Caravan Holiday

A Memory of St Andrews.

I remember going on holiday quite regular to a caravan on Kinkell Braes in St Andrews somtimes with my parents and sometimes my grandparents.  The owner of the caravan was our milkman Bill Byres.  We had some great times and a lot of fond memories.
At the site there was a path down the side of the cliff which took you right to the beach.   At night our treat was to go down to the small harbour to sit with a packet of crisps for us and left over bread for the swans.  My grandad used to roll up his trouser legs and go for a dip in the sea but my dad was a great swimmer.  We were in awe watching him swim so far out in the sea.  During the day there were sporting games for all the families.  I remember one quite vivid - all the dads had to take off their shoes and put them in a pile.  Then they had a starting point where they had to run, find their shoes, put them on and get back to the starting point, and my dad won.
I remember one day my sister and I decided to go for a walk on our own without my grandparents and we got lost.  We walked away so far,  I remember passing by houses and one had the window open with the television blasting and the advert for Jelly Mallows was on.  It was cartoon characters of the Beatles.  Listening to it sort of cheered us up for a wee while.  We eventually got back and we got a few skelps to remind us not to do it again but it was soon forgotten.  But there are so many other memories - having to go to large cubicles outside for the loo, a wash and a shower; also to go to the well and fill up the water cannisters.   There were gas lights in the caravan, no electricity.   Every morning the seagulls would be walking over the roof of the van, some I thought had on pit boots.  I could go on and on as there were so many fond memories of St Andrews.  One day I must go back but there is no way I can relive the good old days as they  are long gone but will never be forgotten.

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