough of having afternoons on the beach paddling and skimming stones!

Families, Family Life

My Sunday Photo:Seaside Dreams

August 7, 2016August 7, 2016by thejoyoffive13 Comments

I love the British coast and long to live by the sea at some stage.

So this week I am linking up with Photalife to show a snap from our trip to Worthing yesterday. I loved spending a few hours taking in this beautiful view.

Birthdays, Children, Crabbing, Families, Family Life, Food, Kent, Large Families

Our Birthday Boys Trip to The Seaside

January 10, 2016January 15, 2016by thejoyoffive8 Comments

Number four is a boy after my own heart and when asked what he wanted to do for his birthday he replied, “the seaside”

His first choice was Brighton which is my first love but with him wanting to take his new gokart we talked him round to Whitstable as I knew he would be able to ride freely along the seafront and make the most of his new toy.

We visit Whitstable a few times a year and stayed there last Easter. I love the simplicity of this seaside town with its narrow streets housing pretty little shops, beautiful fish restaurants everywhere you turn and long stretches of unspoiled pebbled beaches.

One of the highlights of our stay last year was the breakfast at the Hotel Continenal so we got up extra early to get down there to fill up before our adventures.

Number four was a little disappointed that we had not packed his pyjamas for an overnight stay!

Full to the brim we set off in a walk along the seafront along to Tankerton just outside Whistable. We stopped several times to throw pebbles into the sea, investigate the beach huts and have races with the gokart.

After another stop for tea to warm up once we reached Tankerton we turned back and swapped the gokart for crabbing lines. We had tried to explain to the extremely wilful number four that the chances of catching any crabs would be highly unlikely but there was no wavering and he stood on the edge of jetty shivering like mad but determined to catch a bite.