The Escape – childhood memories
Posted on 18/02/22 in blogs
Escaping from the city to the seaside when I was a child is one of my most fond memories. My mum, dad and brother Darren would visit the seaside towns Largs, Helensburgh, Ayr and Irvine on the Ayrshire coast. My dad worked as a sales man when we were really young and had a van to transport the products he sold. Darren and I would sit in the back of the van quietly when driving to the seaside! However, this was only 1 hour drive by car. It was great to escape from everyday life such going to school and doing homework. There’s nothing like getting your lungs full of fresh seaside air, unlike living in a noisy and polluted city.
The weather would be as warm as toast with a light breeze and a clear blue sky. Temperatures could reach about 27 degrees in the summer in Glasgow. This would lead me sometimes receiving sunstroke and sunburn. This could explain why I sleepwalked at the end of a sunny day as sunstroke can cause sleepwalking. It would happen at special times, for example, the night before moving house or the day we bought a new TV.
We always went swimming at the swimming baths although it’s ironic how there’s baths next to a large sea. Probably because the sea is so cold though this did not stop us swimming in the sea! Dad never swam at the swimming baths so we never seen him swim at all. He’d say if I fell into a river he’d jump in to save me and we’d see him swimming then. It’s funny how when we grew up, my dad was the one who went swimming the most!
I used to enjoy eating packed lunches my mum used to make. Even today I still enjoy packed lunches on day trips. The taste of the sandwiches were delicious and a carton of milk complemented them. At dinner time we’d indulge in fish and chips either buying from a takeaway or sitting in at a cafe. I’d be so hungry, I could have eaten a horse! I’d always love the smell of fish and chips and they’d taste fabulous! It’s still one of my favourite meals even to this day! It’s not a day at the seaside if you do not buy an ice cream cone. My favourite cone is the 99 flake with sweet raspberry syrup on top.
Mum always took her 35mm compact camera to take photos of our happy times! Our favourite activity would be on the beach sunbathing in the warm sun and with beautiful views of a calm blue sea. My mum would watch me carefully when I swam in the sea as I was still young and was oblivious to the dangers of the seaside. One of my earliest memories was having a bucket and spade on the beach to build sand castles and searching the beach looking for living creatures such as insects and crabs with my brother. It’s funny how I seen crabs when I was a child but never again at the beach while being an adult.
At the end of the day the temperature would drop and it was time to go home. My dad would say about driving home before sunset as he did not want to drive home in the dark, thus avoiding possible dangers on the road, which I wouldn’t have known much about. The day trips with my family were happy experiences I had during my childhood. Now only memories are left for me to hold. When I have my own family I will take my children to the same places!
