An Unfashionable Fashionable Holiday in the UK

When I think of holidays, I've become used to thinking of golden beaches, tropical scenes, long haul flights. Generally I think of abroad. We all think of different things when it comes to holidays, that's just the 1st thing that comes to my mind. What do you think of?

 

What is a holiday though? It's an escape right? A get away from every day life and all the stresses and strains we accumulate. It's a mental and physical break from our routine that's supposed to refresh & and bring a spring to our step. God knows I needed it.

 

Faced with the prospect of a long winter, with my mind busy from ideas, projects & must to do lists I was feeling slightly burnt out. I needed a break. Information overload. Emails, Texts, Whats App, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogs, Apps, work, life, congestion charge. No wonder we get frazzled.

 

So where to go? A week in the sun? North Africa? Turkey? I heard there are some amazing deals in Egypt this time of year if you don't mind the occasional Civil War riots.

 

In the end a new fiscal reality in my life (trying to start a new business) meant that it was holiday on a budget. A simple affair. Easy, affordable and one preferably to take an adorable 5 year old British Bulldog & a new girlfriend (not necessarily adorable in that order) . I knew just the place. It had to be the UK.

 

It's become fashionable again to holiday in the UK. The recession has forced many of us to reconsider. We live here and sometimes you forget just what it is that's so great about your own country. What makes people from abroad travel half way round the world to come & visit. Sometimes it's easy to take for granted what's on your own doorstep.

 

It's certainly become more difficult to find unspoilt and natural places in the UK to go to. Invariably the best spots have become 'Bankified' - where people with money have bought holiday homes and pushed up the price. Parts of Cornwall, Devon, Norfolk, Kent & Wales have become trendy DFL zones (Down From London) - but that's just part of modern society. No dramas.

 

The price is also quite an issue in some places. UK is expensive. Cottages, holiday lets, guest houses. Even static caravans are pretty pricey in high season. You have to shop around to get a good deal - hence why camping has made a welcome return to the UK's holiday psyche. Getting back to our roots as a nation is a good thing in my book. Anyway I digress there, those bits where I verge onto social commentary are always a little boring aren't they? Still It makes me feel better.

 

Anyway - back to where to go. As a kid, because I was born in Llanelli I used to be delivered to my Nan's for a month in the school holiday. I loved it. Truly exciting for an 10 year old, going on the train from London with a summer special copy of Roy of the Rovers to spend a month by the sea.

 

Llanelli is a town. An old working class industrial port so it's not a tourist place. More headquarters for Disability Living Allowance & Mobility scooters these days although it's not without it's beauty. The Welsh coastline is stunning and Llanelli Beach I consider my spiritual home.

 

 

 

As a kid we used to be taken to Pembrokshire to stay at my Uncle's caravan. Wisemans Bridge, Saundersfoot and Tenby were magical, sweeping bays and beaches of unspoilt and gorgeous coastline with golden beaches, rockpools, slot machines and endless days of fun and adventure. It left a positive stain on my brain of good times and I knew it was the place to go for a week to clear the brain, enjoy some stunning coastline and get some space and perspective to my cluttered mind.

 

If in doubt always return to your spiritual home and nourish the soul.

 

Rhod Gilbert did a big advertising campaign for Visit Wales but I didn't need his ugly mush to know where to go. Pembrokshire coastline for me boyo. South Wales here we come. Tenby all the way.

 

A quick scoot on Google and a midweek break in a cottage was found just outside Tenby. Dog friendly and right on the beach. Cheap break as the kids are back at school and we were away. A week's holiday in the Pembrokshire Coastline - as my Nan would say, therewearethen.

 

This is my 3rd day and I'm loving it. The cottage is cool, the place is adorable. I can see the sea and the coastline is stunning. Bentley the bulldog keeps smiling and we're all very happy. I can feel the layers of London stress shedding from my soul. I like it.

 

Yesterday was our first full day. Here is a brief outline of what happens on a British Holiday;

 

Up at 9ish, dog on a lead and walk out to Lydstep beach. I have never been here. It is small, cute and desperately stunning. A small cove in the Pembrokshire coastline and it is beautiful.

 

 

Not a bad start to the day/holiday. You can feel the space and open expanse start to melt your stress. How can you be worried, fearful or stressed when you are confronted with these views? The dog loved it and it gave us a perfect opportunity to capture one of those cute dog shots that everyone loves. Here's our attempt;

 

 

Next it was time for a run whilst my girlfriend hit the gym. I went out on the coastal path to do my favourite thing in the whole world. Run across cliffs and deserted coves and bays. I find it thrilling, exhilarating, beautiful, peaceful and so so pleasing. I'm at my happiest doing this. Hundreds of feet drops to deserted coves. You pass a few dog walkers, ramblers and retired locals all doing the same thing - looking out to sea looking at the expanse. You feel a kinship and shared appreciation of mother nature. It is stunning and I love it.

 

I did a good hour's run/walk/look along the coastal path which was enough to charge my spiritual tank and it's back to the cottage for a lazy breakfast.

