Hemsby In The 70s And 80s

A Memory of Hemsby.

We started holidaying in Hemsby in the late 1970s. My parents loved it as we'd always had caravan holidays previously but now we had a chalet!! They always stayed at Belle Aire site. Hemsby was pretty spartan in those days!! There was a golf area on the right of Beach road, just past Belle Aire, which was covered with rabbits in the evening!! The house next along there I believe was empty then but of course now it has been all renovated. The Lacon Arms had an arcade on the end of it, on the left (it's now a restaurant, I believe). It had penny machines in it then!! There was indeed a fresh whelk etc stall outside, I used to get a pot of shelled shrimps (my dad was always buying me those - I loved them! Still do!). There used to be a parade of shops where the laundrette is now. I remember one had books in it, but when it closed, it was taken by a lingerie shop (full of knickers in the window)!! However, it still said 'Book Shop' above!! We really laughed at that!! Somebody took a photo and sent it in to 'That's Life' as it looked so funny - and they showed it on the telly!! We were watching, and all shouted 'it's the knickers shop in Hemsby!!!' My family are always saying that I remember all these silly and unusual things; I am blessed with a colour memory which is just like a film-reel!! I can even usually remember what people were wearing, and the holidays we had as children are very fondly remembered!! Every year we returned there was more and more built-up at Hemsby.The Market was popular, and still is. Sadly, my father has now passed-away, but he always remembered Hemsby with a particular fondness. I now go on holiday there with my own children. They love it, too!

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