Bournemouth Trip

Kids slept well, and I was up at 6:45am to get things moving. Got breakfast sorted, walked the dog, and then the troops arrived—Mum, Charlotte, Zoe, and Tiff's three kids

We loaded up two cars and set off for Bournemouth, six kids under nine between us. The drive was fine until I spotted a speed van in a layby far too late—doing 80mph at the time. Bugger. Hopefully I got away with it, but we’ll see.

The roads were busy, no surprise with the hot weather forecast. Seemed like half the country had the same idea of heading to the coast. We went to Durley Chine, our usual spot, and after two laps of the road next to the car park we somehow managed to get a space in a perfect location. Very fortunate indeed.

We set up on the beach and settled in for the day. I had my Jaws t-shirt on—the one Tucks sent over—which at least amused me, even if no one else noticed. The kids were good overall, just the odd moment of squabbling but mostly happy, running between the sand and the sea.

The day had a proper holiday feel—sun shining, gentle breeze, and the endless people-watching that a British beach day always delivers. I had a nap at one point, went for a swim, and just enjoyed the laid-back rhythm of the day. We had a decent picnic, and later we treated everyone to dinner—chicken and chips or burgers all round.

Before we knew it, it was 6:30pm and time to pack up. The festival trolley once again proved to be worth its weight in gold—makes shifting all the gear from car to beach so much easier. That is, unless you forget to take the brake off, Charlotte!

The drive back was slow—just sheer volume of traffic—but we made it to Bicester in about two and a half hours and dropped Tiff’s kids off. They’d all had a great time, which made the effort worthwhile.

Back home, we got a few bits sorted before heading to bed. It’s been a long day, and it didn’t really feel like a Sunday at all. Can’t believe I’ve got work tomorrow. Still, nice to have the kids for the day—they were good company.