Holidays

We used to go on holidays almost every year to Littlehampton, so far as I can remember. We took the train there. Then we walked - lugging our suitcases. There was a butcher's shop on the way and it had a little statue of a pig outside. We always looked out for "Wally Pig" as we called it.

We stayed at a boarding house - Mrs Wyatt's at 34 Pier Road. So far as I can remember I shared a bed with one of my sisters. In the morning there was a china jug of hot water outside the door; this was for washing in! Then we went down to breakast with the other guests.

After breakfast we got ready and took the ferry across the river to the other side. At that time the ferries were little row boats. I don't know why we went to the other side of the river, I think we preferred the beach that side. I can remember walking on the wet sand at the edge of the river and you could stick your spade into the sand and it would be black just below the surface. I believe it was oil from boats.

In the evening we would walk along to Butlins fairground. I didn't like the rides, but we would spend our money to try to win things. There was a thing where you hit a hammer on a button and the further the marker went up the attached pole thing - the better the prize you got. But you always got a prize so we used to spend our money on that game. We used to get little brown rubber or sponge figures - one was a Scotty dog.

I can't remember how many times we went to stay at Mrs Wyatt's. Later on when we had a car we used to drive down there and go on the beach at Climping.