 

Next it's time to go into Tenby for a few errands and mooch about. The Bulldog is of course kept in tow. He's like a celebrity. People stopping everywhere to pat him, touch him, pose for photos. I wish I got that much attention but even I'm not that sick that I get jealous of a bulldog. He's a proper beauty.

 

Tenby is a strange place. The real Welsh don't call it Wales. It's a cute little fishing village that has become a trendy fashionable tourist destination. It's pricey and full of tourists (like me) but it's stunning and pleasing on the eye. Mind you it's still South Wales though so it has it's smattering of exceptionally funny characters (who of course don't realise how funny they are) and we met a few during our stay.

 

As soon as we parked in the £5 car park. We met Dave and Ron. Dave was an old welsh boy in shorts minding the car park and his mate Ron was a northerner carrying an Onion. When we remarked it looked like he was going to take a bite. He informed us, he was just off upstairs to have a meat and Raw onion sandwich.

 

"What meat Ron?" I asked

"I've got corned beef, Ham and tongue. Put it with a bit of raw onion. Lovely"

Sounds Interesting - we remarked. He became almost evangelical on the pluses of raw onion at our interest.

"I just love raw onion, it's so nice. Especially with apple. Give me an apple, onion and knife and i'm happy"

 

See - you don't get kind of character in St Lucia do you? We wished him and his meat & Onion sandwich well and moved on.

 

Within 5 minutes we had seen 3 mobility scooters. As regular readers will know I am from South Wales and South Wales is the home of the mobility scooter. We spotted one spare outside a local working mens club and couldn't resist the classic holiday shot;

 

 

 

Next it was into the small centre where all the shops are. Here I met 29 old girls on a day trip out from Swansea. They all commented on the dog and when I said he likes his tummy tickled just like his owner - I had a choir of 29 old welsh girls going ''OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH, naughty". Very funny. We had a nice chat and I learnt they were from an OAP's home and it was their 3rd day trip this year and they had been around town on a horse & carriage, had a pub lunch and were now heading to the beach. Typical Welsh women - they would have talked for hours. That's the other thing about here - people are so very chatty, friendly and happy. It's weird coming from London and takes some getting used to, being open and happy and communicative.

 

Bentley the Bulldog had a photo for an American tourist (should I have charged?) then we went shopping in my favourite shop in the world.

 

 

Everything for a pound + VAT. I love it and it always makes me smile. That's how switched on for the tourists they are here.

 

Next we had a cup of tea on the windswept harbour. Shivering into our steaming mugs as the wind whipped through our insufficient clothing. We laughed how lightweight us Down From Londoners are at such fresh September weather as locals walked their dogs in board shorts and t-shirts. I so need to toughen up. My Grandfather, a former steeplejack would not approve.

 

We hit the beach as the sun came out and Bentley had his first chance to gallop (if indeed a short stumpy bulldog can gallop) on the sand and swim in the sea. This is one of life's pure comedy moments. Bulldogs cannot swim and seeing him attempt to surf was genuinely comedy gold. Still he's better than me so I shouldn't take the piss.

 

It was a joy to see my girlfriend struck by the awesome beauty of the beach and coastline. The sun shone, the cloud formation was awesome, the tide was out and Tenby really came out in it's full splendour. It was breath taking in it's beauty and confirmed why Pembrokshire is one of the most stunning places in the world for me

 

 

We settled against the cliff, laying on the sand with the sun warming our faces. No words were needed. No Facebook updates or tweets required. We sat, we relaxed. We appreciated. It was one of those moments you treasure. Pure holiday gold

 

 

We found a beachside café, ate some seafood, the dog got more attention and then we drove along the coast to some more deserted bays. Parking alongside old couples staring out to sea, appreciating the beauty. catching a glimpse of our future in the rear view mirror.

 

And then it was home. Back to the cottage. Exhausted but content. Peaceful and happy. My girlfriend so tired, she's a London town girl and commented she'd had 'too much fresh air' - why she was so tired which is a phrase I adore. Very funny, so odd, yet so strangely true.

 

It was early to bed. Both sleeping early. Peacefully. Happy. A perfect day.

 

It's Not very rock and roll. Not very headline grabbing. Not the kind of holiday day I would have imagined a little while a go. But you know what? You don't need 5 star hotels. Grand gestures. Over the top activities. You don't need tropical climbs. You don't need to spend £10k to get those post card moments. We got that for free today on Tenby beach. On Pembroke coastline.

 

We got that peace. That joy, that contentment. The sun on our face with our backs against a cliff with the view of the coast. Such space, such expanse. You could almost feel that pressure valve, that knot, that ball of stress in your head letting go. Easing off. Calming down. You can feel the air. hear the gulls, the bells on the boats. the wind whistling against the cliff.

 

It was a beautiful day. A real day. A holiday. Right here in the UK. And that ladies & gentlemen is real life that I so often miss. I'm pleased to have seen it yesterday

 

The Nick Evans

Tenby

Weds 11th September 2013