My Second Home

Right from a small child i have grown up loving Wells-next-the-Sea, my dad used to take us on holidays there and we stayed in a little cottage which was a short walk to the quay where my brother and I would wander down to the amusement arcade to play on the 2p machines. We would sit along the edge of the quay and try our luck at crab fishing and then take a stroll down to the beach, which seemed a long way when you are just a child. The excitement was too much when running down the slope which took us straight on to the beach where we paddled for hours, and when the tide was out we walked across the channel where we dug for cockles and then dried off in the beach hut. Then it was time to head back to the cottage where my brother and I carried a bucket with our finds and catches from our day out and cooked them up for supper. When evening came the whelk boats came in and we would stand and watch them unload the nets full of whelks. I remember the smell of the fires burning to heat the water as the fishermen cooked the whelks, when they were cooked the fishermen wrapped them in newspaper and we would walk back to the cottage with our parcel of whelks. I have kept most of this tradition alive by teaching my kids and partner my love of Wells. I would love to live there one day.