Many Happy Years

Miners Welfare Holiday Centre c1955
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Memories of years 1953 to 1977 I spent every summer holiday between these years at the Derby Miners. Memorable moments. 1954......nearly drowned but the alarm was raised by Mr Ronnie Haycock who was a paraplegic miner sitting on the front of the bowling greens. I was swept out to sea with two others, we were washed off a sandbank just jumping over the waves. The sea was up to my knees, then I jumped and sank into several feet of water.I was rescued as were the other 2 by a Mr Pattison and a family friend Jeff Roberts.. spent a couple of hours being looked after by the nursing staff. Nothing notable except fabulous holidays and entertainment for the next few years until 1965....my courting year, got marrield 1966. In 1955 I won the talent comp for the season. Being judged by Dennis Lotis and Peter Dulay (tellly producer from Opportunity Knocks). Got married 1966.Hhad 2 daughters and in 1971 we had a son. We loved to take the children to the camp for the hols. We would put the girls' pinnies on and off they would trot to the dinning room ahead of us. At breakfast they would be halfway through their cereal before we got seated, this memory comes from 1971, our son was the grand old age of 6 weeks when we went on holiday. That was the year THE CRANKIES were in the entertainment .... We missed a couple of years then decided to try Rhyll - my God what a change, so run down, the pool had to be closed because it was infected. By this time my children had to stay in the dorm....this they loved and couldn't wait to get there, we had no problems with them when we waved 'bye, they couldn't get away quick enough. Just what went on in that dorm we never did find out, but the kids were in heaven. Years later I booked a nostalgic holiday for my brother and his family to join us, and we were looing forward to the holiday so much and expected all the old holiday fun. We visited some friends in Ingoldmells in May (we were due to go in August). We took a long walk towards The LINGA LONGA, for lunch, as we walked passed the concrete boundry of the miners camp, all we could see was bulldozers. I am not joking, I shook with emotion. There was a prefab building in the middle of the carnage, with a huge sign saying 'general office'. When I got there a lady, who I had known for years, stood up and came to welcome me sobbing, saying "They just knocked it down, they just knocked it down". We were all sobbing by this time, and I was told who had bought the land and was going to make it a static caravan site (like Skeggy needed another). When I returned home, I checked my booking details. There was nno mention that the camp as we knew would no longer exist, so I wrote several letters until finally received my deposit back. To this day I cannot go to Winthorpe Avenue area, I am still so, well I don't know how to explain how I feel. I know things have to change, but this was a bulldozer too far.